CONTACT: John Garnett, Engineered Storage Products Company, Inc., jgarnett@cstindustries.com, 913-748-4559; or, Dean Potratz, OPEN ROADS, dpotratz@openroads-bgdn.com, 414-227-1000
Alfalfa Stored in Oxygen-Limiting Silo Loses the Least Dry Matter, Nutrient Value in First Stage of Forage Study
MADISON, Wisconsin (February 17, 2006) --- Alfalfa stored in an oxygen-limiting storage system had less spoilage and gaseous loss than alfalfa stored over the same period in a plastic bag silo or a covered concrete storage bunker, according to an on-going study by the U.S. Forage Research Center.
Ensiled in 2004, alfalfa stored in oxygen-limiting Harvestore silos lost a total of only 7.1 percent of the dry matter ensiled, compared to a 12.2 percent total loss for plastic storage bags and a 15.6 percent total loss for concrete bunkers, says Dr. Neal Martin, Director of the Forage Research Center.
“The two-year study will determine how storage structure affects silage dry matter losses and quality, and the subsequent effect each has on feed intake and milk production by lactating dairy cows,” Dr. Martin adds.
First results of the study, that cows fed from the oxygen-limiting silo produced 5.7 pounds more fat-corrected milk (FCM) than cows fed from the other two systems, was announced at the World Dairy Expo in October. Dry matter losses, which took longer to analyze, were released today.
Alfalfa dry matter ensiled in an oxygen-limiting storage system, plastic bag and concrete bunker was monitored as it was removed and fed to determine the percentages lost to gaseous release and spoilage, Dr. Martin says, which together comprise the “total percentage lost” during storage.
Silage fed from each silo was sampled daily for moisture and quality analysis; spoiled silage was weighed and kept for analysis.
USDA Forage Research Center Storage System Study -- Dry Matter Losses |
|||||||
|
Alfalfa |
Silage |
Spoilage |
Total Silage |
Spoilage |
Gaseous |
Total |
Silo |
lbs. DM |
lbs. DM |
lbs. DM |
lbs. DM |
% |
% |
% |
Oxygen-limiting |
77088 |
71581 |
101 |
71682 |
0.1% |
7.0% |
7.1% |
Bag |
88172 |
77459 |
2378 |
79837 |
2.7% |
9.5% |
12.2% |
Bunker |
234078 |
197540 |
15120 |
212660 |
6.5% |
9.1% |
15.6% |
Results from a second harvest season (2005) have not been summarized. Final results of the study will be released in late 2006.
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