Avoiding the Two Greatest Silage problems

The two greatest silage problems are shrinkage (dry matter losses) and heating (aerobic spoilage). Therefore, one of the main aims of silage making is to reduce losses of dry matter during the preservation process. Dry matter losses occur during the three main stages of silage preservation namely the aerobic respiration stage after cutting, the anaerobic fermentation stage after sealing, and the aerobic feedout stage after the silo is opened. Dry matter (DM) losses from silage range from 10% under good management to 40% under poor management and the financial implications are often ignored or underestimated. Bolsen and Bolsen (2012) described the magnitude of the problem. If corn silage is priced at $50/ton and 10 % of the DM is lost during ensiling, the true value of the corn silage is $56/ton, but if 40% of the DM is lost, the true value of the corn silage is $83/ton. Also, if 40% of the 109 million tons of silage produced last year (USDA NASS, 2012) was lost to shrinkage, the value would be $2.2 billion at a cost of $50/ton, whereas it would be $600 million if shrinkage was 10%. These numbers emphasize the importance of minimizing DM losses during silage making.