What ’ S New in Silage Management ?

INTRODUCTION At the Forage Conservation in the ‘80s Conference, Zimmer (1980) concluded that the gaps between “proven technology” and “real efficiency” of silage programs on the farm too often were too wide. Almost 30 years later, the silage industry is still faced with the challenges of implementing silage technologies, both old and new. A large segment of this industry is described as the “Silage Triangle”. The persons responsible for: 1) the livestock, 2) the forage, and 3) the harvesting process represent the points of the silage triangle. In some beef and dairy operations, one person is responsible for all three points. But in many instances, growing the silage crop and harvesting the crop are done completely on a contract basis, creating situations where a different person is at each point of the triangle. Each person might have different goals and objectives. Where communication between the points of the triangle breakdown, the results can directly affect the efficiency and profitability of each point.