SILAGE SET TO REMAIN CRITICALLY IMPORTANT WINTER FEED SOURCE

Approximately 19 million grass silage bales are made in Ireland on an annual basis, which is a figure that is likely to increase significantly.

As a consequence, this specific form of conserved fodder will remain a critically important winter feed source.

Driving this will be the continuing development of baling and wrapping technologies – the now almost common use of inoculant applicators on baler/wrappers illustrates this perfectly.

Grass bale weights are also increasing, with 750kg now commonly achieved on Irish farms. Significantly, this weight of bale can still be obtained after a 24-hour grass wilt.

The reality is that well-made grass bales are probably the highest quality winter forage source now available on Irish livestock farms.

Chopping, inoculant application, and the enhanced compaction capacity of modern balers combine to deliver optimal fermentation conditions while also delivering a ‘zero waste’ scenario.

SILAGE RESEARCH

Significant investment and research into the development of bale wrapping materials has also helped to secure the enhanced quality forage that baled silages now represent.

Sales director for Berry Global’s Silotite brand in the UK, Ireland, Pacific, and Asia, Lloyd Dawson said: “Recent years have been marked by a step forward in the development of bale wrap films that deliver enhanced silage quality. This is a 100% recyclable polythene film.”

Another example of innovation driving the quality of baled silage, is the growing use of film-on-film technologies.

“Using film, instead of netting, to initially bind the bale has many advantages. In the first instance, the applied film is creating an oxygen barrier from the very outset,” Dawson continued.

“This has an immediate and beneficial impact on the fermentation processes taking places within the bale. Subsequently, a lower number of film layers [is] required to provide the totally anaerobic conditions required within the bale.

“Finally, baler net cannot be recycled; in contrast the bale wrap films manufactured by Berry Global are 100% recyclable,” he said.

According to Dawson, the introduction of Silotite to the British and Irish market helped revolutionise bale wrapping, pushing forward the market for sustainable products.

By engaging directly with the farming community and working closely with key research establishments to undertake commercial scale trials, Berry claims that its product developments are both scientifically grounded and closely aligned with the sector’s needs.