ANIMAL MANAGEMENT
Improve silage quality and the environment Plastic waste is a growing concern for many who make silage. Now, thanks to new technologies in silage covers, farmers can significantly improve the quality of silage while using one third of the plastic.
stacked on top of each other when
SiloStop® Orange is applied fresh each
comparing on an oxygen transmission
year and can be recycled through the
rate basis.1 Trials have shown that for
Plasback product stewardship scheme
silage sealed with SiloStop Orange
and woven SiloStop® UV Covers can
oxygen barrier surface losses can
last for 6—7 years when well looked
be reduced by almost half2. Under a
after. Given the effectiveness of the
Most often silage spoilage occurs
conventional black and white cover, the
SiloStop® Orange oxygen barrier, tyre-
around the surface, as this is where the
top metre of the stack will typically lose
to-tyre coverage is not required. Gravel
oxygen can get in. Even in stacks or
20% of its original dry matter due to the
bags are proving a popular alternative
bales that do not have visible spoilage,
presence of oxygen and subsequent
to tyres as they are often more effective
oxygen causes the silage to heat
heating. For a 20m x 50m stack3 this is
at sealing the edges and are more
and that heat is energy lost. Spoilage
over 26 tonnes of dry matter lost, which can be over $15,400 worth of silage.
friendly on the environment.
organisms take the nutritious parts of the feed (starches, sugars and proteins)
This could be reduced to an 11.4% loss
Not all plastics are equal. For further
and leave you with less nutrient dense
under SiloStop® Orange oxygen barrier
information, contact your Farmlands
silage, with lower palatability and an
film, saving over $6,600.
Technical Field Officer or the friendly
increased risk of mycotoxins. The combination of energy losses and mycotoxins means that milk production or weight gain can be significantly compromised when oxygen is able to enter a stack or bale.
®
An added benefit is the significant reduction of plastic usage when using SiloStop Orange under a woven
Article supplied by Nutritech
®
Silostop® UV Cover. SiloStop® Orange is 45µm compared to 125µm with conventional black and white plastic
New technologies in films and covers
which means there is 47kg versus
are drastically reducing oxygen
130kg of plastic on a 20x50m stack.
penetration and surface spoilage.
This means SiloStop® Orange produces
One layer of SiloStop® Orange oxygen
roughly one-third of the plastic waste
barrier film from Nutritech is equivalent
than black and white, while still providing
to almost 60 black and white covers
a strong seven-layer oxygen barrier.
WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ
team at your local Farmlands store.
1. Michigan State University, Test D3985 - 21% oxygen. SiloStop® Orange OTR < 5 cm3/m3/24hrs compared to more than 300 cm3/m3/24hrs for conventional black+white, versus 1000cm3/ m3/24hrs for polyethylene ‘cling film. 2. Wilkinson, J.M (2002). Effect of triple co-extruded film (TCF) on losses during the ensilage of ryegrass. In: Proc. XIII International Silage Conference. Ayr, Scotland. 3. Assuming a silage density of 220kgDM/m3, valued at 35c/kgDM with 19.5% losses under conventional black+white and 11.4% losses under SiloStop® oxygen barrier film.
Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © February 2021. All rights reserved.
THE FARMLANDER | 43
