The Old Mill-Troy PSI Premium Silage Inoculant - Manual (Page 2)

Critical management steps required to produce
high quality silage are:
1) Raising a quality crop
2) Harvesting at the optimal plant maturity.
3) Apply PSI ® silage inoculant.
4) Efficiently compact silage.
5) Cover bunker silo’s with white plastic.
6) Maintain security of silo
7) Pitch any spoilage
Raising a High Quality Crop
Raising a high quality crop for silage, starts
with hybrid selection, optimizing fertility,
weed and insect control programs, and harvest-
ing at the correct maturity. However, once a
crop loses quality little can be done to improve
the nutrient content of the silage, regardless of
the additive or treatment used.
Harvest at Optimal Plant Maturity
The optimal crop maturity target for chopping
depends on the silage crop grown, plant mois-
ture and storage structure.
Corn Silage : Whole plant moisture evaluation
together with kernels at 1/2 milk line to black
layer should be used to evaluate when to chop.
Storage Structure Whole Plant Moisture
Upright Silo 60 - 65%
Upright Oxygen Limiting 50 - 60%
Bunker Silo 65 - 70%
Ag-Bag 60 - 70%
Growth Stage for harvest continued:
Small Grains
Boot to Dough Stage
Perennial Grasses Boot Stage
Alfalfa Bud Stage
Alfalfa-Grass Boot Stage for Grass
Remember to keep the cutter blades sharp.
Inoculation
Ideally PSI ® should be applied at the chopper.
PSI ® contains a scientifically designed blend
of lactic acid producing bacteria and enzymes.
The bacteria in
PSI ® are homofermentative
bacteria which are the most efficient in con-
verting sugars to lactic acid (One unit of glu-
cose produces 2 units of lactic acid). This fer-
mentation efficiency results in more nutrients
being preserved for the nutrition of livestock,
than heterofermentative bacteria which are
significantly less efficient in converting sugars
to lactic acid (One unit of sugar produces one
unit of lactic acid, a unit of ethanol and one
unit of carbon dioxide).
The PSI ® bacterial profile results in a rapid
drop in silage pH which reduces the growth of
undesirable organisms, limits heating and pre-
serves silage nutrients. The lactic acid bacteria
in
PSI ® initiate a cascade of lactic acid produc-
tion starting with Bacillus pumulis a unique
oxygen consuming bacteria that enables En-
terococcus faecium (known as the silage fer-
mentation starter) and Pediococcus acidilactici
which creates the conditions for Lactobacillus
plantarum responsible for the lowering the pH
to around 4. Propionibacerium freudenreichii
produces metabolites that inhibit mold growth.
Optimally the total organic acid content of
quality silage should be between 8 and 12 per-
cent of dry matter. The ratio of lactic acid to
acetic acid should be greater than 2:1.
Packing & Covering Silage
Eliminating and keeping oxygen from the silage
is critical in reducing nutrient losses, heating and
ensuring that the silage preservation occurs with
the desired profile of organic acids. Quickly
filling, packing, and covering silos with white
plastic and tires to minimize the crops exposure
to oxygen is critical since fermentation starts as
soon as the crop is cut. The presence of oxygen
in a silo will result in the growth of yeast, molds,
and deleterious bacteria that reduce the nutrients
in the silage and may produce toxins that are
harmful to livestock.
Maintain Security of Silo & Pitch Spoilage
Keeping the silo or bunker tightly sealed is criti-
cal to maintaining the quality of silage treated
with
PSI ® . Bagged silage should be checked
regularly for damage from vermin and equip-
ment. Fix any damage immediately with “air
tight” tape. When removing silage from a bun-
ker or bag minimize the area exposed to air by
keeping a clean face on the silage and pitch
spoilage.
Management Tips for
Producing
Quality Silage