Using information gathered from first cut silage analysis can help determine when to cut other forage crops this summer advises forage specialist Simon Broddle of Nickerson Direct who run a silage sampling service for customers as part of their Circle Science forage package.

“Don’t wait until September to find out how good or bad your first cut is,” stresses Mr Broddle. “By then it will be too late to do anything about it. If you test now, there is an opportunity to manipulate the harvest of other forages so that they will complement, rather than antagonise, the winter TMR.”

For example, if first cut grass silage proves to be poor quality, with low ME and D value, harvesting maize early at 28-30% DM will optimise its sugar and starch content and make up the energy shortfall in the mixed forage.

Mr Broddle recommends taking a spear sample at the back of the clamp every eight weeks to get a feel of how the silage is evolving over time. He also suggests using the same laboratory for all the samples to ensure consistent results that can be compared.

“Once you have the analysis back don’t just look at the figures in isolation – look at the relationships between them, as these can highlight problems in more than just the silage. For instance, a high ammonia N and low crude protein could indicate low potash levels in the soil – as potash is needed by grass to convert ammonia N into plant protein. And comparing the pH of the clamp and the DM gives an insight into the quality and accuracy of the analysis.”

Analysis for feeding

During the winter, samples taken at the silage face will provide a more accurate picture of immediate feeding quality. While this shouldn’t vary too much from any core sampling done previously, different areas of the clamp will differ slightly and the ration may benefit from tweaking to allow for this.

“Ensiled forage is a crucial component of the winter diet,” added Mr Broddle. “The cost of taking and analysing a few samples over the summer could easily be covered by an increase in milk yield or decrease in feed costs – simply because you know exactly what you are dealing with, and can build an appropriate ration around it.”