silage inoculant

INOCULATE TO ACCUMULATE: The latest technologies explained

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The good news for the dairy farming industry is that the Agricultural Price Index indicates that input cost inflation has eased. However, input costs remain historically high and with falling milk prices profit margins are being squeezed. The continuing uncertainty about changes to agricultural subsidy schemes is leading producers to review their future, and the … Read more

Provita Advance+ – the multi-purpose, effective inoculant

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Provita Advance+ silage inoculant is a unique formulation combining EU approved and UFAS approved lactic and acetic acid bacterial strains at a guaranteed rate of 1.2 million cfu per g of forage. Performance benefits include +1 litre of milk per cow per day and up to +30% better growth rates. Better fermentation is also shown with 46% more sugar, 33% less ammonia and double stability time at feed out. (Source: EU reg data and in-house data)

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Advance+ Silage inoculant – the perfect choice for Northern Ireland

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At this time of year farmers are bombarded with information on silage inoculants. With so much variation between years and cuts, it’s very difficult to compare silage inoculants or even treated verses untreated crops. Many products claim to be better than the next one, so how can they actually be compared?

 

It is advisable to check the bacterial strains are EU approved.  The EU registration system has standard parameters to measure efficacy such as dry matter losses, pH, lactic acid and ammonia plus stability for wholecrop and maize silages.  Parameter testing shows efficacy on easy, moderate and difficult to ensile crops. Some of the inoculants, in particular the ones that only apply 100,000 bacteria per g of grass, failed to show a benefit in moderate and difficult to ensile crops.

 

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Better silage improves herd performance

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Ryan McMullan runs 60 Holstein cows in Carnlough, Co Antrim. They are currently yielding 8000L on 46kg silage mixed 50:50 1st and 2nd cut plus 5kg in wagon and rest of meal topped in parlour to yield.  A few years ago he decided that he needed to improve silage quality in order to improve herd performance.

The first aim was to cut silage earlier; however with heavy land this can be difficult. The silage ground gets 4000 gallon per acre, this year it was put on with his umbilical slurry system, which has been invaluable. Next only 60 units of N is applied for the first cut in early April, this means silage can be cut from early May, second cut get 2 bags per acre of 27.4.4 plus sulphur and it was cut third week of June, third cut was delayed until September . Again mowing and ensiling is done by Ryan’s machines. It is mowed with a mower-spreader, gets a 24 hour wilt weather permitting, rowed up and then ensiled with a trailed harvester, aiming for a DM of 28% to 32%.

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Provita products improving profitability with better silage and footbathing

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Provita hosted a series of on farm demos throughout Northern Ireland last week outlining the benefits of making better silage and improving footbathing practices.  Andrew Dale in Limavady, Dean Wright in Portadown and Declan Rafferty in Pomeroy were host farms.

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Maize crop growing well for Connons

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Francis and Joe Connon farm a mixed suckled, beef, sheep and biogas farm in Limavady. Their Maize crop has been doing very well this year. It was planted first week of May under plastic and is now standing 8 to 9 foot tall.

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How to measure grass silage yields

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One of the most common questions around silage making time is, how many tonnes per acre are there?

Provita’s Tommy Armstrong suggests the following method.

“Silage yield can be assessed very easily by simply weighing the actual quantity of grass cut from a half metre by half meter quadrat.

“When doing farm trials this year, I wanted to be very accurate in the application of our silage inoculant Advance+.

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Fantastic silage results from farmers using Advance+ province wide

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For 25 years farmers across Northern Ireland have trusted Provita’s silage inoculants to ensure the best possible silage quality. Advance+ is the only inoculant made in Northern Ireland and it’s designed to produce excellent results in the wildly varying conditions we experience here.

 

Its strains have been tested through the EU registration system plus it has been tested on farm in mini-silo and split-silo tests.

 

“We’ve tested it on farm from 18% to 60% dry matter, from 0.7% to 9% sugars on grass wholecrop and maize. Provided good management is also practiced its use results in better fermentation, stability and predicted animal performance,” commented Tommy Armstrong.

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