This is a subscriber-only article
Silage crops will utilise two units of nitrogen/day during good growing conditions. For a silage crop that was closed and fertilised with 90-100 units of nitrogen, it will take six to six and a half weeks to use up the nitrogen in the sward.
Very high levels of nitrate in the crop at harvest can affect the insolubility of the crop and lead to feeding issues. For this reason, farmers should consider having their silage tested for nitrates before harvesting. A good wilt will help to reduce nitrate problems.
The next weather window is likely to be very busy for silage contractors. Have you the silage pit cleaned out and ready for this year’s crop? Are all effluent channels working properly? A good safety tip is to trim the grass verge around gaps where machinery is coming out on to the main road to increase driver visibility.
Get your trailer in gear for the silage harvest
SHARING OPTIONS: