As the silage season fast approaches, Joe Patton joins Catherine Egan on the latest Beef Edge episode to discuss the importance of silage quality on beef farms. 

Nationally, silage quality is 65 DMD. The farmers who consistently make good quality silage always have a plan in place. Short and long-term planning is required to maximise the yield and quality of silage with a target cutting date in mind of mid-late May.

The key factors that affect digestibility are discussed in detail; these include a delay in harvesting, old pasture, lodging and dead material in the crop. All of these factors cause a reduction in Dry Matter Digestibility.

Joe highlights the steps that farmers can take in order to increase the quality of their crop in 2020. The impact of the decisions made now in relation to making good quality silage won’t be discovered until next winter. 

However, there will be a reward of reduced supplementation of concentrates and reduced costs on the farm if action is taken now.

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The Beef Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.