Abstract
For silage production, high bulk density (BD) is critical to minimize aerobic deterioration facilitated by oxygen intrusion. To precisely assess packing quality for bunker silos, there is a desire to visualize the BD distribution within the silage. In this study, a penetrometer-based mapping system was developed. The data processing included filtering of the penetration friction component (PFC) out of the penetration resistance (PR), transfer of the corrected penetration resistance (PRc) to BD, incorporation of Kriged interpolation for data expansion and map generation. The experiment was conducted in a maize bunker silo (width: 8 m, middle height: 3 m). The BD distributions near the bunker silo face were represented using two map groups, one related to horizontal- and the other to vertical-density distribution patterns. We also presented a comparison between the map-based BD results and core sampling data. Agreement between the two measurement approaches (RMSE = 19.175 kg·m−3) demonstrates that the developed penetrometer mapping system may be beneficial for rapid assessment of aerobic deterioration potential in bunker silos.
Highlights
Bunker silos are recommended for dairy-farm scales of 100 cows or more when the silo is unloaded at feeding rates above 100 mmd ́1 in summer and 75 mmd ́1 in winter
There is a high risk of silage spoilage near the zone of the exposure face when a bunker silo is opened for livestock feeding
The silo face is exposed to air; facilitating rapid growth of microorganisms and leading to aerobic deterioration as oxygen rapidly diffuses into the silage
Summary
Bunker silos are recommended for dairy-farm scales of 100 cows or more when the silo is unloaded at feeding rates above 100 mmd ́1 in summer and 75 mmd ́1 in winter. There is a high risk of silage spoilage near the zone of the exposure face when a bunker silo is opened for livestock feeding. In this situation, the silo face is exposed to air; facilitating rapid growth of microorganisms and leading to aerobic deterioration as oxygen rapidly diffuses into the silage. The silo face is exposed to air; facilitating rapid growth of microorganisms and leading to aerobic deterioration as oxygen rapidly diffuses into the silage It is critical for bunker silo management to maintain an optimal face-removal-rate associated with aerobic stability in the silage [3]. A previous study reported BD values that ranged from 125 to 378 kgm ́ 3 dry matter (DM) content for maize silage based on the investigation from 81 commercial bunker silos [8]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
