Abstract
Rate and extent of losses from top spoilage in alfalfa silages stored in bunker silos (1993)
Highlights
Large horizontal silos are economical for storing large quantities of ensiled feeds, but by design, much of the silage is exposed to the environment
Alfalfa silages were made in pilot- and farm-scale silos, and five sealing treatments were compared
Extending the storage period to 180 days in pilot silos had no effect on Dry Matter (DM) losses for sealed or delay sealed silages, but DM losses for unsealed silages continued to increase at all three depths
Summary
Large horizontal silos (i.e., bunkers, trenches, and stacks) are economical for storing large quantities of ensiled feeds, but by design, much of the silage is exposed to the environment. In an earlier study with alfalfa, we found that DM losses in an unsealed bunker exceeded 72 and 32% in the top 0 to 12 and 12 to 24 inches, respectively, after 12 wks of storage (KAES Report of Progress 623, page 74). Our objectives were: 1) to continue measuring the rate and extent of top spoilage losses in unsealed and sealed alfalfa silages and 2) to determine the effects of delaying sealing and of placing a roof over the silage mass on preservation efficiency. The feasibility of using a roof to protect an unsealed silage mass from rain and snowfall has not been studied in controlled experiments
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