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Silage

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Any crop that is harvested green and preserved in a succulent condition by partial fermentation in a more-or-less airtight container such as a silo.

Silage refers to feed preserved by an anaerobic fermentation process in which lactic acid and volatile fatty acids (produced by fermentation) lower the pH of the silage.

Publications

Wilting Bermudagrass Improves Forage Silage Quality and Cattle Performance

Matt Hersom and William E. Kunkle

Harvesting, Storing, and Feeding Forages as Round Bale Silage

Matt Hersom and William E. Kunkle

Comparison of Hay or Round Bale Silage as a Means to Conserve Forage

Matt Hersom, Todd Thrift, and Joel Yelich

Silage Crops for Dairy and Beef Cattle I: Corn

Marcelo Wallau, Maria E. Mailhos, João Vendramini, João Vendramini, Adegbola T. Adesogan, Diwakar Vyas, Yoana Cecilia Newman, andKevin A. Korus

This publication covers crop choices and agronomic aspects of silage production in Florida, from planting until preparing to harvest, for corn. Written by Marcelo Wallau, Joao Vendramini, Adegbola Adesogan, Diwakar Vyas, and Kevin Korus, and published by the UF/IFAS Agronomy Department, revised February 2022.

Silage Crops for Dairy and Beef Cattle II: Sorghum and Other Forage Crops

Marcelo Wallau, Maria E. Mailhos, João Vendramini, João Vendramini, Adegbola T. Adesogan, Diwakar Vyas, andKevin A. Korus

This publication is a second article on silage crops for dairy and beef cattle that explores crop choices and agronomic aspects of silage production in Florida, from planting until preparing to harvest for sorghum, sorghum x sudan, pearl millet, and cool-season small grain silages. Written by Marcelo Wallau, Joao Vendramini, Adegbola Adesogan, Diwakar Vyas, and Kevin Korus, and published by the UF/IFAS Agronomy Department, February 2022.

Sorghum Silage as a Feed Alternative for Backgrounding Heifers in Florida

Federico Tarnonsky, Federico Podversich, Araceli Maderal, andNicolas DiLorenzo

Sorghum has been gaining attention in Florida as a crop alternative harvested as whole plant silage for inclusion in backgrounding diets as the main roughage source to fill the forage gap in winter feeding programs. The objective of this publication is to share the experience of three consecutive years at the North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC) in Marianna, Florida, using whole-plant sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) silage as the main dietary ingredient for growing heifers. County Extension agents and cattle producers can use this report to reference a range of expected weight gains, feed conversion rates, and costs when using sorghum silage as the main dietary ingredient in backgrounding beef cattle diets. Adopting this technology could increase the opportunity for producers to add value to weaned calves across Florida, where there are suitable conditions for growing sorghum. 

Silage Harvesting, Storing, and Feeding

A. T. Adesogan and Y. C. Newman

This publication discusses the advantages, disadvantages, and phases of silage fermentation and the factors affecting silage quality. Written by A. T. Adesogan and Y. C. Newman, and published by the UF/IFAS Agronomy Department, reviewed June 2021.