The Relationship Between the Dm Content of Herbage for Silage Making and Effluent Production

A study of 16 silages made at the Hannah Research Institute and 22 silages made at the Grassland Research Institute showed highly significant positive relationships hetween the DM percentages of the material ensiled and the resultant silage. Using regression equations derived from this data, and from a record of the presence or absence of effluent, it was calculated that the average minimum DM content of herbage for ensiling which would produce no effluent was 22.9%. To ensure a margin of safety against production of effluent, a minimum DM content of 24.7% in the herbage was calculated from the confidence limits. To obtain this DM content, herhage will normally require wilting; effluent production should then be negligible.