Effect of harvesting system on nutrient losses during silage making. 2. In-silo losses

Nutrient losses during the in-silo period were determined following the ensiling of grass using three differing harvesting systems. The treatments were either (a) harvesting herbage directly by means of a flail harvester (unwilted flail, UF) or (b) pre-mowing of herbage with a rotary drum mower and lifting using a precision chop forage harvester with wilting (WP) and without wilting (UP). Herbage was harvested and ensiled over the period 26–29 May 1982, and a good fermentation was achieved with all three silages. Losses of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM) and crude protein (CP) during the in-silo period were greatest with the UF system, intermediate with the UP system and lowest with the WP system. Gross energy losses followed the same trend with losses (as a percentage of ensiled levels) of 18·6, 9·8 and 4·4% for the UF, UP and WP systems, respectively. Gross energy loss as effluent accounted for 24% and 22% of total gross energy ensiled for the UF and UP treatments. Patterns of effluent flow differed between the two unwilted silages with a higher peak flow rate with the UF material. Total effluent production at 354 ml (kg DM ensiled)^-1 was greater for the UF material than for the UP material (288 ml (kg DM ensiled)^-1). Nutrient loss through surface waste was similar for all three silages whereas gross energy losses arising through residual respiration, fermentation and gaseous loss amounted to 149%, 6·7% and 31% of that ensiled for the UF, UP and WP silages, respectively. The results of this study, taken in conjunction with those of an earlier study where field losses were assessed, indicate that recovery of gross energy during silage making was very similar for the UP and WP systems and only marginally greater than that recovered with the UF system.