Wholecrop cereal silage is made by harvesting the whole plant and storing it anaerobically. It can be made from a wide range of cereals, clamped, baled and wrapped or conserved in a plastic tube. However, baled wholecrop, especially wheat, can attract vermin, so take steps to protect it. Ideally, store on a hardstanding or concrete pad.

Similar to grass silage, the crop is fermented in a clamp to produce lactic acid, which preserves the crop and makes the grains more digestible. Wheat is most commonly used due to its high yields. Other good grain to straw ratio and digestible …

Any autumn or spring-sown cereal (wheat, barley, oats, rye) can be used for whole crop silage, however their benefits for wildlife will depend on how they are managed. Spring-sown crops offer greater benefits to wildlife than autumn-sown crops as they provide ideal nesting sites for lapwings and skylarks and are less likely to require broad ...

The practice of growing wholecrop cereals or small grains — such as barley, sorghum, triticale, oats and wheat — for silage is increasing in popularity due to the flexibility of the crop and improved inoculant technology that allows this aerobically unstable feedstuff to be ensiled.

Jul 20, 2022 · Making wholecrop silage is the process of harvesting the entire cereal crop & storing anaerobically so it ferments the same way as grass or maize silage. Wholecrop silage complements grass & maize silage well, or to make up for any shortfalls from 1st cut silage.

Whole-crop wheat or barley silages should ideally be produced from crops that are between 40 - 45% DM. The target is to have at least 50% grain in a crop that has a 12 cm stubble, giving a starch content in excess of 20% of the crop DM.

Jul 4, 2018 · When it comes to purchasing standing cereal crops, livestock farmers must ensure that the crop is good value when compared to alternative feeds. The potential returns generated by the tillage crop – when left to mature and harvest under normal conditions – …

Jan 19, 2022 · Wholecrop can provide a cost effective, high quality forage of consistent quality and palatability, with high yields of dry matter (DM) even in dry seasons and cold weather. DM can be 35-40%, Protein 9-11% and starch 15-25%, depending on crop sown.

Wholecrop mixtures can combine wheat, barley, oats or triticale with a legume crop such as peas or lupins. The cereal crop provides the energy in the form of starch and the legume provides protein

One way to reduce risk is to grow a third, flexible crop where production can be tailored in response to the season, and as a recent trial shows, fermented wholecrop offers huge potential. By allowing a range of harvest dates, it can be cut strategically to react to the season as it unfolds.