Maize harvesting tips and reducing waste

A lot of farms are facing a forage shortage and with maize harvest under way or fast approaching, many crops are looking well below par in terms of yield potential, writes Hefin Richards, nutritionist, ProFeed Nutrition

With these points in mind, ensuring that waste is minimised at all stages of the harvest, storage and feed out process will be more important than ever this season.

Monitoring crops

Deciding when to cut is the first stumbling block for many, and producers should be monitoring crops and keeping in contact with contractors with a view of harvesting when crops reach 30% DM.

Harvesting lush green crops limits starch output and increases acid production which is not good for rumen health – patience may be called for when faced with a contractor who is eager to get the maize campaign under way.

Stubble height

Increased stubble height is often used as a means of increasing the DM content and feed value of the crop, by leaving the wettest and most undigestible material in the field. However when total forage stocks are low, it makes little sense to do this, and then have to bulk the ration out using extra straw. In these cases, contractors should be instructed to cut low and harvest as much from the field as possible. Target chop length for the particular crop should be set, with greener crops more suitable for longer chop and very mature crops requiring a shorter chop in order to consolidate well.

Grain processing

Grain processing is an ongoing concern with some farms routinely ending up with superb maize silage, but with unprocessed grains. The financial losses of this are considerable and may be two or three times the total harvesting cost.

Contractors are under pressure in terms of throughput, and heavy processing undoubtedly slows the harvest process down and increases fuel use; however the impact of a poorly processed crop on cow performance and on supplementary grain use is massive. Producers and harvester operators should monitor progress and both chop length and grain processing throughout the day. Invariably later harvested crops often fare worst since they are potentially over mature meaning harder grain, and are last to go through the harvester, which may be showing signs of wear and maladjustment as the season draws to a close. Once the crop is in the clamp, there is very little that can be done to overcome the issue of underprocessed grains provided that the diet is correctly balanced.

Additives and clamp management

There is a strong case for the use of an effective additive to reduce dry matter losses in storage and improve stability at feedout, and as always, good clamp-filling techniques and rolling is critical.

The use of clear plastic sheets under normal silage sheets can eliminate top waste and improve feed value, offering an excellent return on investment. For example a 1,000t heap of maize will have cost about £25,000 when it arrived at the yard. Using an effective additive will cost a further £1,000, but should reduce DM losses by at least 5% and will improve feed value. Covering the clamp with an extra layer of cling sheet will cost less than £100. Therefore the extra cost of these two “optional” extras amount to around 4% of the total cost of the crop. With limited forage stocks, expensive by-products and continued pressure on margins, paying attention to detail at every stage of the harvesting, clamping and feeding process is more important than ever this season.