Tyddyn Cae Project 2 Update - July 2024

Project 2: Using real-time data at silage making to drive milk from forage

Second cut silage was carried out at Tyddyn cae on the 10 and 11 of June 2024.

Once a trailer was tipped in the silage pit, a sample of the fresh grass was collected by taking many small samples from various points around the pile which was sent to the laboratory for wet chemistry analysis. Each sample was analysed for DM, Crude Protein, WSC and NDF by wet chemical analysis.

All field characteristics were also collected to match each sample, including recent soil analysis results, grass ley varieties, re-seeding history and fertiliser regime.  

In addition, these samples were analysed on farm by Dr Dave Davies with a hand-held NIRS technology using the NIRS4Farm instrumentation.  To account for any chemical changes in crop composition during posting to the laboratory, the samples were immediately placed in an oven at 60oC to stabilise the sample and to obtain an immediate DM content.

The samples were then matched so that the results of the chemical and NIRS4Farm analysis can be linked back to each specific load and therefore the analysis conducted by the Harvest Lab forage harvester mounted instrumentation.

Yield, compositional and weather data for all fields and cuts over the 2024 harvest season are being downloaded and used to build a thorough assessment of the harvest season and used to identify factors affecting silage quality over the harvest season. Weather data will be available through Grass Check GB project weather station that is placed 11 miles from Tyddyn Cae at Ynysgain Fawr farm, Criccieth.

Factors that are and will be assessed are:

  • Variability in forage yield by field and cut
  • Variability in DM content at harvest by field and cut and in relation to wilting time
  • Variation in protein and sugar content by field and cut.
  • Variation in Fibre fractions by field and cut.
  • If possible all of the above will be determined by trailer load and related back to  the region of each field, for example headlands versus central portions of each field.

Other factors that have been collected by the contractor to determine the variability are:

  • Field cutting time
  • Wilting time
  • Raking time
  • Forage harvesting time

The data obtained from the assessment over the multi-cut silage system ran at Tyddyn Cae will provide information to farmers not only on the usefulness of the on-farm analysis technology - harvester and hand held NIRS - but also of factors affecting the variability in their silage quality and nutrient management practices that could be employed to improve their silage production.

Find out more on this topic: 
Episode 39 - How to harvest top quality silage | Farming Connect