PROBLEM OF AEROBIC STABILITY IN THE HARVESTING AND USE OF CORN SILOS

Abstract

One of the most important problems of preserving corn silage is its aerobic stability in the process of harvesting, storage and using. It depends on the term and mowing height of plants, the milling degree, and the compaction of ramming, the hermetic nature of shelter, the duration of storage and the sampling rate during feeding. Spoilage of silage from aerobic instability leads to large losses of feed and the acquisition of properties dangerous to animal health. The best time for harvesting corn for silage is the phase of waxy ripeness of grain, in which plants contain the optimal amount of dry matter for silage and the maximum yield and concentration of nutrients in it. To increase the nutritional value of corn silage, the mowing height of plants is increased. However, the decrease in the yield of grass stand should be taken into account. The milling degree of plants varies depending on the moisture content of the raw material: the higher the moisture content, the larger particles size of silage mass should be. However, their largest size should not exceed 20 mm. To exclude aerobic instability, the silage mass must be compactly packed and sealed. Unsealing of the silage for feeding assumes such sampling rates that exclude aerobic spoilage. They are differentiated depending on the season of feed use: large when feeding silage in summer and smaller in winter.