| Bulletin 31/07/2026 Sponsored content |
Bulletin 31/07/2026 Sponsored content |
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Scorched or soaked? Protect your maize forage investment This summer’s weather has certainly kept dairy producers and their advisors guessing. While southern and central regions experienced intense heatwaves reaching up to 37.7°C, growers in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and parts of the North saw frequent rainfall, cooler spells, and localised damp conditions. |
Scorched or soaked? Protect your maize forage investment This summer’s weather has certainly kept dairy producers and their advisors guessing. While southern and central regions experienced intense heatwaves reaching up to 37.7°C, growers in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and parts of the North saw frequent rainfall, cooler spells, and localised damp conditions. |
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Consequently, maize crops are entering late summer in very different states. Whether your crop is dealing with heat and drought stress or uneven growth and high moisture, variable weather directly impacts crop dry matter, fermentation, and aerobic stability at feedout. Here are three key areas to keep in mind as you plan this year’s harvest: 1. Watch for sudden dry matter swings - Drought-stressed crops (South & East): Heat-stressed maize can dry down unexpectedly fast. Dry conditions alter naturally occurring epiphytic bacteria, increasing undesirable enterobacteria and reducing lactic acid bacteria. Drier, stemmy crops are harder to compact, leaving trapped oxygen that fuels yeast and mould once opened.
- Damp or uneven crops (Scotland & North): Variable moisture levels can result in uneven maturity within the same field. Ensuring proper chop length and monitoring whole-plant DM before cutting is crucial to avoid effluent losses or compaction issues. In some fields there may need to be a compromise with some parts of the field being harvested when less mature to prevent most of the field from being too mature.
2. Starch variability, nitrate accumulation & mycotoxins Drought-stressed maize often has patchy grain fill, leaving starch content wildly variable across the clamp, while interrupted nitrogen uptake lets nitrates build up in the stalk and convert to toxic nitrites in the rumen. Stressed plants are also more prone to fungal ear rots that leave mycotoxins like DON and aflatoxin in the silage, so testing before feedout is essential to protect intake, milk yield and fertility. Diets should be adjusted with the help of a nutritionist if any problems are suspected. |
Consequently, maize crops are entering late summer in very different states. Whether your crop is dealing with heat and drought stress or uneven growth and high moisture, variable weather directly impacts crop dry matter, fermentation, and aerobic stability at feedout. Here are three key areas to keep in mind as you plan this year’s harvest: 1. Watch for sudden dry matter swings - Drought-stressed crops (South & East): Heat-stressed maize can dry down unexpectedly fast. Dry conditions alter naturally occurring epiphytic bacteria, increasing undesirable enterobacteria and reducing lactic acid bacteria. Drier, stemmy crops are harder to compact, leaving trapped oxygen that fuels yeast and mould once opened.
- Damp or uneven crops (Scotland & North): Variable moisture levels can result in uneven maturity within the same field. Ensuring proper chop length and monitoring whole-plant DM before cutting is crucial to avoid effluent losses or compaction issues. In some fields there may need to be a compromise with some parts of the field being harvested when less mature to prevent most of the field from being too mature.
2. Starch variability, nitrate accumulation & mycotoxins Drought-stressed maize often has patchy grain fill, leaving starch content wildly variable across the clamp, while interrupted nitrogen uptake lets nitrates build up in the stalk and convert to toxic nitrites in the rumen. Stressed plants are also more prone to fungal ear rots that leave mycotoxins like DON and aflatoxin in the silage, so testing before feedout is essential to protect intake, milk yield and fertility. Diets should be adjusted with the help of a nutritionist if any problems are suspected. |
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3. Prioritise compaction & air exclusion With variable crops, compaction is your first line of defence. - Raise cut height: If drought stress is severe, keeping stubble height above 20 cm helps avoid soil contamination and reduces nitrate loading from lower stems. Lowering cut height has been shown to reduce the nutritional quality significantly negating any yield benefits.
- Consolidate thoroughly: Fill in thin layers and ensure sufficient weight on the clamp to force out air, especially with drier, fibrous material. A good rule of thumb to follow is to have 25% of the filling rate (tonnes per hour) compacting the clamp at all times
- Seal the clamp and maintain clamp integrity: Seal with a high oxygen barrier sheet immediately after filling, add maximum weight, and inspect weekly. Patch holes promptly to prevent exponential spoilage from air and water ingress.
Protecting your forage investment Depending on your harvest conditions, applying targeted forage protection can make all the difference: MAGNIVA PLATINUM MAIZE Utilising the power of the specific heterofermentative bacteria Lentilactobacillus buchneri NCIMB 40788 and Lentilactobacillus hilgardii CNCM-I 4785. Designed to improve aerobic stability and control dry matter losses when the growing season has been progressed as expected, helping keep silage cool and fresh at the feed face. MAGNIVA PLATINUM MAIZE ELITE Combines the proven homofermentative bacteria Pediococcus pentosaceus NCIMB 12455 to accelerate initial fermentation and the antifungal powerhouses Lentilactobacillus buchneri NCIMB 40788 and Lentilactobacillus hilgardii CNCM-I 4785 provide advanced protection against heating. Specific fibre degrading enzymes work to generate fuel for the fermentation whilst improving rumen digestibility – vital drier, high-risk, or weather-stressed crops. OXYBLOCK OXYGEN BARRIER SILAGE FILMS Built on an 11-layer EVOH multilayer barrier, OxyBlock Ultra and Prime achieve an oxygen transmission rate of under 1 cm³/m²/24hrs, over 100 times more effective than conventional PE films, virtually eliminating oxygen ingress at the silage surface. The heavy-duty 90µm Ultra film offers superior puncture and UV resistance for demanding environments, cutting top-layer dry matter losses by up to 50%, while the lightweight 45µm Prime film clings closely to the silage surface for faster, easier installation. |
3. Prioritise compaction & air exclusion With variable crops, compaction is your first line of defence. - Raise cut height: If drought stress is severe, keeping stubble height above 20 cm helps avoid soil contamination and reduces nitrate loading from lower stems. Lowering cut height has been shown to reduce the nutritional quality significantly negating any yield benefits.
- Consolidate thoroughly: Fill in thin layers and ensure sufficient weight on the clamp to force out air, especially with drier, fibrous material. A good rule of thumb to follow is to have 25% of the filling rate (tonnes per hour) compacting the clamp at all times
- Seal the clamp and maintain clamp integrity: Seal with a high oxygen barrier sheet immediately after filling, add maximum weight, and inspect weekly. Patch holes promptly to prevent exponential spoilage from air and water ingress.
Protecting your forage investment Depending on your harvest conditions, applying targeted forage protection can make all the difference: MAGNIVA PLATINUM MAIZE Utilising the power of the specific heterofermentative bacteria Lentilactobacillus buchneri NCIMB 40788 and Lentilactobacillus hilgardii CNCM-I 4785. Designed to improve aerobic stability and control dry matter losses when the growing season has been progressed as expected, helping keep silage cool and fresh at the feed face. MAGNIVA PLATINUM MAIZE ELITE Combines the proven homofermentative bacteria Pediococcus pentosaceus NCIMB 12455 to accelerate initial fermentation and the antifungal powerhouses Lentilactobacillus buchneri NCIMB 40788 and Lentilactobacillus hilgardii CNCM-I 4785 provide advanced protection against heating. Specific fibre degrading enzymes work to generate fuel for the fermentation whilst improving rumen digestibility – vital drier, high-risk, or weather-stressed crops. OXYBLOCK OXYGEN BARRIER SILAGE FILMS Built on an 11-layer EVOH multilayer barrier, OxyBlock Ultra and Prime achieve an oxygen transmission rate of under 1 cm³/m²/24hrs, over 100 times more effective than conventional PE films, virtually eliminating oxygen ingress at the silage surface. The heavy-duty 90µm Ultra film offers superior puncture and UV resistance for demanding environments, cutting top-layer dry matter losses by up to 50%, while the lightweight 45µm Prime film clings closely to the silage surface for faster, easier installation. |
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British Dairying, Grove House Media LtdPriory Cottage, Eastbourne Road Ridgewood East Sussex TN22 5STGrove House Media Ltd is registered in England and Wales, Registration No 16722598 Us |
British Dairying, Grove House Media LtdPriory Cottage, Eastbourne Road Ridgewood East Sussex TN22 5STGrove House Media Ltd is registered in England and Wales, Registration No 16722598 Us |
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