How to safely open maize silage clamps early

As a result of difficult growing conditions, many farmers across the UK are faced with the challenge of limited forage stocks this autumn. This means newly filled maize silage clamps may need to be opened earlier than usual to feed livestock.

How early can maize silage clamps be opened?

Opening clamps too soon after ensiling can bring an increased risk of aerobic instability, resulting in lower nutritional quality and physical dry matter (DM) losses in your silage.

Within four days of sealing the clamp there will already be a significant amount of lactic acid in maize silage. This can serve as a nutrient source for spoilage yeasts.

At this stage, the acids which help inhibit spoilage yeasts and moulds – acetic and propionic acid – haven’t yet been produced as they have more complex biochemical pathways. This means the spoilage cycle can start very quickly, leading to feed-out losses.

It’s also unsafe for farmers to open silage clamps any earlier than 14 days after ensiling. This is due to the risk of exposure to toxic silo gases, which are poisonous to both people and livestock.

However, using MAGNIVA Platinum Maize forage inoculant enables farmers to open clamps safely after just two weeks without compromising quality¹.

Trials at Lallemand’s Forage Centre of Excellence showed that treating maize with this inoculant reduces yeast and mould growth by 99.9%, safeguarding the silage from instability and nutrient loss².

So, how does this crop- and condition-specific silage inoculant work to protect maize silage quality?

What are the benefits of using a MAGNIVA silage inoculant for maize?

MAGNIVA Platinum Maize inoculant contains two key bacteria, Lentilactobacillus buchneri NCIMB 40788 (LB) and Lentilactobacillus hilgardii CNCM I-4785 (LH).

These bacteria ensure that even when maize clamps are opened just 14 days after ensiling¹, farmers can be confident in the stability and quality of their silage.

Not all forage inoculants offer shorter clamp opening times like MAGNIVA.

For example, if you use an inoculant containing just one strain of bacteria such as LB, the clamp will need to be kept shut for six weeks to get the full stability benefits from inhibiting the yeasts.

Learn why Lentilactobacillus hilgardii CNCM I-4785 (LH) is a game-changer strain of silage inoculant.

Improve starch digestibility and feed efficiency

Another key benefit of using a maize-specific silage inoculant is improved starch digestibility.

The fermentation process initiated by the LH and LB bacteria breaks down the prolamin protein matrix around starch in maize kernels.

This makes the starch more digestible for cattle, improving overall feed efficiency.

In fact, figures from faecal starch content tests have shown that for every 1% increase in faecal starch, there’s potential to lose 0.35 kg of milk per cow³.

So, it’s in farmers’ interests to actively improve forage digestibility to protect milking performance.

Maximise the feed value of maize silage with low dry matter content

For forage maize harvested at lower dry matters or when harvest conditions are more challenging, MAGNIVA Platinum Maize Elite, which contains a unique combination of proven bacteria and enzymes, can be used.

For farmers needing to feed maize silage early this winter, adding a MAGNIVA Platinum Maize or MAGNIVA Platinum Maize Elite inoculant during harvest is essential to ensure stability, reduce nutrient losses, and optimise digestibility.

Find out more about our range of crop- and condition-specific silage inoculants

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