Research reveals grass silage inoculant boosts fibre digestibility and milk yields

Ground-breaking trial results have shown that using an inoculant on grass silage can significantly increase fibre digestibility which can boost milk yields by more than a litre a day.  

The study was carried out by the Miner Institute in New York State. It assessed the impact of a Magniva Platinum grass silage inoculant on Neutral Detergent Fibre digestibility (NDFd)¹.

The link between fibre digestibility and milk yields

Fibre digestibility is a key determinant of dry matter intake (DMI) and milk production.

Previous research (Oba & Allen, 1999) has shown that improving NDFd by just 1% can lead to:

The latest trial results confirm that using a Magniva Platinum inoculant significantly improves NDFd.  

This highlights that the right inoculant not only preserves silage quality but also enhances fibre breakdown, leading to better feed efficiency and higher milk yields.  

Learn more: How the right inoculant helps you make great silage 

Trial results: A 5.4% increase in fibre digestibility

The Miner trial measured NDFd in two silage crops containing a mix of alfalfa and grasses, which were ensiled for 160 days. 

One was treated with Magniva Platinum and the other received no inoculant treatment. 

Results showed a 5.4% improvement in NDF digestibility after 48 hours of ruminal digestion in the treated silage.  

Based on the Oba & Allen (1999) research², this increase could lead to:

How do enzymes improve silage digestibility?

The digestibility improvements demonstrated in the Miner trial are down to highly specific enzymes present in the Magniva Platinum inoculant.

Few silage inoculants on the market contain specific fibre digesting enzymes. Most products rely on the microbes producing enzymes, making it difficult to guarantee a specific enzyme action.

These specific enzymes in the Magniva Platinum inoculant work by:

Once the optimum pH is reached in the silage, the enzymes naturally stop working to prevent excessive fibre breakdown during storage.

Maximise silage quality and milk yields with Magniva

The results from the Miner trial show the production benefits that can be achieved by treating grass silage with a condition-specific inoculant. 

This not only helps preserve silage quality and stability but also helps improve dry matter intakes and milk yields – meaning producers will see a worthwhile return on investment if they use the right inoculant when making grass silage.

For more details on the Magniva Platinum inoculants please head to:

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