Using black plastic to cover silage clamps could be losing you up to 10% of the crop to aerobic spoilage as well as a 20% loss in DM content. Silostop can reduce DM losses to less than 10% as well as eliminating top layer waste. Producing and preserving a supply of high quality silage is critical to profitable dairy and livestock production, yet all too often the final stage of silage-making – sealing the clamp – receives inadequate attention to detail. After going to the expense and effort of growing a high-quality sward of silage grass, ensuring that it is cut at the right time and wilted sufficiently before being harvested, ensiled and treated with an additive, many farmers are still cutting corners when it comes to sealing their silage clamps.
Conventional plastics aren’t airtight and can allow up to 400 cm3/m2 of oxygen to permeate through in a 24 hour period. Silostop sheeting is unique in that it is the only scientifically proven high oxygen barrier film on the market. As such it can cut oxygen ingress to as little as 3 cm3 per square metre.
At a value of £30 per tonne for grass silage, the top metre of the clamp has a value of £18.00 per cubic metre. Silostop’s ability to reduce DM losses by over 10% equates to a saving of £1.80 per square metre. At a typical cost on average of 40 pence per square metre the sheeting pays for itself in the top metre of the clamp.
Silostop reduces DM loss, eliminates top layer wastage, clings to the contours of the silage, strong enough to walk on and is easy to use.
