Good baling techniques improve silage quality

According to Teagasc higher energy and fertilizer prices will increase the cost of baled silage so farmers need to focus more on how to improve silage quality while minimising costs at all stages.

Good wrapping techniques start with baling – a badly shaped round bale cannot be wrapped properly. Bales should be dense and cylindrical in shape, not bulging in the middle or conical shaped, and to achieve this crop flow is key – starting with the swath. The swath should be uniform in shape and the full width of the pick-up reel.

The baler should be serviced regularly and the chamber density set according to the crop. To prevent downtime and inefficient use of balewrap, several pre-season and in-season checks can be made.