Bio-Sil silages perform very well across Northern Ireland farms

Forages tested at the beginning of the 2022/23 feeding season highlighted the very high nutritive value of the silages that had been made.

However, follow-up surveys carried out with farmers are also confirming the minimal amounts of waste and very high levels of aerobic stability being achieved at feed out.

Bio-Sil’s Frank Foster takes up the story.

“It all adds up to a win: scenario. We knew going into the current feeding season that the inoculant had helped produce forages with very high digestibility and metabolisable values.

“The Bio-Sil inoculant has been designed to deliver exemplary levels of aerobic stability, once a silo has been opened.

“And it is very-reassuring to find out directly from farmers on the ground that the product is fully delivering for them in this regard.

“Bio-Sil was used on a wide range of grass, wholecrop and forage maize silages in 2022. Its more than positive impact on aerobic stability has been confirmed across all forage types.”

Frank Foster attributes this mode of action to the rapid pH drop that can be achieved within Bio-Sil treated silages.

He explained: “Extensive trial work has confirmed that the Bio-Sil inoculant works to deliver total clamp stability within days of fresh forages being ensiled.”

The product was introduced to Northern Ireland on a trial basis two years ago. And such was the positive impact of the results achieved that demand for the inoculant grew in an exponential manner throughout the 2022 silage season.

Bio-Sil has a 25-year history of proven, on-farm use across Europe. In addition, extensive research and trial work has confirmed the benefits of using the inoculant to consistently deliver improved forage quality.

Bio-Sil has been officially approved by the German Agricultural Society (DLG) to improve fermentation in a wide range of forages, while also boosting forage digestibility and milk yield.

The inoculant promotes the rapid production of lactic acid in fresh forage to quickly produce a low pH and stable ensiled forage across a range of crops.

This rapid pH drop is achieved quickly, thus eliminating the growth of yeasts and moulds – which lead to the wastage of silage.

Frank Foster again: “Trials have confirmed that Bio-Sil acts to reduce dry matter losses; reduces protein degradation; increases energy concentration; increases forage digestibility while also improving forage intakes by between 0.5 and 1.5kgs per day.

“The end result is an improved milk output of up to two litres per cow per day.”

He concluded: “Bio-Sil is available in powder form and comes in 100g sachets. The inoculant is easily dissolved in water: it can be applied using a standard liquid applicator. Each sachet contains enough inoculant to treat 100 tonnes of forage.”

For further information, contact Frank Foster on 07841 954328 or Bio-Sil distributor for counties Antrim and Down – Richard Owens – on 07990 690857.