Optimizing silage to better preserve the nutritional quality of fresh forage 

  • 3 minutes
  • Animal Production
  • August 4, 2025

Mastering silage: Preserving the quality and nutritional value of fresh forage

     For livestock farmers, having access to high-quality forage all year round is a key challenge. Silage is a strategic preservation method that stabilizes the nutritional values of fresh forage while ensuring prolonged storage, often for up to one or even two years, without significant deterioration. Through controlled lactic fermentation, this practice helps to secure animal feed. TIMAC AGRO supports farmers in optimizing their silage practices, drawing on its expertise in Animal Production.

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Key Conditions for Successful Silage Production

     Successful silage production depends primarily on the quality of the forage at harvest time, as well as rigorous management of the various stages: 

Harvest at the right stage of maturity 
The stage of harvest directly influences the success of fermentation. For grasses, the heading-early flowering stage, with 30 to 35% dry matter, offers a good balance between digestibility and sugar content. Corn, on the other hand, is ideally harvested between 32 and 35% dry matter, at the milky stage. These thresholds promote rapid and stable acidification of the silo.
Maintain strict silo hygiene
A clean silo, free of residues, mold, and soil, limits the risk of contamination and promotes efficient fermentation. Before each campaign, thorough cleaning and checking the tightness of the silo, especially the tarpaulin, are essential. TIMAC AGRO recommends this rigor to ensure an environment conducive to forage preservation.
Adjust the cutting length
The cutting of forage has a significant impact on the quality of silage. A cut length of 10 to 15mm for corn and 18 to 25mm for grass facilitates compaction and limits the presence of air. A well-calibrated cut promotes uniform fermentation and reduces losses.
Coordinate harvesting and storage stages
Limiting the time between cutting and silage is crucial. Ideally, silage should be made within 24 hours, compacted in thin layers, and covered quickly. Smooth organization reduces the risk of oxidation. TIMAC AGRO supports farmers in optimizing this coordination according to field conditions.
Effective fermentation with tailored solutions
In cases of low sugar content or unfavorable weather, adjusting the silage strategy with an inoculant or additive may be necessary. TIMAC AGRO offers biotechnology-based solutions, developed through its fermentation expertise, to support effective preservation. When used correctly, these products help farmers secure the silage process and ensure quality.

Lactic fermentation: the heart of the preservation process

     The success of silage depends on rapid and controlled lactic fermentation. This process, carried out by bacteria naturally present in the forage, converts sugar into lactic acid. For this process to occur efficiently, the absence of oxygen is essential. This natural acidification limits the development of undesirable microorganisms and preserves the quality of the forage.  

     TIMAC AGRO supports farmers at every stage, offering practical advice on how to optimize silage: harvest time, dry matter balance, compaction, and watertightness. The goal: to ensure effective and stable preservation, for the benefit of animal performance. 

Preserving quality, strengthening autonomy

     Better control of silage means preserving the nutritional value of forage while limiting losses and health risks. This helps to strengthen the autonomy of livestock farming in terms of forage and to secure the herd’s feed supply. 

      True to its vision of “Farming Inspired by Nature”, TIMAC AGRO deploys a technical approach based on innovation, efficiency, and proximity to the field to provide long-term support to farmers in their practices. 

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