Green storage method of corn stalks

1. Green storage technology of corn stalks

Long-term storage of green or partially green corn stalks after autumn harvest with silage can well preserve its nutritional components, and its texture is soft and fragrant, which can stimulate the appetite of cattle and sheep and solve the problem of forage shortage in winter and spring. At the same time, making silage saves half of the floor space compared with stacking the same amount of hay, and is also beneficial to fire prevention, rain prevention, mildew prevention and elimination of crop pests on straw.

The key technology of making silage is to provide necessary conditions for the reproduction of lactic acid bacteria:

First, in the preparation process, the raw materials should be as short as possible, the pits should be compacted and dense, and the air in the pits should be excluded as much as possible. Second, the moisture content in raw materials is about 75% (that is, when water can be squeezed out by hand without dripping water), which is most suitable for the reproduction of lactic acid bacteria. When silaging, it is necessary to decide whether to sprinkle water according to the green degree of corn stalks. Third, raw materials should contain a certain amount of sugar, and the sugar content of corn straw generally meets the requirements.

There are many kinds of silage methods for corn stalks, and only the most basic general silage methods are introduced here, which is convenient for popularization in rural areas.

1. Choose a place with solid soil, high and dry terrain, leeward and sunny, and rain is not easy to flood to build a silage cellar. The shape of the pit is generally divided into circular and rectangular, and the pit wall is flat and smooth, impermeable to water and air. The width of the cellar should generally be less than the depth, and the better ratio is 1: 1.5-2, which is beneficial to the compaction of raw materials by their own weight and can reduce losses. The size of the cellar should be determined according to the amount of silage and the number of livestock. The general diameter of a circle is between 1.7-3 meters and the depth is 3- 4 meters. The bottom should be the bottom of the pot. Rectangular pits are suitable for large livestock farms, with a width of1.7-3m and a depth of 2.3-3.3m, and the length depends on the amount of silage. The four corners of a rectangular cellar should be round to facilitate the falling and compaction of raw materials. In order to reduce the loss of silage, a plastic film should be laid at the bottom and around the cellar.

2. To measure the capacity of silage cellar, we must first grasp the weight of unit volume (cubic meter) of silage according to the water content and chopping degree of raw materials (for example, the weight of chopped corn stalks is 430-500 kilograms per cubic meter under the condition of low water content; Rough cutting is 380-450kg), and then multiplied by the volume of the cellar (round cellar is 3. 14x radius 2x cellar depth; Rectangular cellar is cellar length × cellar width × cellar depth, all in meters), that is, the weight (kg) of silage in the cellar is obtained.

3. Silage raw materials are best cut and stored on the same day. Before loading the cellar, check whether the cellar bottom and the cellar wall are paved with "bedding" and whether the cellar side is paved with reed mats (to prevent raw material pollution and soil from entering the cellar), and then start mowing (the mowing length should not exceed 3.3 cm), and load while cutting to avoid the chopped raw materials from being exposed to the sun for too long outside the cellar. The raw materials loaded into the cellar should be spread out at any time. If the raw material is too dry, sprinkle some water evenly. It needs to be compacted every 30 cm. Pay special attention to the compaction around the cellar, preferably with a stone pestle or a tractor. Fill it layer by layer, and seal the cellar when it is dome-shaped at 0.5- 1 m from the ground. When sealing the cellar, first cover it with plastic film, add a layer of soft hay, then add soil to tamp it and pat the surface flat. After the pit is closed, dig a drainage ditch around the pit mouth 1 m, and regularly check whether the pit top sinks. If settlement is found, it should be repaired again to prevent air and rain from entering.

4. Identification Under general production conditions, the quality of silage can be evaluated by smelling and looking at its smell, color and texture. Normal silage has fragrant smell, strong sour taste and no musty smell. The closer the color is to the real color of the raw material, the better. The texture is soft and slightly moist, and the stems and leaves are mostly kept in the raw material state and clearly visible. If the sour taste is light, or it has a sour taste or odor, the color is brown or black, and the texture is sticky or hard, it belongs to inferior silage. Silage with poor quality, bad smell, adhesion, mildew and blackening cannot be fed to livestock.

5. Generally, the fermentation process can be completed in a few months with silage straw, which can be used to open pits. After the circular cellar is uncovered, it can be taken down layer by layer. You can't dig a nest in the middle. Cover it in time after picking. Rectangular pits should be excavated from one end, vertically downwards and then covered. The feeding amount should be controlled at 7 7- 10/0kg per cow, 0-2.5kg per sheep and 0-5-20kg per cow. Silage straw has laxative effect and should not be fed alone. Pregnant animals should be carefully fed and fed less. 3%-5% lime milk can be used to neutralize acid.

Second, the key to the success of silage production

1. Raw materials should have a certain water content. Generally, the water content of raw materials for silage should be kept at 65%-70%, and it is not easy to silage below or above this water content. When the moisture content is high, add bran to absorb water, and when the moisture content is low, add water.

2. Raw materials should have a certain sugar content. Generally, the sugar content of raw materials is not less than 2%.

3. Silage process should be fast. The most effective way to shorten the silage time is fast. The silage process of small farms usually takes 3 days to complete. This requires: fast collection, fast delivery, fast cutting, fast loading, fast stepping and fast sealing.

4. Compaction. When loading the cellar, we must compact the silage, exhaust the air in the silage as much as possible, and create an anaerobic environment as much as possible.

5. seal. Silage containers must not leak or be exposed to air. Be sure to pay attention to the maintenance work the day after tomorrow.

Silage can be made successfully as long as it is well mastered: water, sugar, quickness, solidity and density.

What links should livestock pay attention to when feeding silage?

When taking silage from rectangular silage cellar, it should be taken from one end gradually, and it is forbidden to dig holes to avoid long-term exposure of its surface and affect the quality of silage. Once the silo is opened, it must be taken continuously every day, so that the silage can be fully fed before the mold is fully propagated. If the feeding is stopped halfway and the interval is long, the cellar sealing must be carried out according to the original cellar sealing method, and it must be airtight and watertight. Take as much as you need every day, and cover it with straw mats or plastic film in time after use.

Silage is suitable for all kinds of livestock and poultry and generally likes to eat. But when a single animal is first used, there must be a habit process, so the feeding time must be gradually increased from less to more.

Silage is good, but only as part of roughage. Calculated by dry matter, the dosage accounts for more than 50% of the dry matter of the diet. Because of its laxative effect, it is necessary to control the feeding amount of pregnant female livestock. Feed quantity cannot be generalized, but also depends on the quality of silage, livestock type, age and production direction.

(Take cows as an example: the daily feed for lactating cows is 5-7kg per 100kg of body weight. Fattening cattle 3-5 kg).

Frozen silage must be thawed before feeding. When silage deteriorates, it should be taken out and discarded in time to avoid livestock poisoning or other diseases.

Third, the production methods and skills of silage

There are many ways of silage, which can be divided into cellar storage, bag storage, bag storage, pool storage and tower storage according to scale, geographical location, economic conditions and feeding habits, and silage can also be piled up on the plane. Several commonly used silage methods and methods are introduced as follows:

1, cellar storage

Pit storage is one of the most common and ideal silage methods. Although the one-time investment is large, the cellar is durable and has a long service life. It can be made all year round and has a large storage capacity, which ensures the quality of silage.

According to the topography and groundwater level, silage pits can be divided into underground, aboveground and semi-underground forms.

(1) site selection: generally, it should be selected in a place with high terrain, low groundwater level, leeward and sunny, solid soil, close to the feeding house, and convenient for making and taking silage.

(2) The shape and size of the cellar: the shape of the cellar is generally rectangular, and the depth, width and length of the cellar can be designed according to the number of cattle and sheep raised, the length of the feeding period and the number of forage to be stored. The walls of the silo should be smooth, preferably made of bricks or stones, and then leveled with cement. You can also use adobe to build a cellar, but the bottom and surrounding areas should be plastered with cement, or all of them should be covered with plastic film, and attention must be paid to prevent water seepage and air leakage. It should be sealed to prevent air from entering and facilitate the filling and compaction of forage grass. The bottom of the wine cellar should have a certain slope from one end to the other, or one end should be made into the shape of a pot bottom to eliminate excess juice. Generally, 500-600 kilograms of whole corn can be silaged per cubic meter of cellar.

(3) Manufacturing technology: The cutting length of raw materials is generally around 1cm-3cm (too long is not conducive to compaction; If it is cut short, it can be pressed more firmly when filling, which is beneficial to exclude air. It is also beneficial to the use of silage in the future, and it is also convenient for livestock to eat and reduce waste. Chopped silage raw materials should be loaded into the silo in time, and the methods of crushing, loading and compaction can be adopted.

When loading the cellar, step on it every 20 to 40 cm (it would be more ideal if there is mechanical stepping), and pay special attention to stepping on the periphery and corner of the silage cellar. At the same time, check the water content of raw materials (generally around 65%) to shorten the aerobic activity time of microorganisms in the silage process as much as possible. If the whole pit can't be filled on the same day or at one time, the raw materials that have been filled in the pit can be covered with a layer of plastic film immediately, and the pit can be filled again the next day. Silage raw materials generally require a sugar content of not less than 2.0% (if there is not enough sugar in the raw materials, it will not meet the needs of lactic acid bacteria). Silage corn is rich in sugar (generally above 4%), so there is no need to add other substances with high sugar content when silage. Remember to compact during silage, otherwise too much oxygen residue will lead to mildew of some raw materials, which is also one of the main reasons for silage failure.

Although silage raw materials are crushed in the process of cellar loading, they will still sink after a few days. This is mainly due to the influence of gravity, the gap between raw materials is reduced and water is lost. Therefore, when loading the cellar, after the silage raw materials are filled, they need to be loaded until the raw materials are 50 cm to 80 cm higher than the cellar edge, then covered with a whole layer of plastic film, and then covered with 1-2 layers of straw bags, straw mats and other things. Finally, the soil with a thickness of about 30 cm to 40 cm is compacted, the surface is flattened, and the top of the cellar bulges into the shape of steamed bread.

With the maturity of silage and the pressure of soil layer, the silage in the cellar will slowly sink, and cracks will appear in the soil layer, resulting in air leakage. In rainy days, rainwater will seep in through the cracks and destroy the silage. Some silage pits will have pit surface lower than the ground, and water will accumulate in rainy days due to a little long time of loading pits. Therefore, it is necessary to observe the silage cellar at any time and cover the soil in time to ensure the success of silage.

Generally, after 40-50 days (20-35℃/ day) of closed fermentation, it can be used to feed livestock. The preserved silage can be stored for several years or more.

2, packaging and storage

Wrapped silage is a method of using mechanical equipment to complete straw or feed silage, and it is a new forage silage technology developed on the basis of traditional silage.

(1) Preparation of packaged silage (as shown in the figure)

The crushed silage raw materials are compacted and bundled at high density with a baler, and then wrapped with a stretching film with a wrapping machine to create an anaerobic fermentation environment and finally complete the lactic acid fermentation process. This kind of celebration has been widely recognized and adopted by European countries, the United States and Japan and other developed countries in the world. In some areas of China, this kind of silage has also been tried and commercialized.

(2) Advantages of package silage

Like conventional silage, wrapped silage has the characteristics of less dry matter loss, long storage time, soft texture, sweet and sour fragrance, good palatability, high digestibility and less nutrient loss. At the same time, it has the following advantages: it is not limited by time and place, and it is not limited by storage place. If it can be processed in the shed, it will not be restricted by the weather. Compared with other silage methods, the process of wrapping silage is more closed, the juice loses less nutrients, and there is no secondary fermentation. In addition, the packaged silage is convenient to transport and use, which is beneficial to its commercialization. This is of great significance to promote the industrialization of silage processing.

(3) Disadvantages of wrapping silage

Although package silage has many advantages, it also has some disadvantages. First, this kind of packaging is easy to be damaged. Once the stretched film is damaged, yeast and mold will multiply in large numbers, leading to deterioration and mildew of silage. Second, it is easy to cause uneven water content between different bundles, resulting in different fermentation quality, which brings difficulties to feed nutrition design and accurate grasp of appropriate supply.

Step 3 stack

Planar stacking silage is suitable for small-scale farmers, such as raising 3-5 cows or 20-50 sheep. You can use it like this. Planar stacking silage has the characteristics of short service life, low cost and less one-time labor input. Pay attention to the moisture content of silage raw materials (generally around 65%), and compact and seal. These links will directly affect the quality of silage.

4. When is the best time to harvest silage corn?

Timely harvest

High quality silage raw materials are the material basis for regulating high quality silage. The nutritional value of silage is not only related to the types and varieties of raw materials, but also directly affected by the harvest time. Timely harvesting can obtain high-yield and high-quality nutritional value (pay attention to keeping plants fresh and clean, and prevent explosion-proof sun exposure and heap pressure heating after harvesting).

Taking corn as an example, it generally refers to the harvest of corn from the late stage of milk ripening to the early stage of wax ripening, during which the water content should be controlled at 65%-70%. If the water content is too high, it should be dried for a short time before chopping to remove excess water.

The fresh yield of silage corn in the middle stage of milk ripening is the highest. With the increase of grain filling and maturity, the fresh yield and protein content of the whole plant decreased. However, from the late stage of milk ripening to the early stage of wax ripening (that is, the quarter milk line), the dry matter and protein of the whole plant are higher, and it has the best water content suitable for silage. After silage, the contents of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acidic detergent fiber (ADF) were the lowest and the digestibility was the highest.

Harvest method

1. Artificial harvesting-refers to cutting corn stalks in the field by manpower, then loading corn stalks, transporting them to the silage cellar, crushing them (cutting length is 2-3cm), lowering them into the cellar, and filling them with crushing equipment. The advantage of this method is to reduce the loss of raw materials and improve the utilization rate of raw materials. The disadvantage is that it takes time and effort. Suitable for small farms.

2. Mechanical harvesting-refers to direct harvesting and crushing (cutting length is 2-3cm) by using mechanical equipment in the field, and spraying it on the accompanying vehicle, immediately transporting it to the silage cellar and filling it. The advantages of this method are time-saving, labor-saving and high efficiency. The disadvantage is the high equipment cost and the loss of silage raw materials, which directly affects the interests of seed farmers. Suitable for large and medium-sized farms.

Proper noun analysis

Neutral detergent fiber (NDF): The content of high-quality silage corn neutral detergent fiber (NDF) is less than 55%. The lower the content, the more digestible substances the animal has per unit weight. Ruminants can use cellulose and hemicellulose in NDF.

Pickled fiber (ADF): The content of pickled fiber in high-quality silage corn is less than 30%. ADF content is an effective measure of dry matter digestibility. The higher the content, the lower the digestibility.

Crude protein: provides protein for rumen microorganisms and animals.

Five, the production principle and advantages of silage

The concept of silage

Silage refers to the method of preserving green and juicy green feed (fresh corn stalk, pasture, etc.). ) under anaerobic conditions (by microbial fermentation).

For thousands of years, people have been using silage to preserve feed. The word "silo" comes from the Greek word "siros", which means a pit or hole in the ground. Ancient paintings unearthed in Egypt show that as early as 1000- 1500 BC, ancient Egyptians were already familiar with and used silage technology. Silage belongs to the third category in feed classification system. At present, silage has been widely used in animal husbandry production all over the world, and it is an important green and juicy feed for ruminants (cows, beef cattle, dairy sheep, mutton sheep, deer, horses, donkeys, etc.). ).

Significance of silage

1, rich in nutrition

Silage can reduce nutrient loss and improve feed utilization. Sun-dried hay generally loses 20%-30% of nutrients, sometimes as high as more than 40%, while the loss of nutrients after silage is only 3%- 10%, which can effectively preserve vitamins. In addition, through silage, many parasites (such as corn borer and borer) and harmful flora carried by raw materials can be eliminated.

According to the determination, the nutritional value of whole-plant corn silage is 30% ~ 50% higher than that of corn kernels and dried corn stalks on the same unit area of cultivated land.

2, enhance palatability

Silage is soft and juicy, with sweet and sour smell and good palatability; Especially in the hay season, livestock can eat green feed, which can naturally increase their intake. At the same time, it also promotes the secretion of digestive gland, which has a good effect on improving the digestion of other feeds in livestock diet. Experiments show that the digestibility of silage is improved compared with hay made of similar grass (see the table below).

Comparison of Digestibility between Silage and Hay (%)

Dry matter type crude protein fat nitrogen-free extract crude fiber

Hay 65 62 53 7 1 65

Silage 69 63 68 75 72

3. Increase milk production.

A large number of feeding experiments show that feeding silage can increase the milk yield of dairy animals by 10%- 20%, and the increase range is affected by the nutritional content of silage raw materials and the quality after silage.

4, the production is simple and convenient

Silage is one of the most effective and cheapest ways to keep the nutrients of green feed. Silage has a wide range of raw materials, such as various green feeds, green crop straws, melons, vines, vegetable seedlings, high-moisture grains, dregs and so on. Can be used for making silage; The production of silage is not affected by season and weather; The manufacturing process is simple, and the labor input is less; Compared with storing hay, making silage occupies a small area and is easy to store;

5. Long storage time

After 40-50 days of closed fermentation, silage raw materials can be taken to feed livestock. The preserved silage can be stored for several years or more.

Production practice has proved that silage is not only an effective way to adjust the shortage of green fodder, but also an effective way to make rational use of green fodder, and it is also an effective way to develop the scale and modernization of animal husbandry in agricultural areas, greatly reduce the breeding cost and quickly improve the breeding efficiency. At the same time, it is also a powerful measure to improve the quality of livestock products and enhance the competitiveness of products in domestic and foreign markets.

Silage principle

Silage is to make lactic acid bacteria (an anaerobic bacteria) multiply in an anaerobic environment and produce a lot of lactic acid. When the acidity reaches a certain level (the PH value in the storage cellar drops below 4.2), it can inhibit the growth of mold and spoilage bacteria and preserve most nutrients in forage for a long time. Such as color maps:

1. At the initial stage of silage, there are still various spoilage bacteria and molds in the feed. Consume the remaining oxygen.

2. With the exhaustion of oxygen, lactic acid bacteria (anaerobic fungi) began to multiply in large numbers and secrete a lot of lactic acid at the same time.

3. When the pH value drops to 4.2, it will inhibit the activities (reproduction and growth) of other fungi.

4. With the increase of acidity, lactic acid bacteria themselves are also inhibited.

Silage conditions:

(1) anoxic environment. Lactic acid bacteria can only multiply in large quantities under anaerobic conditions, so we should try our best to create an anoxic environment when making silage. The specific method is to cut the silage raw materials short, compact them when filling the cellar, and seal the kiln top after filling. In the process of silage, anaerobic conditions gradually formed. There is always residual air in the sealed cellar, and aerobic microorganisms use these residual air for activities and reproduction. When fresh raw materials are used as silage, plant cells are still breathing and need air. When these residual air are consumed, we can really create anaerobic conditions for lactic acid bacteria, so when making silage, it is best to use fresh raw materials to form an anaerobic environment as soon as possible.

(2) Suitable pit temperature and water content of raw materials. The moisture content of silage raw materials is 65% ~ 70%. The simple determination method is to hold the chopped raw materials tightly with your hands, and the water can be seen between your fingers but can't flow out, which is the appropriate water content. When the water content is low, it is not easy to compact, and there is a lot of residual air in the cellar, which is not conducive to the reproduction of lactic acid bacteria, and it is easy to raise the temperature in the cellar and the silage is easy to rot and deteriorate. Too much water content can't guarantee the proper concentration of lactic acid, and the nutrients in the raw materials are easy to be lost with water, so the excessively wet silage raw materials should be slightly dried or added with a certain proportion of bran to absorb water. Too dry raw materials can be mixed with raw materials with too high water content for silage. Silage temperature should be controlled at 20℃ ~ 35℃, too high temperature is easy to mold. The temperature of silage can be controlled by mastering the pressure and exhaust during silage.

(3) Sugar content of silage raw materials. Lactic acid bacteria use sugar to produce lactic acid and multiply in large quantities. When lactic acid increases and pH drops to 4, all kinds of anaerobic bacteria, including lactic acid bacteria, stop their activities, and the feed can be preserved for a long time. Gramineae (corn) is rich in sugar and is a good raw material for silage. Leguminous plants, such as alfalfa and peanut seedlings, have low sugar content and high protein, so it is not suitable for silage alone, and it is best to mix with Gramineae plants for silage.