covering bunker silos with plastic - university of...
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Covering Bunker Silos with Plastic
Charles Staples
University of Florida
Silage Field Day
Tifton, Georgia
June 18, 2009
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#1 Enemy of Silage is AIR
• True from the beginning of fermentation to the opening and feeding of the silage
• Why?• Bacteria that help change fresh forage into silage
require an oxygen-free environment
• O2 allows for growth of detrimental microbes; Yeasts can grow from 100 to 1 trillion in 3 days; Molds produce mycotoxins that hurt cow health
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Shift From O2 to No O2 in 2 Days
www.kemlac.com
Anaerobic bacteria
Days after Ensiling
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“Flue Effect”
• Heat is produced during aerobic respiration and bacterial fermentation
• A “Flue Effect” is created if silo is not properly covered resulting in continued entry of O2 into the silage.
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www.farmwest.com
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Silage Preservation
• Farm manager survey of most important management practice for making silage:– Chopping
– Use of additives
– Filling
– Packing
– Sealing *** all managers ranked 1st or 2nd
– Feedout
• Top 3 feet of silage is most susceptible to spoilage in bunker silos; ~25% of total silage
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Coverings for Ensiled Forage
• Lime
• Soil
• Roof
• Molasses
• Sod or sown crop like wheat
• Sawdust
• Straw
• Composted manure solids
• PLASTIC***
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Effect of Sealing Bunker Silos on DM Loss & Digestion (Berger and Bolson, 2006)
Unsealed UnsealedSealed Sealed
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Proper Plastic Sheeting
• 8 is better than 6 than 4 mil thickness
• Black on white with white on surface of silo
• UV protection
• 2 layers of plastic are better than 1 layer
• Oxygen barrier plastic (“Silostop”)– Very thin, 45 um
– Not UV protected
– Very effective
– Requires additional cover due to fragility
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Color of Plastic on Silage Temp
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Sealing With Plastic Sheets
• Sealing the edges of bunker silos are the most challenging areas to seal and the most vulnerable to deterioration due to air.
• Packing along the side walls of silos is difficult and a tractor wheel can easily damage a sheet of plastic draped over a silo wall.
• Tucking a top sheet of plastic down the sides of a filled silo is impossible.
• To properly seal the silo shoulders, plastic sheets must be placed over the side walls before filling begins.
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Plastic on side walls before filling to:
• WHY?
ensure quality silage at shoulders
ensure a good seal between top sheet and side walls
divert water run-off away from silage
protect side walls from damage
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Silage side of wall
Key Steps of Lining Side Walls With Plastic
• Prevent concrete wall from tearing plastic by putting carpet or half of plastic drain pipe along edge of wall.
Rough edge
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Key Steps of Lining Side Walls With Plastic
• For our 12’ tall silo walls, we use sheets of 25’ wide by 100’ long
• Drap single layer of plastic over side walls with weight (gravel bags) on top of silo wall AND on opposite side of wall to hold plastic in place
• Overlap plastic sheets edges by 5 - 7 feet
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Key Steps of Lining Side Walls With Plastic
• Plastic should extend onto bunker floor for about 2 to 3 feet from foot of wall
• Weigh down sheets on silo floor with chopped forage or bags
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www.Silostop.com
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Key Steps of Lining Side Walls With Plastic
• Tape plastic to back edge of wall to prevent
wind from dislodging plastic during filling
Tape plasticbackhere
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Key Steps of Lining Side Walls With Plastic
• After the silo is filled, pull the side wall plastic sheets that were drapped over the side towards the center of the pile.
• Then put down the top plastic sheet over the side sheets. This gives two layers of plastic on top.
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www.Silostop.com
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www.Silostop.com
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Plastic is laid down sides before filling begins and draped over sides
Silo is filled and plasticIs pulled to center
A final sheet of plastic draped over back wall isthen pulled over the cornand sealed at the bottom
Modified from www.farmwest.com
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Securing Plastic Seal to Silage
• Hold plastic sheeting in place with sufficient weight to ensure good contact between the plastic and the silage.
• Tire sidewalls (20-25 lb); all touching
www.napcomodern.com
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Securing Plastic Seal to Silage
• Sandbags filled with gravel which does not absorb water like sand
• Use gravel bags at seems and at edges of plastic including feeding face
• Straw or hay bales are of limited use because they can puncture the plastic.
• Repair rips and holes in plastic ASAP; inspect 2x weekly; use alcohol and special tape.
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Amount of plastic Needed to Cover Sides and Top of Bunker Silo
• Bunker size: 40’wide by 200’ long
• 4.5 rolls of 25’ by 100’ for sides
• 2 rolls of 40’ by 100’ for top
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Costs of Covering Bunker Silos With Plastic Sheets and Tires
• Plastic for sides: 4.5 rolls x $85/roll = 382.50
• Plastic for top: 2 rolls x $140/roll = $280.00
• 18 man-hours of labor x $12/hour = $216.00
• Tires: $1100 (one-time cost)
• Total cost: ~$1000
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inputs
Cost of the plastic sheets, tires, labor, $ $1000
Silage value, $/ton $50/ton
Silage density, wet lbs/cubic foot 43
Silage lost in top 3 feet
Unsealed, % of crop ensiled 50
Sealed, % of crop ensiled 15
Silage in the top 3 ft, wet tons 516
Value of silage lost if unsealed, $ $12,900
Value of silage lost if unsealed, $ $3,870
Value of silage saved by sealing, $ $8,030
Silo is 40’ wide by 200’ long; labor costs are $12/hour for 18 hours = $216.