Harvesting your Maize Silage : Optimize Timing for Superior Quality
Two out of three farmers do not harvest at the right date – here’s how to get it right.
Harvesting at the Right Date
60% of farmers miss harvesting their silage maize at the right time, either because of hot and dry weather conditions in august and september or because of difficulties estimating the right stage.
The best stage to harvest silage maize is between 32 and 35% dry matter. The variation in moisture is a compromise between yield, plant composition, ease of silage production, silage conservation ability and desired ingestion level by the animal.
Undertanding Dry Matter Evolution
More about maize
Determining the Best Stage for Harvest
Observing the grain fill level is a good way of determining the plant stage in the field.
Monitoring Dry Matter Evolution for Harvest Planning
Regional Harvesting Recommendations
When monitoring your forage maize for harvest here are the general number of days to lose 1 pt of moisture (22°C base 6).
Number of days to gain one point of silage DM from august to october
In fodder, number of days allowing to win 1 pt (22°C base 6) | France (Paris) | Germany (Munich) | Poland (Poznan) | Belgium (Brussels) | Austria (Vienna) | Czech Republic (Prague) | Hungary (Budapest) | Romania (Bucharest) | Italy (Milan) | Spain (Madrid) | Bulgaria (Pleven) | Ukraine (Kiev) | Russia (Krasnodar) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
From 15 to 30 August | 1.8 | 2.2 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 1.4 |
From 1 to 15 September | 2.0 | 2.5 | 4.8 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 2.7 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 2.7 | 1.9 |
From 16 to 30 September | 2.5 | 3.4 | 8.0 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 3.4 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 3.3 | 2.2 |
From 1 to 15 October | 4.0 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 4.8 | 5.3 | 8.0 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 2.7 | 3.6 | 10.0 | 4.7 |
Find a product
Discover a full range of maize portfolio for all uses grain, silage or biogas, for organic agriculture, for temperate or tropical regions.
Contact us
Our local teams visit farms and distributors on-site to give you the best advice for your location. Find your local MAS Seeds® consultant by visiting a country website or fill out our contact form here.
Discover other crop advices
In a context where climate change threatens the stability of agricultural systems, farmers are constantly seeking adaptation solutions. Among these, the use of cover crops …
This guide is your go-to resource for soybean farming, offering essential tips on sowing, weed control, inoculation, and harvesting. we aim to enhance your soybean yield through …
Agroecology is an interdisciplinary approach to agriculture that combines ecological principles with agricultural practices. It seeks to optimize the interactions between plants, …