A testimonial from Richard Phipps, Principal Research Fellow and Deputy Director, Centre for Dairy Research (CEDAR), Reading University (UK)

"Big bale silage is a key element in the successful production of high quality forage for livestock systems, whether on small, medium or large farms. For this reason, it's important to have a thorough knowledge of the effect different colours and layers of wrap can have on production efficiency.

"It is commonly acknowledged that silage film must be resistant to puncture and that the bale must be entirely wrapped to ferment properly. However, quality also depends on the gas permeability of the film, which is affected by its structure and how it is made, and potentially by how many layers are used.

"As we have seen from a study conducted by IGER for Dow, increasing the number of layers of film does appear to reduce gas permeability, as there has been a marked beneficial effect on the amount of conserved product available at the end of the process and its nutritional quality."

About the research:
In 2002, Dow commissioned a study at CEDAR (Centre for Dairy Research) at Reading University in the UK, to compare the effects of film colours and number of wrap layers on spoilage, nutrient quality and potential impact on animal production. Specifically, the research assessed: dry matter losses, wastage, fermentation characteristics, and nutritive value. Read more about the research results and conclusions here.

---------------

Read more about the benefits from applying additional film layers

< back