– Jason Hartschuh, OSU Extension Field Specialist, Dairy management and Precision Livestock
Nitrate toxicity in the corn silage is a risk during drought-stressed periods.
Corn silage harvest is a critical time of year for dairy and beef operations, as the quality of the silage harvested determines the farm’s success or failure for the following year. As drier weather sets into the state it will decrease the risk of compaction during corn silage harvest but may set up a few other challenges such as timing harvest moisture correctly and Nitrate toxicity. While we have not heard of any difficulties with nitrate toxicity in the corn silage that has been harvested, this is always a risk during drought-stressed periods. Anytime plant growth slows due to conditions such as drought or cold weather, nitrates accumulate in the lower stalk. The most significant risk then comes for the next 3 to 5 days after a soaking rain, when the plant starts growing again, moving these nitrates up the plant. Higher nitrate corn silage can be managed by increasing cutting height and making sure silage ferments for at least 21 days, during which the nitrate changes to ammonia in the feed. During this time, nitrate levels generally decline by . . .
Continue reading Harvesting Corn Silage at the Correct Moisture While Being Cautious of Nitrates