Broschüre 2004 zum Download (pdf | 1994,28 KB) - H. Wilhelm ...

FRANK DRIEHUIS and MEIKE C. TE GIFFEL
Developments in silage making and
silage research in The Netherlands
Silage making in The Netherlands
The main crops used in dairy farming systems in
The Netherlands are grass and forage maize. Permanent
grassland represents about 97 % of the total
grassland area and almost exclusively is constituted
of perennial ryegrass. About 10 million tonnes of
grass dry matter is produced annually. Grassland
production in The Netherlands is characterized by a
high N-fertilization rate (on average 250 kg N from
fertilizer per ha), a high annual yield (10 –12 tonnes
of dry matter per ha) and harvesting or grazing at a
young growth stage (2 – 3 tonnes per ha). Grass is cut
for silage on average two times per year. In 2000 grass
silage production was 4.3 million tonnes of dry matter.
There are large differences between European countries
with respect to the popularity of silage making
and ensiling methods practised. In The Netherlands
Figure 1: Estimated production of grass silage, maize silage
and hay in different countries in 2000 (data partly
taken from ref. 1).
about 95 % of harvested grass is preserved as silage
and 5 % as hay. In most European countries silage making
is less popular than in The Netherlands (Figure
1). For example, in Germany about 80 % is preserved
as silage, whereas in France this value is about 20 %.
A characteristic of grass silage production in The
Netherlands is intensive pre-wilting during a short
period, usually about 24 h. As a result, the typical
dry matter concentration of grass silage is high. In the
last decade, the annual average varied between 450
and 500 g/kg, which is substantially higher than in
other European countries (Table 1). For comparison,
the typical dry matter concentration in Germany is
350 g/kg, and in the UK 250 g/kg. The use of silage
additives in The Netherlands is low in comparison
with other European countries (Table 1). In The Netherlands,
on average 5 to 10 % of the grass silages
is treated with an additive. This value is estimated to
be 25 % in Germany and 30 % in the UK. Biological
Table 1: Estimated typical dry matter concentration of grass
silage and additive use in grass silage making in different
countries in 2000 (data partly taken from ref. 1).
Dry matter Additive use
(g/kg) (%)
Germany 350 25
France 270 to 350 10
UK 250 30
Poland 220 to 280 12
The Netherlands 450 to 500 5
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