Hay and Silage 2020

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www.age.co.nz Thursday, October 8, 2020

HAY 2020 silage

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Ag contractors ready for a busy season, come rain or shine Covid 19 has added another level of unpredictability for agricultural contractors at the start of this season’s hay and silage making.

Skilled agricultural machine operators will be in short supply due to Covid immigration restrictions, but the impact felt by local agricultural contractors is likely to be less than in other regions.

Rob Gawith of Colton Bros Ltd says the Martinborough based agricultural contractor is starting the season with a full complement of staff.

“Our business is a bit different as we have a lot of staff who work right

through the winter and come out the other side.”

Colton Bros has also boosted its numbers with the addition of two local drivers and one ex-pilot who has just completed the two-week introductory course at Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre.

“He had sort us out previous to doing the course, but was a bit concerned he was under-skilled, so did the course and started on Monday.”

Andrew Tulloch of Andrew Tulloch Contracts Ltd says while there is room to take on more drivers, the Taratahi-based business will be able to jobs done in a timely manner as

in past season.

“The early start to the season has made training for the new staff much easier as it gives them time around our machines.”

One of the reasons Andrew Tulloch Contracts Ltd established an animal feed processing plant a few years ago was to be able to keep their staff working through the winter months, Andrew says.

“That has allowed us to carry a good core of staff over the winter season.”

Covid has added an additional layer of uncertainty to this year’s growing season, Andrew believes.

“Normally you only have to deal with the unpredictability of the weather. But with Covid there is a lot less certainty around overseas produce markets.”

It has also affected mechanical logistics, he says.

“It used to take four to six days to get new parts from overseas. Now it takes around 14 days because there are less flights which could have an impact on repair times of machines.

But we have made investments in back up front line machines to prevent service delays.

“But overall, where we are in the Continued on Page 28

AGRICULTURAL CONTRACTOR WE SEE YOU THROUGH FROM START TO FINISH

• Direct Drilling • Minimum To Full Tillage Cultivation • Maize Planting & Side Dressing • Pasture & Crop Spraying • Silage Grass, Cereal & Maize • Baleage & Hay • Grain & Seed Harvesting • Grain Drying & Handling • Cartage • Supplementary Feed Trading

For a professional result, call the experienced team at Colton Bros. Ltd 61 Georges Rd, RD3, Martinborough P: 06 306 9168 or M: Rob Gawith 027 454 6982 | Rob Carter 027 449 8023 E: rob.coltbros@gmail.com

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Thursday, October 8, 2020 Wairarapa Times-Age

Continued from Page 27

HAY 2020 silage

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world, there is not to grizzle about.

There are plenty of lambs dropping, there’s plenty of grass on the ground.”

While last summer’s drought which affected many regions has emptied the Wairarapa out of hay and silage, Andrew believes the good spring grass growth should see farms through until this year’s hay and silage crop is ready for consumption.

“There is no pressure as it has been such a mild winter with growth right through. Now with the longer sunshine hours and more moisture, the grass is growing even better.”

One of the trends Rob Gawith has noticed over the past few seasons is a swing from hay to baleage, but he thinks many farmers will still have a bit of hay left in the shed that wasn’t needed for this winter.

Nigel Laing of Nigel Laing Contracting which concentrates on round and conventional hay bales says he is not experiencing a shortage of drivers himself but believes the shortage could have a big impact this season.

of hay this season.

“Hay making should be starting at the end of next month but there is not the grass around. It was 27 degrees the other day and it is only October.

Farmers won’t be able to grow as much hay if ground is quite dry. Lots of the big contractors are saying the same thing.”

“It all depends on the weather. If there is a lot of wet weather there won’t be as much time to make the hay.

The impact of Waikato dairy farmers on the local hay market should not be under-estimated says Paul Bodle, Sales & Marketing at Seeds & Cereals Feeding Solutions in Masterton.

“Farmers will just have to be patient.

Everyone is trying to do their best and there are only so many hours in the day.”

“Even before the drought there was a shortage of hay with truckloads of it being snapped up for the Waikato.

Nigel believes there could be a shortage

“They have high production demands

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and if they miss a rain for more than a couple of weeks they panic. They come down every year but not as much as they did this year.”

Paul believes the same scenario could play out again this season, with lower local hay production exacerbating the situation.

“But we won’t know till Christmas when we go out and start buying it.”

This year’s situation has seen Seeds & Cereals looking for alternatives such as pea vine which they tested the market with recently.

“It went well. Pea vine is big in the Hawkes Bay but we don’t normally need it here.”

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www.age.co.nz Thursday, October 8, 2020

Retractable tarps offer more safety for trucking staff Retractable tarps for trucks, trailers and agricultural bunkers are becoming increasingly common on New Zealand roads and farms.

“It takes about seven seconds to cover a vehicle or bunker, even using the manual system.”

The standard tarps are made using Monotec mesh fabric which is extremely strong, UV stable and long-lasting.

They are not yet mandatory in New Zealand, as they already are in Australia, but as health & safety regulations become increasingly strict here, some transport companies are choosing to install them all the same.

The semi-wet weather and full wet weather tarps use the heaviest premium Ripstop PVC.

One of these is Garrity Brothers who have employed PowerTarps (NZ) Ltd to put retractable tarps on two of the four bins it uses for transporting silage.

Ian Garrity says there were a number of reasons the 127 year-old firm decided to use retractable tarps.

“They will allow us to carry loads without the grass blowing on to the road.

Based in Rotorua, PowerTarps is one of New Zealand’s leading retractable tarp suppliers.

The family owned and operated business specialises in high quality mesh and PVC retractable tarps for trucks, trailers and agricultural bunkers.

One of the silage bins now with a retractable tarp

All of its tarps can be easily operated from inside the cab or from the ground using a twin cable system, and are being used on trucks and trailers that are used to transport sensitive and/or dusty goods.

two Garrity Brothers bins.

PowerTarps manager director Gary Andrews says there is still resistance to the use of retractable tarps, based around the upfront cost.

“They know that you don’t want your driver climbing up a ladder at 10pm on a windy night and trying to draw a cover across, with a potential fall of three or more metres.”

PowerTarps also has a retractable tarping system to cover agricultural bunkers for palm kernel, fertilisers, etc. which operates from an easy-to-use hand winder on the side of the bunker.

Gary understands that truck operators run on tight margins and so have to be cost-conscious.

Gary stresses that health & safety is the primary reason businesses are installing them.

But he is seeing more of them make the investment anyway out of concern for the safety of their staff.

But points out that there are other advantages too, starting with saving time.

It is this system that was installed on the

“And there is the health and safety issue.

You aren’t allowed to get up on the bin anymore so the old system wasn’t working very well. The new system will be much faster.”

Installing retractable tarps is easy. It only took one afternoon to have them on both bins.

Ian and cousin Rodney have yet to try them out in a working environment, but Ian has no doubt of their efficacy.

“They were quite expensive but will be worth their weight in gold. It’s a new thing for us but you have to move ahead.”

POWERTARPS ARE NEW ZEALAND’S LEADING RETRACTABLE TARP SUPPLIER We specialise in high quality, mesh and PVC covers to suit trucks, trailers and farm bunkers. All of our covers can be easily operated from the ground using a silky smooth cable system, eliminating health and safety risks.

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30

Thursday, October 8, 2020 Wairarapa Times-Age

HAY 2020 silage

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Designing silage and feed storage areas Well placed supplementary feed storage areas can save money through reduced spoilage, fuel use and travelling time.

Ideally, you want to store feed as close to where you will be using it as possible. A good design will help to reduce spoilage from rodents, surface or rainwater, and prevent water pollution by capturing toxic leachate and run-o˜ . Placement should also take the food safety minimum distances into account.

Site selection Silage storage facilities should be sited on land that is: • easily accessible (e.g. close to the feed pad if you have one) and relatively ° at • at least 45 metres from any farm dairy • at least 50 metres from waterways, open drains or dams, and the catchment areas of bores; further away if the land is steep, soils are coarse textured, or ground water may enter sensitive waterways • well away from gullies or other places where run-o˜ catchment water can ° ow into the storage area • not prone to ° ooding or that has a high water table • away from any subsurface drains.

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www.age.co.nz Thursday, October 8, 2020

Round Baleage

We also do Fencing, Digger Operations, Hay, Baleage, Mini Bales

Mostly normal spring weather predicted for the Wairarapa This spring is likely to see above average temperatures, and near normal rainfall, soil moisture and river ° ows for the Wairarapa, NIWA predicts.

Silage leachate should never enter waterways as it is highly toxic to aquatic life.

Construction The walls and ° oor of a silage bunker must be capable of withstanding the hard knocks of tractors and other machinery as well as resisting corrosion from leachate. Concrete with a water/ cement ratio less than 0.4:1 should be used. A concrete ° oor should be 125 mm thick and reinforced to support 20 MPa if vehicles are used on it.

The silage bunker ° oor should be watertight and extend out beyond the bunker walls. Construct a nib wall along the sides. This will keep freshwater out and leachate in. Slope the ° oor 1m:50m towards a drainage channel laid across the front of the bunker.

For bunkers cut into the side of a hill, an impermeable surface is still essential.

Concrete is best, but compacted clay may be suitable. Check with your local council for any requirements they may have.

Silage stacks on the ground also require a sealed surface with leachate directed to a collection point and properly contained. A shallow cut-o˜ trench

Silage storage facilities should be sited on land that is easily accessible and relatively flat

around the stack will help prevent water run-o˜ from the paddock entering the stack.

All other stored feed is best contained in a concrete bunker. At the very least, it needs a sealed surface plus proper sides and a cover to keep rain and wind out and control leachate production.

Minimising leachate

it is placed in the bunker. Maize silage produces very little leachate.

Wilting is the key to minimising silage leachate. If grass is cut and ensiled without wilting, over 500 litres of leachate per tonne of grass would be produced; if the grass is wilted to 25% dry matter (DM), less than 30 litres per tonne is produced.

the farm dairy, the easiest option may be to channel leachate into the farm dairy e˛ uent system (unless it is an oxidation pond treatment system as this will overload the system).

If the silage stack or bunker is away from the dairy, leachate should be directed into a watertight storage sump. The sump should be resistant to corrosion with at least 3m3 storage per 100 tonnes of grass ensiled. It is recommended that it is diluted (1:1) and applied to land at regular intervals, or it can be added to farm dairy e˛ uent. Applying 25 m3/ha will supply approximately 25-75kg/ha of nitrogen, 25 kg/ha of phosphate and 100kg/ha of potassium.

Silage leachate is surplus water from silage, which carries soluble sugars, proteins and nutrients with it as it seeps out of the stack. This leachate is extremely acidic and polluting to waterways. It is approximately 40 times stronger than farm dairy e˛ uent and 200 times stronger than raw domestic sewage. It is also extremely corrosive and can damage concrete and steel. Leachate entering freshwater is likely to result in regional council enforcement action.

Properly covering stacks to keep the oxygen out and prevent rainwater entering is crucial to reduce the volume of leachate.

Leachate production is initially determined by the moisture content of the cut pasture (or other feed) when

Silage and feed bunker leachate collection

To ensure continued e˝ cient leachate collection, clean and inspect the walls, ° oors and drainage channels when bunkers are empty and mend any cracks, corrosion or other faults before reÿ lling.

If the silage stack or bunker is close to

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For bunkers with sides, the cover should extend and be secured over the sides.

Stack the grass higher in the middle to allow water to run o˜ the cover.

For free-standing stacks, timber or concrete posts and soil should be used to hold the cover in place.

“September to November air pressure is forecast to be higher than normal to the east and lower than normal to the northwest of New Zealand. This is expected to be associated with La Niñalike northeasterly air ° ow anomalies.

“The probability for oceanic La Niña conditions is 57%. The majority of NIWA’s criteria for “La Niña Alert” have now been met, including increased trade winds in the equatorial Paciÿ c, an atmospheric response that is La Niña-like, and an expectation for these conditions to continue. This is consistent with other international agencies.”

New Zealand’s coastal water temperatures are well above average for the time of year and are expected to have an upward in° uence on air temperatures through spring, NIWA says.

Zealand. Cold snaps and frosts can be expected in typically colder locations early in the season.

“Rainfall is about equally likely to be near normal or above normal in the north of the North Island, most likely to be near normal in the east of the North Island, and about equally likely to be near normal or below normal in all other regions.

“Soil moisture levels are most likely to be below normal in the west and east of the South Island with river ° ows in the east most likely to be below normal.

“Near normal soil moisture levels and river ° ows are most likely in the east of the North Island. For all other regions, soil moisture levels and river ° ows are about equally likely to be near normal or below normal.”

“Air temperatures are most likely to be above average in all regions of New

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Farmers can expect near normal rainfall this spring

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Times-Age

Safe stacking of hay

HAY 2020 silage

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It is important to stack bales correctly to avoid creating hazards to yourself and other people.

• Build stacks on firm, level ground away from fire hazards, sources of ignition, overhead power lines, dwellings, boundary fences and footpaths. Ensure stacks are safe at all times.

Take precautions to prevent mechanical damage, for example by transport, rodents and undermining by cattle.

• Never stack higher than the lifting capabilities of the handling equipment used for stacking and destacking. This is particularly important if you employ contractors to do the job. Make sure stack and load heights do not exceed the lifting capabilities of your own handling equipment.

• Never stack more bales on handling equipment, to a height higher than the equipment is designed to handle.

to a maximum of four layers high.

High-density bales can be stacked flat up to six layers high.

• Big round bales may be stacked either on their ends, if covered, or on their sides in a pyramid. End stacking: Use bales of the same diameter.

Pyramid stacking: Don’t stack more than four layers high. Each bale on the bottom layer may be chocked to enable safe and convenient destacking. Fit stakes or supports to either side of the stack.

• Never build a conventional stack of bales higher than the limits of safe access to and from the stack. Height will also be limited by the means used for getting bales from the loads onto the stack.

exposing each layer to the weather.

• Where regular access past stacks is unavoidable, either by employees or other people, or where excessive wind loading is likely, do not stack to these maximum heights.

• Large hay bales often weigh about 500 kg and a stack collapsing inside a building could cause damage to its structure, which in turn may injure people.

Some structures may not be strong enough to support large hay bales stacked against them. For these reasons, structures for storing large hay bales should be designed, manufactured and built by suitably qualified people who have taken these factors into account.

Stacks will be more stable if their height does not exceed 1.5 times the shortest base dimension.| Where stacks are likely to be dismantled over a period of time, build them under cover so the stack can be taken down without

Source: Guidelines for the SAFE HANDLING, TRANSPORTATION and STACKING of LARGE HAY BALES. The full guidelines can be found at worksafe.govt.nz

• Wherever possible, stack big bales (rectangular, square or high-density) by overlapping to form a stable stack.

Big square bales are normally stacked

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www.age.co.nz Thursday, October 8, 2020

Making quality grass silage It is impossible to produce high quality silage from low quality pasture, no matter how good the fermentation is. Both the quality of the ensiled pasture and the quality of the fermentation must be considered.

What is pasture silage?

Silage is pickled pasture. When pasture is ensiled, its sugars are converted into lactic acid by bacteria. It is the lactic acid which pickles the pasture, allowing it to be preserved for a lot longer than it would have been if left in the open air.

With well-preserved silage, losses in feeding value during fermentation will be small, and the final silage will be only slightly lower in feeding value than the original pasture.

Minimum values for high quality silage is 10MJME/kgDM and 16% crude protein.

Good quality pasture silage is a good source of energy and protein for a milking cow and can be used as a fibre source when feeding high sugar or starch feeds. However, a poor quality

pasture silage (made from low quality pasture, or ensiled with low quality fermentation, or both) will not support high milk yield and will only be suitable for dry cows, or as a fibre source to reduce risk of acidosis.

Losses when making pasture silage Losses occur as sugars and protein in the grass is broken down by enzymes, and bacteria. This process starts as soon as the grass is cut. Losses decrease quality as well as quantity, because it is the highly digestible components which are most rapidly broken down.

Losses during harvesting Losses depend on the dry matter (DM) of the pasture. The optimum DM for silage is 25-30% because total DM loss is minimised.

• Cut in the morning of a sunny day, for rapid wilting. Cutting after 1-2 days’ sunny weather will result in good sugar levels in the pasture, even when cut in the morning.

• Avoid wilting for any more than 24 hours.

• For baled silage make sure that a high density baler is used.

• Seal the stack completely with a weighted, airtight cover. Wash old polythene before use to avoid contamination with the wrong bacteria.

• Don’t re-open a covered stack to add more pasture on another day Losses while grass is in the stack, pit or bale Once the silage is sealed, nothing can be done to change the fermentation process. Poor fermentation (e.g. air in the stack) leads to major losses of protein quality. In poorly preserved silage protein is broken down into ammonia, which decreases the feeding value of the silage. Getting things right while the grass is being harvested will maximise the chance of having a Good fermentation: • A fast wilt to 25-30% DM will leave good sugar concentrations in the pasture.

• Compact the silage well. In a stack or pit, use the heaviest wheeled vehicle available.

• Quick compaction and effective sealing will keep out oxygen, making conditions more suitable for bacteria to convert sugars into lactic acid.

• Tractor wheels should not sink into the pile of pasture any further than the depth of rubber.

• Fast production of lactic acid will quickly reduce the pH, to prevent protein losses.

Feeding out losses Silage begins to break down once exposed to air, and will begin to heat up as micro-organisms turn the remaining sugars and protein into heat and energy.

When feeding out, aim for as little time as possible between exposing the silage to air, and the cow eating it.

There are several ways to limit losses from silage while feeding out: • Remove at least 20 cm off the whole stack face each day, so silage at the face is not exposed to air for a more than one day.

• Cut silage off the face, rather than pulling it off. This keeps a smooth surface at the stack face, which reduces air penetration into the stack.

• Leave the stack face open on dry days to avoid heat build-up under the polythene.

• Do not feed out more than 1 day in advance, especially in summer.

• Cows will be able to eat more of the silage they are offered if it is fed out on dry paddocks or feed out areas, along fence lines, or in feed bins or troughs.

• Do not allow cows access to spoiled silage.

Source: www.dairynz.co.nz

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