Ensilage

Ensilage is the process of preserving green forage crops by anaerobic fermentation to produce silage, a moist, stored feed used primarily for ruminant livestock. The goal is to arrest plant respiration and encourage lactic acid bacteria to lower pH rapidly, stabilizing the crop and retaining nutrients for later feeding.

Crops commonly ensiled include maize (corn), grasses, clover, alfalfa, sorghum and various whole-crop cereals. Good silage requires appropriate dry matter (typically 30–50 percent for silage, higher for baled silage), adequate soluble sugars, fine chopping and rapid packing to exclude oxygen. Poorly managed silage may spoil, lose nutritive value, or produce harmful toxins.

Storage systems range from traditional vertical silos and horizontal bunkers or trenches to wrapped bales (baleage) and sealed bags. Effective sealing and compaction minimize air ingress; covering with plastic and weighting are standard practices. Additives such as bacterial inoculants, organic acids or enzymes are sometimes used to improve fermentation and preservation.

Silage contributes to reliable winter or dry-season feeding, can increase feed intake and milk production, and allows efficient use of forage surpluses. Risks include heating, aerobic spoilage when exposed to air, production of silage gases that are hazardous to humans and animals, and nutrient losses if poorly handled. Leachate can also pose environmental concerns if not contained.

Historically developed in the 19th and 20th centuries alongside mechanized agriculture, ensilage remains a central practice in modern livestock systems for preserving high-moisture feeds.