Best crops for silage making and harvest stage
- Green fodder corn (maize): The gold standard for silage due to high soluble carbohydrates and starch in grains; harvested at the 50% milk-to-dough grain stage.
- Forage sorghum (jowar): Excellent drought-hardy fodder harvested at the milk stage.
- Hybrid Napier / Bajra Napier grass: High-yielding green grass harvested at 45-day regrowth intervals.
- Optimal moisture level: Chopped fodder must contain 65% to 70% moisture (30% to 35% dry matter) for successful anaerobic fermentation.
Step-by-step silage preparation process
Harvest the green crop at the dough stage and chop into 1.5 to 2.5 cm pieces using a motorized chaff cutter. Fill the silage pit or trench in continuous 30 cm layers, compacting thoroughly with tractor tires or manual tamping to expel all trapped air. Cover tightly with heavy-duty UV-stabilized plastic sheets and seal with soil. Fermentation stabilizes in 45 days.
Quality indicators and dairy feeding benefits
Well-fermented silage has a golden-green color, pleasant fruity vinegar-like aroma, firm leaf texture, and an acidic pH between 3.8 and 4.2. Feeding 15 to 25 kg of quality silage per lactating cow daily sustains milk yield, improves milk fat percentage, and reduces concentrate feeding expenses.
Official source
Check the latest rules, benefits and forms here. KisanPe is an independent platform and is not a government website.
National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) ↗Related on KisanPe
Common questions
What is the best crop for making dairy silage?
Fodder maize (corn) is the best crop for silage due to its high starch content and natural sugars that drive lactic fermentation.
What is the ideal pH of good quality silage?
Good quality silage should have an acidic pH between 3.8 and 4.2, which naturally inhibits spoilage bacteria and molds.
How long can properly packed silage be stored?
In airtight sealed silo pits or stretch-wrapped bales, quality silage can be safely preserved for one to two years without nutrient loss.
General guidance, not personal advice. For your farm, ask your local Krishi Vigyan Kendra or agriculture officer.
More Agri Practices, Tech & Credit guides
Ask Sakhi AI in your language, check live mandi prices or plan a loan with KisanPe tools.