What is silage?

What is silage?

• A. A dried hay product
• B. A product of aerobic fermentation of forages
• C. A product of anaerobic fermentation of forages
• D. Fresh green forage

Answer: (C)

Silage is forage preserved by anaerobic fermentation. In a sealed storage environment with little or no oxygen, naturally occurring lactic acid bacteria ferment soluble sugars in the plant material into lactic acid. This acidification lowers the pH and inhibits spoilage organisms, allowing the forage to be stored and fed later. Achieving this stability requires tight packing and proper moisture, using silos, bunkers, bags, or trenches. Silage can be made from various forages, such as corn silage, grasses, or legumes. It differs from dried hay, which is produced by removing moisture through exposure to air, and from fresh green forage, which has not been preserved.

Silage is forage preserved by anaerobic fermentation. In a sealed storage environment with little or no oxygen, naturally occurring lactic acid bacteria ferment soluble sugars in the plant material into lactic acid. This acidification lowers the pH and inhibits spoilage organisms, allowing the forage to be stored and fed later. Achieving this stability requires tight packing and proper moisture, using silos, bunkers, bags, or trenches. Silage can be made from various forages, such as corn silage, grasses, or legumes. It differs from dried hay, which is produced by removing moisture through exposure to air, and from fresh green forage, which has not been preserved.