The top 3 ft. of silage from each of 30
horizontal silos in western Kansas was sampled
at three locations across the width of the
silo for 2 consecutive years (1990 and 1991).
Ninety-five percent of the silages were either
corn or forage sorghum, and only 22 percent
of the silos were sealed with polyethylene
sheeting. Losses of organic matter (OM) from
spoilage were estimated by using ash content
as an internal marker. Sealing silos dramatically
reduced the estimated spoilage losses in
the top 3 ft.
All silages had greater estimated spoilage
losses in the top 18 in. in 1991 than 1990;
sealing reduced spoilage losses of OM at that
depth by 16 and 37 percentage units in 1990
and 1991, respectively. Sealing reduced
losses in the second 18 in. by 4 percentage
units in 1990 and 13 units in 1991.
The dry matter (DM) contents were lower
in forage sorghum silages than in corn silages,
and DM contents of sealed silages were lower
than those of unsealed silages in both years.
Silage in the top 18 in. had higher pH values
than that in the second 18 in.; however, corn
silages in the top 18 in. had the highest pH
values in 1990, whereas forage sorghum
silages had the highest values in 1991.
