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Featured in NFU North West 'British Farmer and Grower', March 2010

The Value of Megajules of Energy

As an Output from the Rumen

For high-yielding herds, the demand for silage to improve intakes, have maximum palatability and ultimately maintain yield levels is greater than ever. The problem is however making the nutrients in silage available to cows.

Optimize Plus is a silage additive developed by EnviroSystems which has made more energy and protein available to microbes in the rumen, using the beneficial bacteria Bacillus subtilis and B pumilus.

Such bacteria can improve the digestibility and palatability of the silage, as well as decreasing the amount of mycotoxin-producing "spoilage organisms" inside the clamp/ i.e. yeast and moulds.

Managing director of the company Liz Russell explains "this represents up to an extra 1MJ ME for every kilogram of dry matter forage intake. The nutrients are there in the forage, but it's the job of the additive to make them available for the rumen microbes".

The science in the activation of these two strains of Bacillus is the microbial stimulants inside the formulation. Along with fibrolytic enzymes, these stimulants are able to degrade substances in plant fibre and tissues which are not easily digested by dairy cows, complex carbohydrates. This in turn increases the forage fibre's digestibility. Ms Russell continues, "it's like turning silage back into fresh grass". There are no Lactobacillus strains in the formulation, so the risk of pushing the acidity level down to where it would hinder intakes has been avoided

Lancashire dairy farmers James and Anne Rogerson have faced the challenge of maintaining their impressive annual yield of over 10,000 litres of milk a day from 260 cows. Their biggest problems were milk quality and cow condition, which were overcome thanks to Optimize Plus. They rely on transforming fresh grass into high-quality, palatable silage achieving maximum dry matter intakes.

Sustaining average yields of 11,500 litres per cow require diets that provide the right combination of a high energy ration with a forage mix ratio, comprising 60% grass and 40% maize. But James Rogerson expressed it is integral to ensure ensiled grass and maize contribute adequately to the maintenance requirements provided by the mix for the feeding regime of such a high-yielding herd.

James continues, "We've always used silage additives to improve the overall quality of the silage and lift the protein level. But we also wanted to get the best possible energy from the forage and to lower the amount of lactic acid in the rumen.

"Bacillus bacteria and enzymes in the additives have improved palatability, lifted intakes and improved yield - but it's also achieved far greater stability at the silage face. The level of milk production we've achieved has been exceptional and even the quality of our big-bale silage has been surprisingly high, which made it good enough to feed to the dairy cows," he said.

Other benefits have been the improvements in butterfat and protein by 0.3% and 0.2% respectively, as well as a reduction in calving interval. Plus, the achievements were consistent throughout the winter season, with 38 litres daily being the average yield.

With the results, yields and milk quality this extraordinary, there is no wonder why Optimize Plus is fast becoming a highly sought after formulation.

The farm's 2009 first-cut silage analysis is Dry Matter of 29.4%,D-value 81%,ME 13,fermentable energy 8.6,FME/ME 0.66,active fibre 19.3 andpH 3.7.

Big-bale silage was also treated with the same additive using the Bacillus bacteria and enzyme combination.Analysis:DM 44.8%,D-value 63.7%,ME 10.2,fermentable energy 8.3,FME/ME 0.81,active fibre 21.0and pH 4.8.

Article written by Jaya Bedi