Council reminds Kildare farmers about silage rules

AHEAD of this year’s silage season, Kildare County Council has issued a reminder to farmers of the proper management of silage and silage effluent – a liquid 200 times more polluting than raw sewage.

Farmers are required to ensure that silage storage facilities are fit for purpose, and all silage pits and silage effluent collection and storage facilities must meet the standards required by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).

Silage pits, slabs and walls, should be structurally sound to ensure ensiling is completed within a leak-proof structure and silage effluent collection channels and tank storage must be capable of storing the volume of all effluent generated.

“Wash down the silage pit floor, effluent channels and surrounding walls with a power washer, and check for cracks, porous patches, unsealed and eroded joints because the silage pit, channels and collection tanks must be leakproof and be capable of safely storing the volume of all effluent generated,” said a council statement.

“If the pit is not fit for purpose, cease using until all repairs are completed, and these must be completed to DAFM specifications for Concrete Silage Bases S128 and Resurfacing of Silo Floors S128A”.

Regular maintenance of silage pits ensures that minor problems can be rectified before they escalate to more serious issues.

When cutting silage, wilt the grass for 24 hours before ensiling to reduce the volume of silage effluent produced.

All effluent should enter the channels under the cover of silage polythene, and the edge of the ensiled grass should not extend onto, or over, any channel.

The open space is maintained by placing a plastic drainage pipe in the channel.

Problems with silage effluent management can arise when the silage is in a larger quantity than the slab is designed to hold.

Additional silage should be stored on another slab or made into round bales.

All silage should be stored on a concrete base and not on a hardcore base even if it is very dry silage and was made during ideal conditions.

Regularly check effluent diversion units, yard gullies or other possible underground escape routes.

During the season make sure that all effluent is diverted into the underground slurry tank or effluent tank, and make sure that these channels are free of any debris and that the effluent can flow unrestricted.

Where a suitable wilt is not possible due to wet weather, it is advisable to provide additional drainage pipes to help ensure that the liquid gets away.

These could be laid at the butt of clamp walls or, for long clamps, additional pipes could be laid across the pit.

These will help relieve the pressure build up from the effluent and reduce the possibility of the pit slipping.

To prevent effluent from flowing out over silage walls, it is important not to pile the grass too high over the walls and to slope the grass back at a 45˚ angle from the top of the walls. All effluent should be collected and channelled into an underground slurry or effluent tank.

When land spreading silage effluent, dilute the effluent with one part water/slurry to one part effluent.

Do not apply silage if land is waterlogged or frozen, within 48 hours of heavy rain, or if rainfall is forecasted within the next 24 hours.

Do not spread within 5m of any surface waters (10m where the slope of the land exceeds 10%), 20m from a main river or lake, 25m from a well, 200m from a public water supply. Silage bales should be stored at least 20m from surface water or a drinking water abstraction point.