A new grass silage additive from FM BioEnergy is proving its worth for a second year running, following successful trials in 2023/24. Silasil Energy SG has delivered good results in a range of situations this year (2024/25), from drier grasses in the West Midlands to very wet silage in Northern Ireland, reports Bioenergy Insight.
Developed specifically for the changeable nature of UK-grown grass, Silasil Energy SG works well across different levels of dryness, temperatures, and acidity. It contains a unique mix of four types of bacteria, unlike the more common two in other silage additives. This has made it effective in the unpredictable summer weather the UK has seen in recent years.
Andy Lee, FM BioEnergy’s UK Forage Manager, said that the UK and Ireland have experienced two years of very unpredictable weather for making silage. He noted that some areas were wet early on, while others were too hot in mid-summer, drying crops out. He added that Northern Ireland, in particular, has had two very difficult years. Despite these challenging conditions, Silasil Energy SG has shown it can work well in what he described as “two of the worst years possible for silage production.”
One happy user of Silasil Energy SG is Willsborough AD, a biogas plant near Derry/Londonderry in Northern Ireland. This 500 kW farm-based plant mainly uses grass silage and wholecrop silage. However, with an average rainfall of around 3.6 inches (92mm) per month, it can be difficult to get the grass dry enough (at least 25% dry matter).
Rob Gallagher, the owner of Willsborough AD, said he is “really pleased” with the results from using Silasil Energy SG this season. He explained that in the past, they had problems with the silage clamps getting hot and going bad. But with Silasil Energy SG, the silage stays cold and free from yeasts and moulds from the start to the end of the storage period. He added that this hasn’t always been the case with other silage additives they have tried.
Andy Lee explained that the high rainfall in Northern Ireland and the north of England can make it very difficult to produce dry silage. Ideally, silage should only be left to wilt for a maximum of 36 hours to prevent the good bacteria from using up all the nutrients. However, wet weather can delay this process. He also pointed out that turning the grass over many times to dry it increases the risk of it getting contaminated with soil and manure, which can lead to the formation of butyric acid (a sign of poor silage). Therefore, he said it’s better to harvest the grass within 36 hours of cutting, no matter how wet it is. The benefit of Silasil Energy SG is that it will preserve the crop even if it’s very wet.
