Farmers must take steps to assure that discharge does not occur to surface or groundwaters. Return to Table of Contents . I. Silage Moisture Content Research indicates that silage stored at 65 percent moisture content or higher can produce leachate. For grass silage, the amount produced varies from a trickle at 75 percent moisture content to 79 gallons per ton at 85 percent moisture content. About three-quarters of theleachate is produced in the first three weeks of storage, although it can continue to flow for up to three months.
Several methods are available to reduce leachate production from silage.
The most effective of these is to allow the crop to wilt for 24 hours. Although this may not always be possible in Virginia's humid climate, available data shows that the practice can reduce silage moisture content by 10 percent and leachate production by 100 percent. Other leachate control methods include varying cutting and harvesting times, cutting or crimping the materials, or adding moisture-absorbent materials to the silage during storage. Adding absorbent materials not only reduces leachate, but it also raises the nutrient value of the silage. Absorbent materials that can be used include oat meal, dried sugar beet pulp, dried corn cobs, ground corn, newsprint and bentonite clay.