What Are SilageMaster Hybrids?
SilageMaster Hybrids are specifically bred to be the highest-tonnage, best quality silage hybrids you can plant. When managed correctly they will not only maximize forage production per acre, they will also produce more milk or more animal gain per acre than leafy, BMR, or regular grain-silage hybrids.
Where did SilageMaster Hybrids Come From?
SilageMaster Hybrids are the result of a multi-year corn breeding project focused on breeding and selecting corn germplasm to produce large ears with highly digestible grain on tall, dense, syrupy stalks. Every SilageMaster hybrid we launch has been thoroughly tested for tonnage and analyzed for quality in a lab. But much more importantly, they have been tested as silage on-farm, through actual dairy cows. We will only release a SilageMaster hybrid after extensive testing for tonnage, silage quality, agronomic performance, and on-farm performance.
How are SilageMaster Hybrids Different?
SilageMaster Hybrids have thick, sugary, dense, good-standing stalks and large ears with highly-digestible grain. Their peak performance for silage will be at a harvest population of 30,000 plants (a lower population than typical for grain/silage hybrids). The thick, good-standing stalks allow you to cut your silage closer to the ground, increasing tonnage and getting more of that sugary stalk to your cows! Those syrupy stalks also increase fiber digestibility. The higher sugars in the stalks and leaves also mean less dry matter loss during fermentation. And finally, the soft, starchy grain on the large ears improves the grain digestibility, improving animal performance.
Management of SilageMaster Hybrids
1. Lower your planting populations. We know, seedsmen never tell you to do this, but to optimize the stalk circumference and performance of SilageMaster hybrids, plant at 30-32,000 seeds/acre. This will save you money on seed, but more importantly give you better silage. The optimum harvest population is 30,000 plants/acre.
2. Increase the chop length of your silage. Don’t worry, they sugary stalks will work their magic at a slightly longer length, and you’ll have less dry matter loss.
