OptiSile Extra
Benefits:
- Rapid fermentation actively inhibits invasive bacteria (Clostridia/Listeria)
- Maximises nutrient preservation
- Minimises dry matter and protein losses
- Long-term protection against mycotoxin producing fungi and yeasts
- Increased air stability during feed out
- Organically approved
- High palatability and safety
- Suits a wide range of dry matters
A Three Strain Combination – The Science:
OptiSile® silage inoculants employ a triple strain bacterial approach to preserving your fresh forage for winter feeding to ensure optimum retention of nutritional value.
The three strains outcompete any invasive bacteria and fungi and work in unison to ensure optimum ensiling of the forage throughout the initial fermentation, prolonged storage and feed out.
The higher concentration of Lactobacillus plantarum in OptiSile Extra allows the stronger buffering capability of grass to be overcome, and ensure a rapid pH drop to promote the initial fermentation.
Lactobacillus strain 1 – homofermentative bacteria
Lactobacillus plantarum, a homofermentative bacteria, is the driving force behind the rapid fermentation action, quickly becoming the dominant species in your silage, outcompeting invasive bacteria (such as Clostridia and Listeria). This bacteria produces large quantities of lactic acid, lowering the pH of your silage to ~5, killing off any residual invasive bacteria and creating conditions under which other pathogenic bacteria cannot survive.
Lactobacillus strain 2 – heterofermentative bacteria
The first heterofermentative bacteria starts working alongside the Lactobacillus plantarum, producing a mixture of lactic and acetic acid. The acetic acid provides invaluable protection against fungi and yeasts, including mycotoxin producing fungi. A common misconception is the association of acetic acid in silage with spoilage. Spoilage is often the result of Clostridia contamination, which can also secrete acetic acid as a byproduct. However, the acetic acid is not the cause of the spoilage, and when secreted by our Lactobacillus strains it actively prevents fungal contamination and therefore improves stability.
Lactobacillus strain 3 – heterofermentative bacteria
Once the first two strains have created acidic conditions of around pH 5, our third strain of bacteria starts to populate the silage. Our third Lactobacillus strain, another heterofermenter is optimised for growing at low pH conditions. This Lactobacillus grows steadily in the later stages of ensiling, and continues to secrete low levels of lactic and acetic acid. This ensures long term protection against contamination without dropping the pH too low, and strong air stability once the clamp face is opened and during feed out.
How do I apply the silage additive?
OptiSile® silage additives come in freeze-dried powder form and simply needs mixing with water prior to application. This makes it suitable for low volume application without wastage
See farmer reviews on OptiSile Extra® in Read More below.
Brochure – Click Here
What farmers say
“With silaging our biggest worry has always been rain and the weather. It has been too wet or dry in the past and previous additives have not kept the silage stable, we’d pulled back the sheet and it was mouldy and secondary fermentation was a problem.
Since using EnviroSystems’ additive it has always kept the silage cool, and it’s easy to mix. When you pull back the sheet the silage has kept stable, with no waste and no secondary fermentation – even in tough seasons for weather.
It’s a combination of things – we do make a better job of sheeting and use side sheets now, as well as using the OptiSile which keeps the silage stable.”
Martin Wannop, Waverton House Farm, Cumbria
“We have a large pit face and used to get secondary fermentation, but since switching to OptiSile in 2019 we’ve seen stability in the pit and no secondary fermentation year on year. No matter what the weather brings it keeps the silage stable with no waste – the cows eat every last bit.”
John Little, Low Moor Dyke, Cumbria
………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Why should I use a silage inoculant?
Ensiling crops is fundamentally based on nutrient preservation to ensure a high-quality feed out of forage over the winter months.
Nutritionally, this means ensuring you maintain the dry matter of your silage in order to end up with the highest possible energy and protein values. This should help to achieve high palatability, intake and digestibility values ensuring the preserved nutrients are available to your cows.
By achieving this, it results in cows eating more forage, an increased nutrient intake, a higher milk-from-forage return, all whilst requiring less bought in feed, thereby offering a double return on investment.
Why is OptiSile a good choice of silage inoculant?
OptiSile® silage additives help to ensure these objectives are achieved over a range of different crop types and dry matters. OptiSile uses a unique combination of three bacterial strains to promote fast fermentation of the fresh silage, for a stable preservation. It also works to minimise the bacterial, fungal and yeast contamination which not only result in nutrient losses, but can pose serious health risks to your cows.
How does OptiSile silage additive fit into the BioCircle?
OptiSile® inoculants fit into the EnviroSystems’ BioCircle concept by helping to preserve the nutrients in the grass, maximising the nutrient transfer from soil to cow. This increase in nutrients leads to improved cow health, and a greater milk-from-forage conversion.
The Optisile® range also includes OptiSile® Maize/Wholecrop
