With this year’s dry spring slowing grass growth, many farmers have had to rethink their forage strategy. Fortunately, wholecrop cereals are a great option to help fill the gap. However, to get the best out of wholecrop silage, using the right additive is essential. But why exactly do wholecrop silage additives matter, and how can they benefit your farm?
Why Wholecrop Silage Additives Matter
Firstly, wholecrop silage is different from grass silage. It includes the entire cereal crop – grain and stalk – which means it has a bulkier, more open structure. Because of this, it’s much harder to compact tightly in the clamp. Consequently, air pockets tend to remain, increasing the risk of spoilage caused by yeasts and moulds.
Moreover, these unwanted organisms thrive on residual oxygen, causing the silage to heat up and lose valuable nutrients. This leads to dry matter losses and wasted feed, something no farmer wants. Therefore, by using wholecrop silage additives, you can reduce oxygen levels inside the clamp, promote faster fermentation, and keep your silage fresher for longer.
Recommended Bacterial Strains for Wholecrop Silage
When it comes to silage inoculants for wholecrop, not all are created equal. Look out for:
- Lactobacillus buchneri (strain LB1819): This beneficial strain produces acetic acid, which controls spoilage organisms and extends the stability of silage once opened.
- Lactococcus lactis (strain 0224): A powerful strain that quickly removes oxygen within the clamp, making conditions less favourable for spoilage to begin with.
Together, these strains drive rapid, efficient fermentation, preserving more dry matter and energy in the pit.
Benefits of Using Wholecrop Silage Additives
Using the right additive offers several advantages:
- Better Stability: Your silage will be less likely to heat or spoil during storage and feed-out, reducing waste.
- Improved Digestibility: Proper fermentation preserves nutrients and maintains good fibre quality, which is vital for rumen health.
- Flexibility with Early Opening: Some additives, like SiloSolve® FC, allow you to open silage pits earlier without quality dropping. This is a major advantage when forage demand shifts or feeding schedules are tight.
SiloSolve® FC: Proven Performance in Silage Preservation
For progressive dairy farmers, SiloSolve® FC isn’t just another additive — it’s a technological step forward in forage preservation. Powered by exclusive Oxycap® Technology, this patented formulation goes beyond conventional inoculants by actively scavenging oxygen during ensiling and at feed-out. The result? A faster, cleaner fermentation and wholecrop silage that stays stable, cool, and highly palatable – even when opened early.
Its dual-strain formula combines Lactobacillus buchneri LB1819 and Lactococcus lactis 0224, working synergistically to eliminate the root causes of spoilage: residual oxygen, yeasts, and moulds. This means your silage keeps its nutritional value longer, with less dry matter loss, lower mycotoxin risk, and improved feed efficiency across the board.
SiloSolve FC is more than an additive – it’s a performance tool. And for farms focused on consistency, efficiency, and long-term herd health, it’s becoming the gold standard.
The Proof is in the Forage
When it comes to silage additives, talk is cheap — but results matter. That’s why SiloSolve FC has been put to the test in fields, clamps, bales, and labs across the globe. From aerobic stability to reduced dry matter losses, the numbers consistently show it delivers where it counts: in your forage.
Backed by over €4.5 million in research, 40+ peer-reviewed studies, and 60+ trials, it’s one of the most proven inoculants on the market. Globally, it’s been used to treat over 40–50 million tonnes of forage, feeding around 3.5 million cows!
Less Spoilage, More Feed
Research has shown that maize and wholecrop silages treated with SiloSolve FC have significantly lower yeast and mould counts after 90 days, which means less spoilage and less wasted forage. This can make a real difference to your feed budget, as well as help prevent issues like mycotoxin contamination.
Table 1: Fungi present after 90 days of fermentation (Christian Hansen, 2018)
| Treatment | Moulds (CFU/g) | Yeasts (CFU/g) |
| Untreated | 1,018 | 8,600 |
| SiloSolve FC | 15* | 19* |
*Significant difference, P < 0.05
Better Stability at Feed Out
Furthermore, studies on wholecrop barley silage showed that SiloSolve FC improved aerobic stability when compared to untreated silage. This means your silage stays fresh and cool for longer, keeping its nutrient value and palatability intact, even after several days of exposure to air.
Figure 1: Aerobic stability after early opening (hours) (Christian Hansen, 2018)
*Significant difference, P < 0.001
Enhanced Results in Wholecrop Barley
It’s not just maize that benefits. A study in wholecrop barley showed major improvements in fermentation and temperature stability. Aerobic stability improved to over 720 hours compared to the untreated silage’s 258 hours.
Table 2: Stability and preservation of wholecrop barley after 120 days of ensiling (Copani et al., 2019)
| Measure | Untreated | SiloSolve FC | P-Value |
| Aerobic stability (hours) | 258 | >720 | <0.01 |
| pH | 6.18 | 4.08 | <0.01 |
| Yeasts (log10 CFU/g) | 4.06 | 1.88 | <0.01 |
| Moulds (log10 CFU/g) | 1.70 | 1.51 | <0.01 |
Figure 2: Temperature of TMR after 1, 3 or 5 days, containing wholecrop barley which was fermented for 120 days (°C) (Copani et al., 2019)
*Significant difference, P < 0.001
These results show how SiloSolve® FC not only protects nutrients but also helps maintain palatability in mixed rations.
Planning Ahead: Wholecrop Silage as a Second Forage
Given the unpredictable weather and grass growth, it’s wise to plan your forage stocks carefully. Wholecrop silages provide a reliable, energy-rich option, particularly when grass silage runs low. They contain starch levels of 15-30%, which ferment slowly in the rumen, promoting a stable pH and good digestion. Additionally, their highly digestible fibre supports rumen function and balances diets, especially alongside wetter grass silage.
Wholecrop silage is also an excellent feed for dry and transition cows. It offers enough energy without the high potassium levels found in some grass silages, reducing the risk of milk fever.
However, to keep all these benefits, good preservation is crucial – and that’s where the right silage additive plays a key role.
Final Thoughts
In summary, wholecrop silages offer an excellent way to boost forage stocks, especially in seasons with limited grass growth. But to get the most from them, it’s crucial to use a silage additive that preserves quality and reduces waste. Products like SiloSolve for silage are backed by science, with proven results in both maize and wholecrop cereal silages.
For more practical advice, check out our Clamp Management Guide, or speak to your local nutrition advisor.
