Examination of a technology for silage making in plastic bags

The purpose of the current study was to test ensiling technology in plastic bags for small holder farms in the semi arid tropics. The study consisted of three stages. Experiment 1 consisted of permeability tests of five types of commercial plastic bags to evaluate their airtightness. Results indicated that permeability of the five types of bags to oxygen ranged from 43 to 504 mi m(-2) day(-1) and to carbon dioxide from 420 to 8623 ml m(-2) day(-1). In Experiment 2 whole maize plants were ensiled in the four best types of bags for 4 or 9 weeks. In all bags the silage was in good condition and suitable for feeding. Only small differences in chemical and microbiological analysis were noticed. The rate of change of N-2, CO2 and O-2 within the bags was related to their air permeability characteristics. In Experiment 3 whole wheat was ensiled in the best type of bag for 6 months. Chemical and microbiological analyses were carried out to monitor the changes after each month. Even after 6 months the silage was in good condition and weight losses were less than 3%. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.