A failed canola crop may be salvaged as hay or silage, but good management is essential to produce a quality product
Hay and silage
Published: 27 Sep 2018
Making the most of a failed winter crop
Winter crops that fail due to drought, frost, poor pod set or low grain yield potential can be cut as silage or hay. With correct management, a failed grain crop can be salvaged as quality forage.
Key points
- Hay and silage can be made from failed crops as an alternative income source and is sometimes a profitable venture
- The quality of canola and cereal hay and silage can vary enormously; quality testing is suggested before feeding to livestock
- Before cutting, chemical withholding periods must have expired
- Hay cut at late flowering and conditioned provides a reasonable balance between yield and feed quality
- Markets for hay can be unstable
- Hay and silage can be fed to all types of ruminant livestock as long as precautions are taken when introduced to their diet
- Salvaging calculators can assist growers with failed crops
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Region: National
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