Effects of polyethylene colour and thickness on grass silage quality

Abstract

The aim of the investigation was to determine the influence of variations in thickness and colour of agricultural plastic film on silage preservation conditions and grass silage quality. For this purpose, 30 cylindrical plastic containers (mini‐silos; 0·3 m3) were filled with chopped grass and covered with five films of different thickness and colour: 90 μm, white; 125 μm, green; 150 μm, black; 200 μm, green and 200 μm, white. Four replications of each film type were placed in the open air. Two replications were housed indoors and exposed to an ‘artificial sky’ in a test apparatus. The surface temperature of the films was found to be strongly dependent on film thickness and colour. Results of the chemical analysis of silages did not reveal any significant influence of the films. This was also the case when restricting the analysis to the uppermost silage layer. The results showed that under the conditions of this experiment, well preserved forage can be produced with films of differing colour, as well as of lesser thickness.

Top spoilage losses in maize silage sealed with plastic films with different permeabilities to oxygen

“…When investigating PE films of different thicknesses (100, 150 and 200 μm), Savoie (1988) did not report significant differences in losses after 130 d of storage (on average 2 g kg −1 month −1 ). Similar results have been observed by Snell et al. (2002, 2003) who reported that the thickness of the PE films does not have any significant influence on the chemical analysis of silage.…”

“…(2002, 2003) who reported that the thickness of the PE films does not have any significant influence on the chemical analysis of silage. For a film to receive a certificate of approval in Germany, the Agricultural Society requires a gas permeability of <250 cm 3 m −2 per 24 hour (Snell et al. , 2003).…”

Aerobic stability of maize silage stored under plastic films with different oxygen permeability

“…Although the importance of stable anaerobic conditions for silage making is unquestioned and low‐density polyethylene (LD‐PE) films are usually used as a barrier against air infiltration, few scientific studies exist on the correlation between the permeability of a film to oxygen and silage quality . Throughout the world, maize ( Zea mays L.) silage is commonly stored in bunker silos and covered with PE film.…”

An Approach to Color Change and Quality Relation in Roughages

“…In deteriorated samples, this value decreased to 2.2 and 2.9, respectively. Snell et al (2003) found a relation between applications and color values of L* and a*. Ball et al (2017) also emphasized that a bright green color can be an indicator of storage conditions which shows good protection during storage.…”