The treatment of entire cereal crops – at full maturity – to produce alkaline crop forages is opening up new opportunities for Irish dairy and beef farmers.
This was the key message delivered at a recent farm seminar and tour hosted by the Lowe family, from Adare in Co. Limerick.
Coordinated by Clonmel-based agri merchants, Star Fuels, the event was attended by more than 30 dairy and beef farmers from every county in Munster, as well as parts of the south east.
Alkaline crop forages
George Lowe and his son Richard milk 120 Holstein and Jersey cows.
Calving the year round, the Holsteins are currently averaging 11,000L per lactation with good fat and protein; the Jerseys are averaging 8,000L with exceptional milk solids.
The cows are milked twice daily. However, the Lowes are in the throes of putting up a new buildings complex on the farm, which will be home to three milking robots.
The farm visit took place against the backdrop of the Tillage Incentive Scheme encouraging greater numbers of livestock farmers to grow cereal crops.
Last year, Ireland’s cropping area increased by some 6%. And the expectation is that a further growth in the area of crops grown will follow in 2023.
Driving this trend to a large extent will be dairy and other livestock farmers, ploughing up grass. So the question then becomes – how can these farmers make best use of the additional, arable crops that they have access to?
According to Richard Lowe, one very feasible option is to alkali-treat the entire crop, grain and straw, at point of full maturity. The end product is called alkalage.
“We have traditionally treated grain grown on the farm with Home n’ Dry pellets and the product worked well for us,” he explained.
“The ammonia produced by the pellets preserved the grain. It also added to the protein value of the feed and significantly boosted its pH value.
“We have long recognised the health and production-related benefits of offering the cows a total mixed ration that is less acidic in nature.”
Wheat crop
Last year the Lowes were encouraged to produce alkalage from their wheat crops and include it as a forage component within the rations fed to their cows.
“This was an entirely different challenge,” Richard admitted. “Growing the crop was not the issue. But getting it harvested correctly was.
“We have a Claas self-propelled harvester here on the farm. But it had to be kitted out with a primary processing mill to ensure that the grain was processed prior to being crop blown into the accompanying trailers.
“The milling unit comprises two rollers with 125 teeth each and running at different RPM.
“Claas provided us with a unit that fitted their harvester. But other manufacturers can supply processing mills that meet the specs on their harvesting equipment,” he added.
Lowe said that the grain must be physically treated in this way to optimise the digestibility of the grain. Where the straw is concerned, the chop length was set at 25mm.
Preparing alkaline crop forage
There are a number of criteria which must be met prior to a cereal crop is harvested for the purposes of alkalage production.
First off, no desiccant must be applied in the run up to cutting. In addition, there must be no green material left in the crop, at all, prior to harvest.
“Both these issues come back to the same point – any green material in a crop will react in an unfavourable manner with the applied pellets,” Lowe explained.
“Under these circumstances, heating within the alkalage clamp can take place.”
George and Richard Lowe regularly grow up to 50ac of wheat on their farm. The continuing availability of the Tillage Incentive Scheme may well encourage them to increase the area of cereal grown into the future.
Last year’s wheat crops performed extremely well. They were sown out during October 2021 and the variety Costello was grown.
“All the wheat destined for alkalage production was weighed. The total output of the crop – grain and straw combined – averaged 6t/ac,” Richard confirmed.
“Making the alkalage was straightforward. The pellets were mixed with the harvested crop at a rate of 40g/t.
“Each of the trailers coming in from the field contained roughly 6t of wheat. After mixing, the crop was stacked in a roofed silo with a plastic sheet put over the clamp for a fortnight.
“It took the ammonia that was released from the pellets this amount of time to do their job.
“After a fortnight, the clamp had become totally stable. It is possible to make alkalage in the outdoors. But in these instances, it is advised that the cover is kept on the clamp to keep out the elements,” he added.
He also explained that the clamp was not rolled at any time. According to Richard, it cost €74/t to treat the crop.
What is alkalage?
So, what is alkalage? The one thing it is not is fermented wholecrop silage.
Paul Sayle, from Sayle Agri, took part in the farm visit. He was accompanied by his father Alan, who was responsible for the development of Home n’ Dry and the alkalage production process.
Paul pointed out that all silages, grass and whole crop, are fermented forages.
“As a consequence, they are extremely acidic in nature,” he said. “Alkalage, on the other hand, is a cereal-based forage with a pH well above 7.0.
“Overloading total mixed rations with grass, forage maize and whole crop silages will predispose dairy cows and beef cattle to acidosis.
“Alkalage, on the other hand, will help maintain the pH in an animal’s rumen around its optimal value of 6.0. So in addition to the obvious nutrition-related benefits of alkalage, the forage is also delivering significant improvements in animal health.”
According to Alan Sayle, the most appropriate forage mix in a dairy total mixed ration is one third grass silage, one third alkalage and one third maize whole crop.
Alkalage can be made from all the cereal options grown in Ireland – wheat, barley, oats, rye and triticale.
Alkalage for animals
As a rule of thumb, alkalage made from wheat is most commonly used in dairy rations; barley is the preferred option in beef rations.
Significantly, barley alkalage can be included in beef-finishing rations to increase the levels of concentrates these animals can consume on a daily basis without acidosis kicking in.
Star Fuels’ Ray Connolly confirmed that many farmers are reliant on contractors to make silage and harvest their cereal crops.
“The key issue here is the availability of self-propelled harvesters fitted with grain processing mills,” Connolly said.
“We are expecting a significant uplift in the number of Irish farmers making alkalage this year.
“Preparations are in place to have enough harvesters fitted with processing mills in the country to meet this demand.”
George and Richard Lowe have been including alkalage in the total mixed rations fed to their dairy cows over the past five months.
“The feeding rate is 7kg/head/day,” George explained.
“The other forage sources in the cows’ diet are wholecrop maize and grass silage. Our top yielding cows are being fed to produce up to 60L per day. This management approach puts a fair amount of stress on cows.
“We are also using sexed semen on the cows. One of the most obvious things that I have noticed since the alkalage was included in the diets is the stronger heats demonstrated by the cows,” he added.
“We scan the cows regularly. And there is also evidence coming through now to indicate that conception rates are also improving.”