Sodium benzoate, an underestimated aid in the production of silage.

Sodium benzoate is associated primarily with the food industry, and rather negatively - it is an undesirable ingredient in some food products. It is still rarely associated with agricultural production, in which it may prove to be a support in the effective feeding of beef and dairy cattle. However, sodium benzoate is not a feed or even a feed additive. So what is it and how can we use it?

What are pickles?

Silage is the basic roughage used in modern agriculture. The advantage of silage is the possibility of naturally preserving high-quality fodder in the period of its easy availability, and then feeding it to cattle in periods when the availability of this fodder is limited. Properly prepared silage can be stored even for several years, maintaining high quality throughout the entire period - the loss of nutrients is minimized, and the silage is highly resistant to aerobic decomposition.

A threat to a properly prepared and stored silage pile is its aerobic decomposition (i.e. secondary fermentation) after opening. Yeast and other fungi of the genus Fusarium, Aspergillus and Penicillium are responsible for the secondary fermentation process. Their activity consists in metabolizing lactic acid and easily soluble sugars, which results in the presence of metabolites (substances remaining after metabolism) that are dangerous to the health and life of animals. Another risk is contamination of the feed with bacteria of the genus Clostridium and E-coli. Silage contamination is easy to diagnose - the forage is hot and emits an unpleasant ammonia smell. Such contaminated silage should not be fed.

How can sodium benzoate be used in agriculture?

Sodium benzoate is a great preservative that can be used in the preparation of silage (it works primarily in the case of grass-silage and corn silage). Its bactericidal and fungistatic properties, with simultaneous tolerance of lactic acid bacteria, make it an ideal addition to silage. How it's working? Sodium benzoate stops the secondary fermentation and does not allow the growth of pathogens, and at the same time does not affect the beneficial microorganisms that produce the lactic acid that preserves the fodder.

Sodium benzoate can be added to pickles in two main ways:

• When collecting green mass - sodium benzoate is then administered together with bacterial inoculants (containing strains of noble lactic bacteria) from special dispensers on harvesting machines; this way of administering sodium benzoate ensures its thorough and even mixing with the ensiled fodder, and thus - quick initiation of the preservation process and a relatively short time to reach the acidity of the silage heap at the optimal pH level of 4.0 - 4.3;
• After placing the biomass on the heap - sodium benzoate is then added in the form of a solution, the appropriate dose of the preparation is dissolved in 1-2 buckets of cold water, and then evenly distributed over the surface of the heap (silage heap).

It is assumed that the optimal dose of sodium benzoate is 1-2 kg of the preparation for every 10 tons of silage.

High-quality silage additive sodium benzoate and other feed additives and supplements available at distripark.com .

*This article is for informational purposes only. The presented description, in particular the use of the products, is exemplary and constitutes non-binding information about the characteristics and possibilities of their use/application. In any case, before using the product, consult a specialist whether the specific use is safe and justified. We do not bear any responsibility for the use of the proposed solutions, even in very similar situations.