Sustainable Silage info seminar and field day in 12.09.2025

On September 12, 2025 farmers, researchers, and industry experts gathered in Tartu for an information day on sustainable silage production. The day began with a seminar at the Estonian University of Life Sciences and continued at the Rõhu experimental station, where participants explored test fields and the latest research on maize and grass silage production.

Practical knowledge was also shared on how to make silage production more environmentally friendly – including discussions on fertilization methods and new grass seed mixtures. A newly completed silage production manual was introduced as well. Out in the field, visitors could see modern agricultural machinery and digital solutions in action, including drones and robots that support more precise and sustainable production.

The Sustainable Silage project has been designated as an Operation of Strategic Importance (OSI) by the Interreg Central Baltic Programme. This means the project makes a significant contribution to the programme’s objectives: increasing awareness of the European Union’s role in supporting agriculture and rural development, while emphasizing the importance of cross-border cooperation in addressing shared challenges and finding innovative solutions.
The information day’s programme brought together farmers, researchers, agricultural machinery dealers, and industry experts. The day featured a seminar, visits to experimental fields, and presentations of the latest agricultural technologies. One of the main attractions was the innovative AGX agricultural robot, which can operate unattended for up to 23 hours, optimizing routes and input use. Another highlight was the agricultural drone demonstration, showcasing its ability to monitor and analyze field processes as well as perform fertilization and crop protection tasks. In addition, participants were introduced to several other modern tools, including new slurry injection systems, a grassland subsoiler, an overseeder, and a silage additive dispenser.
The day began with remarks from Ants-Hannes Viira, Head of Agricultural Policy at the Estonian Chamber of Agriculture and Commerce:
“Dairy farming has strong potential in Estonia, and grasslands are just as important to our land use as milk itself. Our cows perform at a top level, but research on silage production has been rather modest – even though the value of grass feed is around 100 million euros annually. Therefore, it’s a pleasure to see that together with the Estonian University of Life Sciences, the Centre of Estonian Rural Research and Knowledge, and partners from Latvia and Finland, we’ve launched the Sustainable Silage initiative. High-quality silage is the foundation of competitiveness in dairy production, and adapting to climate change is inevitable. The EU’s Common Agricultural Policy must support research and development to ensure that our dairy region can fully realize its potential.”
Sirje Tamm, from the Centre of Estonian Rural Research and Knowledge, commented on silage effluent and fertilization effects:
“Silage effluent can be used for fertilizing grasslands, but its nutrient content is quite low. In our trial, using 100% silage effluent provided a modest yield increase and improved soil microbiological activity, but achieving a real fertilizing effect would require applying it in very large quantities. However, silage effluent entering water bodies is extremely dangerous – it is acidic, rich in nutrients, and acts as a strong oxygen consumer, leading to fish deaths. The safest approach is to prevent silage effluent formation altogether, for example by wilting grass to at least 30% dry matter before ensiling.”
The Sustainable Silage Manual was introduced by Are Selge from the Centre of Estonian Rural Research and Knowledge and the Estonian University of Life Sciences:
“This is an electronic handbook titled ‘Sustainable Silage Production: A Practical Guide for Farmers’. It focuses especially on environmental protection topics, offering practical advice to farmers on organizing sustainable silage production. At the Rõhu experimental station, we looked at several trials, such as measuring how much nutrient leaching into groundwater may occur when fertilizing maize – made possible by a lysimeter setup. We are also studying white clover, particularly a broadleaf variety, to see if it can replace the more temperamental red clover with a longer-lived alternative.”
Kristiina Märs, silage expert for the Sustainable Silage project and senior specialist in crop production at the Estonian University of Life Sciences, presented the results of maize trials: “Within the framework of the sustainable silage project, we’ve conducted several maize fertilization trials to determine whether more fertilizer actually benefits maize growth. Today we summarized the project’s ongoing experiments. Fertilization is the number one issue for both grasslands and maize. The question is not always whether more fertilizer leads to better results – in many cases, it may increase environmental load without a significant yield benefit. We found that the yield difference between intensively and modestly fertilized maize was small. Although the project is nearing its end, we’ve been able to carry out many mini-trials, which are just the first step toward more detailed future research. Maize is becoming increasingly popular in our feed rations, but questions remain about optimal fertilization practices, sowing times, and soil management. This work must continue.”
Greetings were also shared by representatives of the Interreg Central Baltic Programme and the European Commission:
Merike Niitepõld, Head of the Interreg Central Baltic Programme Secretariat: “Sustainable Silage is one of our programme’s wonderful projects that helps us protect the Baltic Sea. Together with farmers, we carry out practical activities to make silage production chains more efficient and environmentally friendly.”
Mathias Juust, Policy Officer at the European Commission Representation in Estonia: “The European Commission is pleased to be a partner in implementing the Interreg Central Baltic Programme. One of its flagship projects is Sustainable Silage, which has received approximately €1.67 million in funding from the EU budget.”

The video summarizing the event is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8GWhtr3nj8

By improving silage practices and reducing nutrient runoff, the project supports the EU’s “Farm to Fork” strategy and the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, contributing to cleaner water, healthier ecosystems, and more sustainable agriculture. Sustainable Silage demonstrates that European cooperation works – a greener agriculture is being built with EU support today. Project Sustainable Silage was nominated by the INTERREG Central Baltic Programme as Operation of Strategic Importance.