About project

Why sustainable silage production is important?

The farm nutrient runoff is one of the sources of nutrients eventually entering from surface waters to the Baltic Sea. As livestock farming has become more effective and intensive, so has the silage production. As today’s silage production technologies have not been studied enough from nutrients leakeages point of view, then there is a need to map and address the environmental risks. While doing it we need to look at the whole chain from growing silage to storing and using it, as well as waste management of used silage plastic.

What we are aiming to achieve?

The project “Sustainable Silage” is focusing on reducing silage effluents in full silage production cycle in farm level. Planned silage management analysis cover the environmental, economic, and quality aspects. Our pilot farms test different farming practices and solutions in silage production, and the impact to the nutrien leakages will be evaluated and analyzed. Farmers receive well-founded information, practical guidelines and recommendations about the efficiency of different types of technologies and farming practices, which have real positive impact to the environment.

It is the first joint initiative of agricultural producers, farmers organizations and research institutions in Central Baltic area focusing to the environmental issues in silage production.

What are we doing?

• Involving 20-25 farms from pilot areas for testing different farming practices and solutions in whole silage production chain
• Conducting field trial for evaluating the possibilities to use the silage effluent as grassland fertilizer
• Analyzing the effects of management factors on silage effluent production and nutritional losses
• Composing the survey of available agri-environmental technologies and practicies in silage production, incl. recommendations to farmers
• Composing the survey and recommendations about handling silage effluents and plastic
• Analyzing the legislation regulating silage production, incl policy recommendations
• Dissemination of new knowledge/deliverables to farmers, policy makers and wider public
• Organizing mutual knowledge exchange visits, local field days and practical seminars
• Organizing project forums and closing conference