Dry weight = Weight recorded after drying the plant or part of a plant at temperatures higher than the ambient air temperature (e.g., around 65 – 100 degrees C), to drive off the water.

In the 17th century, a Belgian scientist named Jan Baptista van Helmont did an experiment to determine whether plants consumed soil as they grew. He concluded plants must gain weight by taking on water.

The mass of a tree is primarily carbon. The carbon comes from carbon dioxide used during photosynthesis. During photosynthesis, plants convert the sun’s energy into chemical energy which is captured within the bonds of carbon molecules built from atmospheric carbon dioxide and water.

Plants need water for photosynthesis. Absorbed by the roots, water travels through a plant’s stems to the chloroplasts in the leaves. Water also helps move nutrients from the soil into the plant. Too little water can cause a plant to wilt or droop.

Cut out the leaf tracings and weigh them. Weigh the cutouts and divide the total weight by the number of leaves to give you the average leaf area for each plant. Repeat this for each of the plants in your experiment.

Definition: The plant, animal, or other material containing the chemical of interest is not dried to remove water. The amount of the chemical found in subsequent analysis is expressed as the weight of chemical divided by the total weight, including any water present, of the material which once contained it.

Keeping good records can make you a better, more successful gardener. Records help you to remember what worked and what didn’t, and this makes your gardening efforts more effective and helps you to avoid past mistakes.

The dry matter of plant and animal material consists of all its constituents excluding water. The dry matter of food includes carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants (e.g., thiocyanate, anthocyanin, and quercetin).

The amount of water is determined by subtracting the dry weight from the initial weight, and the moisture content is then calculated as the amount of water divided by the dry weight or total weight, depending on the reporting method.

Determining Dry Matter using the microwave method Chop the sample down into 3-4cm pieces using scissors or secateurs, so that you have around 100g of “wet” material. Mix the material together to reduce variation, subdivide and subsample for analysis.

Dry Matter (DM) refers to the weight of feed as harvested forage or silage after removal of all moisture, expressed as a % of the fresh weight. An accurate assessment of dry matter is important for three main reasons: Dry matter content is required to measure herbage production per area from field plot trials.

1) Figure the dry matter percentage. Subtract the moisture content from 100%. In this example 100% – 75.9% = 24.1% dry matter. 2) Convert individual nutrients from “as fed” to “dry matter”.

The basic process to test for moisture content is relatively simple with a microwave oven. Collect the sample, weigh it, dry it in short intervals to a constant weight, and then calculate the moisture concentration.

Too Wet. Harvesting corn silage at moisture levels above 70% will not only yield less but will result in seepage and a very undesirable clostridia fermentation. Clostridia bacteria are very inefficient and convert forage sugars and organic acids into butyric acid, carbon dioxide and ammonia.

Moisture is critical when harvesting silage. Remember that if the silage is too wet there is a risk of butyric acid forming and nutrients being lost due to seepage. Silage that is over 70% moisture should not be harvested and should stand in the field for a few more days.

Silage of poor quality has slimy soft texture when rubbed from the fibre or leaf and contains moulds. Very dry or even brittle (breaking like biscuit) silage shows the material ensiled had too high dry matter content and there was overheating during storage causing much deterioration.

Research has shown that excessively dry silage will not improve animal performance and may have poor aerobic stability at feed-out. It is also advisable to row up immediately prior to picking up the crop with the forage harvester or wagon.

Silage is compacted and stored in air-tight conditions without being dried. Digestive capabilities: Animals do not digest hay. Silage is partially and easily digested, offering more nutritious value. Preservation: Hay is typically kept in a bale, while silage is stored in a bale and covered with tight plastic wrap.

Mowing only: Mow the crop with a rotary disc mower. Consider using 2 mowers to get crop cut ASAP to allow a longer wilting period. Mow + spread: Mow the crop with a rotary mower. Spread/ted the mown crop with a tedder or tedder rake as soon as possible after mowing.

10 steps to making better quality silage

1. Decide on silage quality needed:
2. Cut at the right growth stage:
3. Do not sacrifice quality for bulk:
4. Do not wait ‘for Nitrogen to leave the crop’:
5. If in doubt, test sugars:
6. Wilt for a day:
7. Choose additives based on need:
8. Reduce post-harvest losses:

Assessing silage quality by sight and smell Colour: Well-preserved silages are green, yellow, or pale brown. Dark brown silage is generally poorly preserved. Smell: Well preserved silage has a sweet, tobacco smell. Foul, rancid smells indicate the presence of butyric acid from poor preservation.

The fodder crops, such as maize, sorghum, oats, pearl millet, and hybrid napier rich in soluble carbohydrates are most suitable for fodder ensiling. Quality of silage can be improved with the use of suitable additives such as molasses, urea, salt, formic acid etc.

Crops like maize, jowar, bajra, hybrid napier, oat are most suitable for silage making. Leguminous crops like berseem, Lucerne, Cowpea is not suitable, unless molasses are sprayed on these crops while filling silo pit.

Corn or maize is a cereal grain that belongs to the family ‘gramineae’ and is known as the ‘Queen of Cereals’ because of its several uses. The scientific name of corn is Zea mays. Each and every part of the maize can be used to produce a variety of food and non-food products.

Good hay is more palatable than silage due to the high sugar content and the reduced protein breakdown. The breakdown of hay in the rumen also results in a more synchronised release of energy and protein. Silage is made from more digestible material and is not so reliant on the weather.

Kentucky bluegrass, orchardgrass and timothy are all examples of common grasses used for hay. Benefits: Grass hay is lower in protein and energy than legume hay — but it’s also higher in fiber, which can make it a good choice for many horses.

Hay is a grass or can be a form of grass. When referring to it as a form of grass, it is a cut grass that has been cut then dried for the purpose of becoming an animal feed or food. Hay is a common food commodity for livestock owners who raise horses, cattle, sheep and goats.

Depending on your needs, plant grass, alfalfa, or a mixture of the 2 for use as hay after growing.

• Grass hay is generally more nutritious than alfalfa hay for livestock, but alfalfa has more fiber.
• If you choose grass hay, timothy grass is ideal for growing and harvesting hay.

Hay is basically dried vegetation: usually a legume such as alfalfa or clover, or a grass such as timothy or brome. It’s one crop that can be raised with proper care in any part of the country where weeds will grow, and it’s a must for any self-sufficient farmer who keeps livestock.