BioZyme Inc. has introduced a natural silage additive called AmaSile which it says is formulated to reduce the time required to properly ferment, minimize nutrient loss and reduce spoilage by undesirable bacteria.

"AmaSile works to stimulate the growth and development of beneficial microorganisms that speed up and stabilize the fermentation process," says Dorothy Orts, area sales manager for BioZyme. "The results are a stable, highly palatable and more digestible silage that promotes feed and energy intake and improves animal performance. Producers who use it appreciate how cool the silage stays right after chopping and how fresh it remains until the pile is gone."

BioZyme says its new AmaSile silage additive enhances nutrient content and speeds fermentation.

The company says AmaSile works to:
• Preserve more nutrients and dry matter
• Support lactic acid bacteria
• Improve anaerobic ability
• Lower pH
• Improve shelf life
• Reduce heating/spoilage

In ideal conditions, lactic acid bacteria grow rapidly by utilizing the sugar in fresh forage. These bacteria are very efficient and quickly use the sugar to produce lactic acid. The production of lactic acid lowers pH levels of silage and protects it from unwanted microbial growth, such as molds and Listeria monocytogenes during fermentation.

The company says AmaSile contains metabolites produced from a proprietary fermentation product. Unlike silage inoculants, it does not contain live microorganisms and therefore remains stable throughout storage and application, BioZyme says.

The company also says Taiwanese research on dairy cows fed corn silage treated with AmaSile during the summer exhibited greater dry matter intake, an average daily milk increase of 3 pounds, and increased weight gain over the control group fed untreated silage. The winter trial showed lower dry matter intake with 3.5 pounds more milk and increased weight gain.

In those tests, the company says, corn silage treated with AmaSile also exhibited a lower pH, a higher percentage of lactic acid, a lower percentage of acetic and butyric acids, decreased NDF (neutral detergent fiber) and ADF (acid detergent fiber), and a higher percentage of crude protein.

"When forage tests high in ADF, its digestibility decreases, thus reducing the animal's nutrient and energy intake," says Kevin Glaubius, BioZyme Director of Nutrition and Technical Sales. "Equally important are the NDF values, which reflect the amount of forage the animal can consume. When NDF percentages elevate, dry matter intake generally decreases. AmaSile has been proven to reduce ADF and NDF values in silage, which are proven to improve feed intake and animal performance."

AmaSile can be used on any forage, in any storage area including piles, bags and pits. The recommended application is one ounce per ton of treated silage. AmaSile is available in a 2.5 gallon size, which can treat up to 320 tons.

For information about AmaSile visit www.vitaferm.com/products/amasile/.