Principle of Silage Production

[Grassman]

Very soon after a a green forage is cut the walls of the plant cells become permeable and the cells start to lose moisture, the soluable carbohydrates (sugars) within the cell begin to oxidise and the valuable protiens begin to break down. At the same time bacteria and moulds (which are always present on the surface of growing plants but which do little harm when the plant is living) begin to attack and decompose the dying tissues.
The  aim of any effecient conservation system is to rapidly and completely check these destuctive processes so as to preserve as much as is possible of the yield and feeding value present in the crop at the time it was cut in the field.