by Jeremy Sweeten

Here are some 2015 results from one of our newer summer annual products, Silo-Pro Brachytic Dwarf BMR forage sorghum. 

Silo-Pro was introduced by CISCO in the spring of 2015.  What makes Silo-Pro work well in the Midwest is that it only gets 6-7 feet tall.  It is very resistant to lodging.  It has very wide leaves that canopy over the rows very quickly.  This is great weed control. 

Silo-Pro can be harvested once as a direct chop in the soft dough stage.  It can also be cut in the mid-boot stage, wilted, and chopped.  When cut in mid-boot, Silo-Pro will regrow and can be harvested again in the same manner.  The advantage of the two-cut system is a higher crude protein (CP) and improved TDN. 

A dairy heifer grower in north-central Indiana planted silage corn in mid-May.  Because of the rain, he did not get the Silo-Pro planted until mid-June.  In the fall, both crops were chopped on the same day because the custom harvester having a very busy schedule. 

Here are the results:

• The corn silage yielded 15 T/A while the Silo-Pro yielded 14 T/A.  Remember that there was a month less growth on the Silo-Pro. 
• Also, the seed costs on the forage sorghum were less than $12.00/A.  Below is a chart comparing the forage quality of both forages. 
• The corn silage was harvested at the black layer stage, but the Silo-Pro was harvested at head emergence.  Keep that in mind when comparing forage quality tests.  That is why the protein content is so high in the Silo-Pro. 

Silo-Pro is a product for beef or dairy producers to consider as an alternative to corn silage.  There is minimal yield or forage quality differences and the seed cost is much less with the Silo-Pro.

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