Using Modern Diagnostic Methods for Technological Discipline Assessment of Maize Silage

Abstract

The paper focuses on the analysis of compliance with the technological discipline in silage quality assessment based on sampling the silage wall using thermal imaging and penetrometer method for silage compaction. Experimental measurements were done in a selected company, which has built a silage trough with a capacity of 6,624 m3, in which the maize (hybrid KWS – KALIFF FAO 440) with a 36% solids content was ensiled. A thermal camera ThermoPro TM TP8S IR and cone penetrometer Eijkelkamp were used for measurements. The results obtained suggest that also undesirable heating was found in the sampling area, since the maximum temperature at some places in the depth of 0.5 m reached a temperature of 36.4 °C. According to regression and correlation analysis, we found direct linear relationship between penetration resistance and penetration depth in a 6 m and 1.5 m height (R = 0.938 respectively R = 0.970).

Keywords

• maize silage
• penetration resistance
• compaction
• thermography
• heating