Increasing importance of home grown proteins has resulted in a renewed interest in grass-clover mixed swards. The objective of this experiment was to asses the effect of wilting on effluent production levels, polluting potential of the silage effluent, and silage quality in grass and grass-clover mixed swards.

Perennial rye grass (G) and a grass clover mixed sward (0.75 perennial ryegrass, 0.25 white clover, GC) was cut in mid may. The G and GC was then precision chopped and ensiled in experimental silos at 0, 24 and 48 hours following cutting, with 5 replicate silos of each silage being made at each time period. The silage effluent was collected, the quantity produced was recorded and the biochemical oxygen demand and the chemical oxygen demand was measured. The silage was allowed to ferment followed by which the silage was sub-samples and composite samples 3 of each silage were analyzed for dry matter content, crude protein levels, neutral detergent fibre, water soluble carbohydrate, pH, lactic acid, acetic acid, proprionc acid, butyric acid, total volatile acid levels. The data were analyzed using the general linear model ANOVA in Minitab.