Vita Plus Silage Sentinel™ plastics offer superior performance

Fermentation is the anaerobic (absence of oxygen) conversion of sugar into acid (i.e., lactic acid). The sooner oxygen is eliminated from the silage storage unit, the sooner fermentation can begin and the pH can drop. A slow pH drop can result in greater dry matter loss. Silage quality can also decrease as valuable sugars and proteins continue to be used and degrade when oxygen is present. Spoilage during storage can cause high levels of yeast, molds and mycotoxins in silages. Nutrient degradation, animal health and wasted feed are a costly consequence of spoilage.

Silage Sentinel™ is the Vita Plus-branded line of oxygen barrier silage plastics. Clemson University testing of Silage Sentinel Red, Silage Sentinel All-in-One and Silage Sentinel Armor has shown superior oxygen impermeability, which preserves silage quality. No plastic is completely impermeable to oxygen, but variations in oxygen permeability exist between brands of silage plastics. An oxygen transfer rate (OTR) less than 15 cc/m²/d is considered to be the best oxygen-barrier plastic. All Silage Sentinel silage plastics test below this 15cc/m²/d threshold.

Equally as important as the lack of oxygen transmission is the functionality of the silage plastic. Silage Sentinel silage plastics have single-source manufacturing and distribution, offering the best packaging and unrolling in the industry. Using Silage Sentinel silage plastics on forage results in optimum silage quality and reduces labor costs.

Vita Plus offers three product choices to meet farms’ specific silage plastic needs:

• Silage Sentinel Red is a clear, red 1.8-mil film that is used in combination with conventional plastic. It can be stretched to 668% before tearing and clings to silage contours, restricting oxygen flow beneath the plastic covers.
• Silage Sentinel All-in-One is a 5-mil black-and-white plastic that combines the benefits of an oxygen barrier film and conventional plastic in one product. It can be stretched to 706% before tearing and is a tough and durable one-layer system.
• Silage Sentinel Armor provides additional durability as a 6-mil black-and-beige plastic that combines the benefits of oxygen barrier film and conventional plastic in one product. It can be stretched to 761% before tearing and is our toughest oxygen barrier plastic. It is designed to stand up to harsh weather and animal traffic.

Durability, puncture resistance, stretch tolerance, and UV protection are qualities you can count on with Silage Sentinel silage plastics.  In addition, agricultural plastic recycling is growing in importance and avenues to recycle are increasing. All Silage Sentinel silage plastics are recyclable providing farms with sustainability opportunities.

Silage Sentinel Red, Silage Sentinel All-in-One, and Silage Sentinel Armor oxygen barrier plastic provide industry-leading technology for greater dry matter recovery, reduced spoilage, durability, and ease of use. Silage Sentinel is one of the many technologies Vita Plus offers to help you get the most from your forages. Contact your Vita Plus consultant to learn more about using Silage Sentinel on your operation.