pH is one of the core indicators of silage quality. Quality silage usually holds a pH of 3.8 to 4.2 and remains stable over time.

Short-cut material packs well with little oxygen, allowing lactic acid bacteria to dominate quickly and drop pH into the safe range in a short time, suppressing harmful bacteria.

A stable low pH protects silage from spoilage and secondary fermentation, and is a key sign of the outstanding quality of 6-12mm short-cut silage.