DOI: 10.11118/978-80-7701-093-1-0066

SEEING THE RIGHT MOMENT FOR SILAGE HARVEST: METHODS AND DECISION FRAMEWORKS

Mala, S.¹, Synková, H.¹, Jambor, V.¹

¹ NutriVet s.r.o., Vídeňská 1023, Pohořelice, The Czech Republic

Finding the right time for maize silage harvest is one of the biggest practical challenges in forage production. Farmers must balance feed quality, yield, weather, and harvest logistics often within only a few days. In reality, harvest decisions are still mostly based on field experience and limited sampling, even though crop maturity can vary considerably within the same field This paper presents a practical framework combining multispectral drone monitoring, laboratory analysis, and field observations to support harvest decisions under real farming conditions. The approach was tested on multiple maize hybrids and agronomic treatments, with monitoring from standing crop through harvest to final silage.  Part of the experiment was affected by unfavorable weather during harvest, which revealed the difference between theoretical prediction and practical farming reality. The results show that UAV monitoring can become a useful tool for silage management, especially when combined with agronomic experience and laboratory validation.

Keywords: maize silage, Earth Observation, UAV monitoring, dry matter, field heterogeneity, harvest timing

pages: 66-71, Published: 2026, online: 2026