Polysiloxane (silicone) treatment composition for suppression of mold and spoilage on animal feed and forage, and method of using same

Abstract

Polydimethylsiloxane and/or siloxane (silicone)-derived chemical compounds are used to coating harvested forages to protect against rain and/or other weather damage and to suppress mold and spoilage in harvested forages. The PDMS compound and derivatives thereof are also found to suppress the damage resulting from oxidation within the feedstuff mass. When applied, PDMS coats the feedstuff and is included in the moisture portion of the feed or forage mass. This helps preserve the feed quality and slows the damaging effects of spoilage organisms and oxidation.

1 . A method of suppressing mold, heating, and spoilage in cut forage products, the method comprising:
 providing at least one cut forage product selected from the group consisting of alfalfa hay, alfalfa silage, grass hay, grass silage, grain hay, grain silage, cereal grain, hay, barley hay, wheat hay, oat hay, rye hay, and triticale hay, barley silage, wheat silage, oat silage, rye silage, triticale silage, corn silage, corn, rolled corn, flaked corn, cracked corn, and processed corn; and   spraying a coating on said at least one cut forage product to suppress mold, heating, and spoilage in said at least one forage product, wherein the coating comprises polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) of the formula R3-SiO[Si(CH3)2O]nSi—R3 where R is any organic or inorganic functional group and n is any number, of 2 or more, of repeating monomer units;   wherein said spraying of the coating is performed up to 14 days after cutting said at least one cut forage product from a field of growing plants.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said coating further comprises at least one fermented milk protein product comprising casine and lactic acid, and at least one preservative selected from the group consisting of carbonates and phosphates. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said at least one fermented milk protein product comprises a liquid fermentation product of lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said coating comprises less than 5 ppm pesticide and less than 5 ppm any herbicide. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said spraying places 18-300 weight-ppm PDMS on said at least one cut forage product on a dry matter basis. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said spraying is done from at least one sprayer nozzle installed on agricultural equipment selected from the group consisting of a swather, a windrower, a baler, a vehicle connected to a swather, a vehicle connected to a windrower, and a vehicle connected to a baler. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the coating sprayed onto said at least one cut forage product consists essentially of said PDMS, water, silicone dioxide, liquid fermentation product of lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria, cobalt carbonate, and phosphoric acid, and wherein said spraying places 18-300 weight-ppm PDMS on said at least one cut forage product on a dry matter basis. 
     
     
         8 . A method of  claim 1 , wherein the coating sprayed onto said at least one cut forage product consists essentially of:
 a solution comprising water, emulsifiers, silicone dioxide, and said polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS);   a liquid fermentation product (LFP) of lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria;   cobalt carbonate; and   phosphoric acid;   wherein said PDMS is in the range of 8.3-16.7 liquid-volume percent of the coating.