Non Corrosive Acid Preservatives

Non Corrosive Acids

Add-F NC - the non-corrosive silage preservative.
Add-F has long been one of the most respected and widely used silage preservatives. But now, there’s a non-corrosive formula, Add-F NC.

Add-F NC is manufactured by Kemira Chemicals, who have made it safer and more pleasant to use by employing their proven buffering process, which eliminates the adverse effects that the old Add-F had on machinery and skin.

Add-F NC is ideal for all silages that are low in  sugar or have a high nitrate level, as well as wet and contaminated grass often found in autumn third and fourth cuts.
The main ingredient of Add-F NC is formic acid, still regarded by many as the most effective and rapid silage preservative. Formic acid treatment is widely seen as the benchmark for testing the effectiveness of silage additives because of its known reliability and predictability. Depending on crop condition and moisture content, 2 to 5 litres of Add-F NC is required per tonne to achieve a stable pH of around 4 within about two days, with minimal loss of valuable nutrients.

Stabilizer NC - the non-corrosive preservative for higher DM silages.

Using the same buffering technique as Add-F NC, Kemira Chemicals have produced Stabilizer NC, a formic/propionic acid preservative blend with all the power of its predecessor, but without the unpleasant and damaging corrosive side-effects. Stabilizer NC should be applied at 3 to 5 litres/tonne depending on DM and potential aerobic challenge.

Use Stabilizer NC to treat silages required for buffer feeding in warmer weather. As with any other silage, when making higher DM silages, including grass, wholecrop and maize, the aim should be to promote a fast and efficient fermentation. The amount of fermentation required to reach a stable pH is likely to be lower, but achieving it as quickly as possible will result in more valuable nutrients being preserved. Formic acid can be relied on to meet this requirement.

Silages with DM’s above 25-27%, present an environment that is ideal for spoilage organisms such as yeasts, moulds and some bacteria to multiply very rapidly once the silage is exposed to air. Their activity (often referred to incorrectly as secondary fermentation) uses up a lot of valuable nutrients very quickly. The first sign that aerobic spoilage is occurring is heating of the silage. Aerobic instability has been estimated to cause DM losses of up to 15% and is therefore a cause of major economic loss on many farms.

Propionic acid is well known for its ability to inhibit the growth of the yeasts, moulds and bacteria that cause food spoilage. It is used extensively in the bakery industry and for preventing the spoilage of stored grain. It is equally effective in providing a solution to the problem of aerobic spoilage in ensiled forages.

Download Forage Preservation Brochure.