May 17, 2021, 6:20 am As silage season approaches, now is the time to consider the environmental risk of silage effluent, to avoid a pollution incident which could cause serious harm to waterways. Heather Gregg, an agri-environment adviser with the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), said: “Silage effluent is probably one of the biggest risk factors during silage season, as its potency as a pollutant can have serious damaging effects if it reaches a waterway. “As a result, its management is critical through the silage making, ensiling and storage process. ”The severity of silage effluent can be highlighted through explaining the biological oxygen demand (BOD) of a number of substances.