It is possible to ensile almost any plant material and by-products, the most important crops for ensiling worldwide are whole-crop corn, alfalfa and various grasses. Other crops include whole-crop wheat, sorghum and various legumes. Ensiling is a sophisticated and costly operation which is mainly used in developed countries.

The silage quality is influenced by dry matter (30-45) and soluble sugar content (8-10%). All these factors influence the development of lactic acid and other organic acids, which act as preservative. Harvesting the crop at 50% flowering to milk or dough stage can make good quality silage of crops like maize, sorghum and pearl millet. For N-B hybrids 45-50 days after the previous harvest is recommended. For natural grasses and Cenchrus, they should be harvested at flowering stage.