It is used in agriculture as a forage plant, grown for pasture, hay, and silage. Main feeds are hay, grass silage and chopped corn feed. Maize silage is one of the most valuable forages for ruminants. Other crops in the area include sorghum, silage, hay, and soybeans. This is vital to maximise crop yield, animal grazing and good quality silage/hay. Maize used for silage is harvested while the plant is green and the fruit immature. Some varieties have been used successfully for making silage and hay. The fermentation process of silo or pit silage releases liquid. "Lactobacillus plantarum" is the most common bacterium used in silage inoculants. Some land is also used for silage and dairy farming. The alkaloids responsible are not destroyed by drying or by fermentation in silage. However, a silo is still a preferred method for making silage. Collapsing silage from large bunker silos has caused deaths. Haylage is a similar process to silage but using grass which has dried. Laboratories can isolate "Listeria monocytogenes" from soil, silage, and other environmental sources.