Water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) content and sugar composition of wilted grass and fermentation quality of wilted silage of timothy (Phleum pratense L. ) harvested at 08:00 and 15:00

摘要

The WSC content and sugar composition in wilted grass were measured to investigate the influence of difference in harvest time on silage fermentation quality. Pasture sites were on 5 dairy farms in 4 regions in the district of the Hokkaido Nemuro Branch Office. The first crop of timothy was harvested at 08:00 and at 15:00 on June 27, 2001. The mean WSC contents of grass from all regions were 6. 99% and 9. 88% when harvested at 08:00 and 15:00 respectively. The WSC content decreased after wilting in all regions. The mean decrease during wilting from 08:00-13:00 was 0.49%, and from 15:00 - 09:00 was 4. 24%. The silage in all regions showed very poor fermentation quality in the treatment without inoculant at both harvest treatments. In Bettukai A, Nakashunbetsu and Nishishunbetsu regions, the silage quality was high in the treatment with inoculant at both the 08:00-13:00 and the 15:00-09:00 harvests, showing that the fermentation quality was markedly improved compared with the treatment without inoculant.