Effects of chopping, additive and silo type on the quality of elephant grass (Pennisetum Purpureum) silage

摘要

Anexperimentwasconductedtoinvestigatetheeffectsofprocessing,additiveandsilotypeonthequalityofelephantgrasssilage.Fourtreatmentswereimposedontheforagebeforeitwasensiledineitherearthpitsorconcretesilos.Thetreatmentswerechoppedelephantgrasswith3%,choppedgrasswithoutmolasses,unchoppedgrasswith3%molassesandunchoppedgrasswithoutmolasses.Thetreatmentswerearrangedinafactorialdesignof2x2x2withtworeplications.Thesilagewasopenedandsampledafter90days,analysedfordrymatter(DM)losses,chemicalcomposition,fermentationandsensoricqualities,invitroDMandorganicmatter(OM)digestibilityandDMdegradability.TherateofsilageintakeingDM/minutewasdeterminedusingsixdairyheifers.nbsp;Bothchoppedand3%molassestreatedsilagesshowedlower(P0.05)DMlossesascomparedtochoppedandunmolassedsilage.TheDMlossesdidnotdiffersignificantlybetweenthesilotypes.Choppedsilagehadmore(P0.05)crudeprotein(CP)andwatersolublecarbohydrate(WSC)contentsthanunchoppedsilage.Additionof3%molassessignificantlyincreased(P0.01)theCPandWSCofthesilage.TheCPcontenthowever,wassignificantly(P0.05)higherearthpitthanconcretesilos.Thefermentationqualityofthesilagewashighly(P0.05)improvedbychoppingandadditionof3%molassesatensiling.LowerpH(3.99vs4.64),NH3NoftotalN(4.03vs6.37)andbutyricacidconcentration(2.6vs7.5g/kgDM)andhighercontentoflacticacid(37.3vs14.2g/kgDM)andaceticacid38.5vs21.8g/kgDMwereobservedinchoppedthanunchoppedsilage.LowerpH,NH3Nandbutyricacid(4.21vs4.43,4.09vs6.31%and3.8vs6.4g/kgDM,respectively)andhigherlacticandaceticacidsconcentrationswerenbsp;observedinmolassestreatedascomparedtountreatedsilage.Thesensoricscoresofsilageweresignificantly(P0.05)betterforchoppedandmolassessilages.Choppingandadditionofmolassesproducedsilageswithsignificantlyhigher(P0.05)invitroDMnbsp;nbsp;andOMdigestibilityandinsaccoDMdegradabilitythanunchoppedandwithoutmolasses.Therewasasignificant(P0.05)improvementinintakerateofsilagewhentheanimalswerefedchoppedandmolassestreatedsilages.Itcanbeconcludedthatchoppingandadditionofatleast3%molassestoelephantgrassatensilingcanproducegoodqualitysilage.