Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate pH, ammoniacal nitrogen, and aerobic stability of silage of Tifton 85 grass silage with two dry matter contents at different silos opening times. The experimental design was completely randomized, in a subdivided plots scheme, in which the silages constituted the plots and aerobic exposure times the subplots, with four replications. To verify the aerobic stability of the silages, the temperature and pH were analyzed at seven hours after the silos were opened (1, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, and 144 hours). The pH reached adequate levels for conservation only after 90 days of fermentation for the silages with and without pre-drying in the sun. Ammoniacal nitrogen remained below the recommended limits in both silages. As for the silage temperature, no loss of aerobic stability was observed. However, the observed pH revealed a break instability after 72 hours when the silos were opened at 28 days, with no changes for the remaining silage periods. It is possible to obtain suitable silages from Tifton 85 with or without pre-warming in the sun, however, a minimum fermentation period of 90 days should be adopted. The studied silages presented high aerobic stability, but when kept silage for only 28 days, they should be consumed by the animals within 48 hours after the supply.
Highlights
The seasonality of forage production is one of the obstacles to the development of Brazilian livestock (Santos et al 2014)
To verify the aerobic stability of the silages, the temperature and pH were analyzed at seven hours after the silos were opened (1, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, and 144 hours)
For pH values, there was a significant effect of the interaction of the factors, and pH values for Tifton 85 silages with and without pre-drying in the sun adjusted to the quadratic regression model (Figure 1)
Summary
The seasonality of forage production is one of the obstacles to the development of Brazilian livestock (Santos et al 2014). As an alternative to minimize the damages caused by the oscillations in forage production, we have the techniques of forage conservation, among which we highlight the anaerobic conservation through silage (Gayer et al 2019). This technique of conservation is one of the most widespread for the conservation of fodder, and even for tropical grasses, with or without the use of additives, has shown to be promising (Neres et al 2013). A great diversity of forages can be conserved in the form of silage, provided they have a content of dry matter of 30% and 35%, soluble carbohydrate contents of 8 to 12% of MS, and low buffering power
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