Abstract
The objective of the present study was to evaluate the aerobic stability and losses during the fermentation process of triticale silages in single crop or in mixtures with oats and/or legumes. The following crops were used for silage production: triticale (X. Triticosecale Wittimack), triticale intercropped with forage pea (Pisum arvense) and triticale intercropped with oats (Avena strigosa Schreb), forage pea and vetch (Vicia sativa). The dry matter content and its recovery did not differ among the silages. Buffer capacity was higher for tricale silage intercropped with oats, forage pea and vetch(88.67 m eq. NaOH/100 g DM) followed by triticale intercropped with forage pea (80.80 m eq. NaOH/100 g DM). Electric conductivity values were higher in the intercropped triticale silages. Triticale silage presented the lowest temperatures observed in the silos, and the silages of intercropped triticale silages presented higher heat retention and higher pH values. Silage of triticale intercropped with oats and legumes presented lower aerobic stability but it did not reduce the aerobic stability of the total feed. Dry matter recovery during storage and in stability evaluations in aerobiosis is similar among the silages.
Highlights
Ensilage procedure has been known for many centuries, many questions still remain related to silo management after its opening
Buffer capacity was higher for tricale silage intercropped with oats, forage pea and vetch (88.67 m eq NaOH/100 g Dry matter content (DM)) followed by triticale intercropped with forage pea (80.80 m eq NaOH/100 g DM)
This occurred because losses due to lixiviation are normally observed when silage DM contents are below 28% (McDonald et al, 1991), which partially justified these low DM recovery values
Summary
Ensilage procedure has been known for many centuries, many questions still remain related to silo management after its opening. Some authors (Muck et al, 2003; Amaral et al, 2007) have suggested that the high specific mass of ensilaged forage significantly reduces the oxygen present in the material and guarantees anaerobic conditions favorable to the fermentation process. Factors related to the good specific mass of the ensilaged material, such as compacting pressure, particle size and dry matter content, were reported by Jobim et al (2007) as being essential to reduce losses generated by aerobic deterioration of the silage. A determining factor for less aerobic deterioration is the correct dimensioning and management of silo unloading, factors that are completely inherent to the use process that can make a great difference in the amount of the total losses at the end of silage use
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