Abstract
The aim of the current study is to evaluate Virginia fanpetals silage based on an apparent digestibility and palatability test performed on six adult rams. Alfalfa silage was used as standard forage for comparison. Virginia fanpetals samples were harvested in the bud-formation stage and alfalfa samples were harvested in the late bud stage. Virginia fanpetals silage had a crude protein (CP) content of 176 g kg dry matter (DM), a neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content of 378 g kg DM, and a lignin content of 42.8 g kg DM. Virginia fanpetals silage had higher acidity (pH of 4.30) and was characterized by intense lactic acid fermentation compared with alfalfa silage (80 % vs. 51 % of the total acids). The digestibility coefficient of Virginia fanpetals silage was as follows: for DM it was 0.707, for organic matter (OM) it was 0.724, for CP it was 0.861, and for NDF it was 0.609. In comparison with alfalfa silage, Virginia fanpetals silage was characterized by higher apparent digestibility of nutrients, but a significant difference was noted only for CP. The voluntary intake of Virginia fanpetals silage was significantly higher than that of alfalfa silage (1427.4 vs. 954 g DM). The greatest differences in voluntary intake were observed 0–2 and 8–12 h after feeding. Virginia fanpetals silage had a chemical composition similar to that of alfalfa, but it was characterized by a more desirable fermentation pattern and higher digestibility, and it was more willingly consumed by rams. The present findings indicate that Virginia fanpetals silage can be fed to sheep.
Highlights
In recent years, Virginia fanpetals (Sida hermaphrodita R.) has attracted the interest of European producers as a potential energy crop on account of its high yields (9–20 t ha−1 of dry matter (DM) annually)
Silage was ensiled in 220 L standard open-head high-density polyethylene (HDPE) drums (n = 3) (Brenntag GmbH, Essen, Germany) with drainage holes, and it was compressed to the density of 830 kg fresh matter (FM) per cubic meter
The daily voluntary intake of Virginia fanpetals silage was 1.5 times that of alfalfa silage (P < 0.010) (Table 3), which points to the higher palatability of the former (Fig. 1)
Summary
Virginia fanpetals (Sida hermaphrodita R.) has attracted the interest of European producers as a potential energy crop on account of its high yields (9–20 t ha−1 of dry matter (DM) annually). Virginia fanpetals is a perennial plant native to North America that can be grown for 15– 20 years. At the end of the growing season, the branching stem of Virginia fanpetals exceeds 4 m in height, and it produces up to 40 shoots per square meter. Virginia fanpetals can be used to improve soil stabilization, reduce the risk of soil erosion, increase the fertility and biological value of soils, and restore degraded soils.
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