Ensiling whole wheat for ruminant feeding at different stages of maturity

Abstract

Wheat at three different maturation stages — early milk, milk and dough ripening — was ensiled in 1.5-1 sealed glass jars for 30 days. Chemical and microbiological changes in the silages were followed. At the end of the ensiling period, the silages were subjected to an aerobic stability test. In addition, fibre analysis was obtained throughout the growth period of the wheat. The best silages were obtained from the wheat harvested at the milk and dough ripening stages. In the silage of the milk stage, the pH decreased more rapidly and to lower values. The water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) content decreased from 10% in dry matter (DM) in the early milk stage to 3.2% in the dough ripening stage. However, lactic acid was formed in sufficient quantities (⩾ 10% in DM) in the silages prepared from the wheat of all three stages of maturity. The silages from the early milk stage contained more ethanol and butyric acid, which reflected higher yeast and clostridial counts, respectively. Silages from all three harvests were stable under aerobic conditions. Fibre analysis revealed that percent acid detergent fibre (%ADF) and cellulose decreased in the milk stage compared to early milk. Total fibre content (percent neutral detergent fibre (%NDF)) decreased in the dough ripening stage compared to the milk stage. The hemicellulose content did not change consistently throughout the growth period of the wheat and was ∼ 20% in DM. The crude protein content decreased from 23.7 to 9.0% in DM during the development of the wheat.