Fermentation Quality and Nutritional Traits of Cluster Bean-Maize Mixture Silages

Abstract

In present study, effects of different mixture ratios of cluster bean (CB) and maize (M) on silage fermentation and nutritional traits were investigated. Based on dry matter (DM) ratios, maize and cluster bean plants were mixed in five different ratios (100% M, 75% M+25% CB, 50% M+50% CB, 25% M+75% CB and 100% CB). Pure maize, cluster bean and mixture were ensiled for 60 days. Effects of mixture ratios on investigated traits were found to be highly significant (p≤0.01). Increasing silage DM, ADF (acid detergent fiber), NDF (neutral detergent fiber), lactic acid, gas-methane production, metabolizable energy (ME) and organic matter digestibility (OMD) values and decreasing pH levels were observed with increasing maize ratio of the mixtures. Increasing silage crude oil (CO), crude ash (CA) and crude protein (CP) content and volatile fatty acids (acetic, butyric and propionic) were observed with increasing cluster bean ratio of the mixtures. Present findings revealed that improvements were achieved in DM, pH, nutritional traits and ME of the silages with mixtures of maize and cluster bean. It was concluded that 25, 50 and 75% maize ratios in mixtures provided significant contributions to silage quality.