Abstract
The experiment evaluated the effects on the chemical composition (fermentation, kinetic parameters, and protein and carbohydrate fractions) of corn silage after various storage durations (45, 90, 180, and 360 days). Experimental mini silos of the corn plants were made and opened after various storage periods. The experimental design was completely randomized with four treatments and four replications per treatment. Variables such as pH, lactic acid and acetic acid showed a quadratic effect, whereas effluent and gas losses increased linearly with prolonged storage. Proteolysis was observed with an increase in storage, resulting in a rise in ammonia-N, soluble N, and non-protein N concentration and reduction in true protein. The soluble carbohydrate fractions were reduced, and digestible and indigestible fibre were increased. For the kinetic degradation parameters of the silages obtained through in vitro gas methodology, the highest fermentation rate occurred in the first 12 hours of incubation, and the highest volume of gas produced within 96 hours was obtained for silages with shorter storage (45 days). The increase in storage resulted in greater losses and lower ruminal degradability in vitro, causing a decrease in protein quality and nutritional value.
Highlights
Corn silage has low buffering capacity and adequate levels of soluble carbohydrates that stimulate the growth and development of lactic acid-producing bacteria (Kung Jr et al, 2018), which allows a marked reduction in pH during the initial phase of the fermentation process
As the period of time for which the silages were stored increased, the Dry matter (DM) content of the maize silage decreased and the effluent increased (Table 1). This may be the result of having harvested the crop before it reached a dry matter content of less than 300 g/kg (Bueno et al, 2020)
Harvesting the crop too soon may have resulted in lower production per area and more intense fermentation
Summary
Corn silage has low buffering capacity and adequate levels of soluble carbohydrates that stimulate the growth and development of lactic acid-producing bacteria (Kung Jr et al, 2018), which allows a marked reduction in pH during the initial phase of the fermentation process. Other processes appear to continue after active fermentation ceases, as reported by Hoffman et al (2011) and Ferraretto et al (2015), who evaluated corn silage with storage of up to 240 days. In both studies, they observed that ammonia-N and soluble N increased with storage time. Not fermented directly by lactic acid bacteria, fibrous fractions of silages can be altered with increased storage, according to Der Bedrosian et al (2012), who observed partial hydrolysis of hemicellulose during ensiling. Increasing the silage storage time may be a beneficial strategy for milk producers to increase rumen starch hydrolysis (Kung Jr. et al, 2018)
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