Impacts of citrus pulp addition and wilting on elephant grass silage quality

Raphael Dos Santos Gomes,Flavio Henrique Vidal Azevedo,João Carlos De Carvalho Almeida,Ana Cristina Wyllie Elyas,Tadeu Silva De Oliveira,Jailton Da Costa Carneiro,Fábio Nunes Lista

doi:10.14393/bj-v33n3-33790

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the use of citrus pulp addition and wilting on fermentative characteristics, chemical composition as well as gas and effluent losses of elephant grass silage. The elephant grass (70 growth days) was collected manually; one portion was immediately chopped and another one was allowed to wilt in the sun for a period of 6 h and subsequently chopped for the production of silage. Experimental PVC silos (10 cm diameter x 30 cm height) were used and sand bags were placed at the bottom of the silos. Citrus pulp (80 g kg-1 of MN) was added at the beginning of ensilage. The ensiled material was manually compressed to provide a specific mass of approximately 600 kg m-3 of silage. After 60 days, the silos were opened; gas and effluent losses were calculated and we determined pH, dry matter (DM), crude protein(CP), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), lignin, ammonia nitrogen, ash and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD). We added 0 or 80 g kg-1 of citrus pulp to wilted and un-wilted elephant grass. We used a completely randomised design with a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement (wilted or un-wilted) x (with or without citrus pulp), totalling treatments with five repetitions. Average values were compared using the F test with a probability of 5%. The addition of citrus pulp resulted in reduced levels of NDF, lignin, ash, N-NH3 and pH and in increased values of DM and IVDMD of silages. Wilting increased the DM, NDF and lignin values and reduced the concentrations of CP, IVDMD and N-NH3. Based on our results, citrus pulp addition improves the chemical composition of elephant grass silage and increases its in vitro dry matter digestibility.

Highlights

Among the factors affecting cattle productivity in Brazil, forage production seasonality has been highlighted
This study evaluated the use of citric pulp in silage making and the effects of forage wilting on fermentation traits, chemical composition and losses of elephant grass silage
As citrus pulp as wilting employment were effective regarding on reduced effluent loss, with no treatment elephant grass silage presenting the highest effluent loss and silage with two associated treatments presenting the lowest effluents loss, as well

Summary

Introduction

Among the factors affecting cattle productivity in Brazil, forage production seasonality has been highlighted. Biomass production is highly influenced by climatic factors, and extremely dry periods may result in substantial losses (BOTREL et al, 2002; ALENCAR et al, 2009). In this context, pasture-based animal production is highly dependent on forage production, and in the rainy season, the application of forage surplus conservation methods is required (GONÇALVES et al, 2008). As tropical grasses are perennial with a high dry matter production during the rainy season, silage lends itself as a method to minimize forage shortages during the dry season using the production surplus (ALENCAR et al, 2009; FERREIRA et al., 2015)

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