Losses and nutritional value of elephant grass silage with inclusion levels of cottonseed meal

Pablo Teixeira Viana,Mauro Pereira De Figueiredo,Fábio Andrade Teixeira,Hermógenes Almeida De Santana Junior,Gleidson Giordano Pinto De Carvalho,Aureliano José Vieira Pires

doi:10.4025/actascianimsci.v35i2.13736

Abstract

The experiment was conducted to evaluate losses and nutritive value of elephant grass silage containing increasing levels of cottonseed meal. The experimental design was completely randomized, with five treatments: 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28% inclusion of cottonseed meal, and four replications. The material was chopped and packed in PVC silos and stored for 80 days. The pH and dry matter (DM), crude protein, lignin and ether extract of the silages increased linearly with the addition of cottonseed meal, while the levels of acid detergent insoluble nitrogen, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, cellulose and hemicellulose decreased linearly. The addition of 28% cottonseed meal reduced the in situ disappearance of DM (48h) to values lower than those of silage without additives. The concentration of ammonia nitrogen and the losses from gases and effluent were reduced. The inclusion of 28% cottonseed meal in elephant grass silage containing 18.4% DM improved the fermentation characteristics of silage more efficiently by reducing the moisture content and effluent losses, starting at the 7% level of inclusion.

Highlights

Tropical grasses have been more and more used for silage production mainly because of their elevated dry mass productivity
Samples were subsequently ground in a Wiley mill of 1 mm screen sieve for analyses of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent insoluble nitrogen (NDIN), acid detergent insoluble nitrogen (ADIN), ether extract (EE), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose, according to the procedures described in Silva and Queiroz (2005)
Effluent losses decreased (Table 2) as the cottonseed cake was included in the elephant grass, and because effluent carries nutrients, this means reduction in the nutritional value of silages

Summary

Introduction

Tropical grasses have been more and more used for silage production mainly because of their elevated dry mass productivity. Information in the literature regarding the use of cottonseed cake in the ensilage of elephant grass is very scarce Because it is a feed of low cost and high availability in certain Brazilian regions, more research should be conducted in order to estimate the ideal levels of this material in the ensilage of tropical grasses. This experiment was carried out to evaluate fermentation characteristics and nutritional value of elephant grass silage ensiled with crushed cottonseed cake levels

Material and methods

Results and discussion

Conclusion