Abstract
This study evaluated the chemical composition and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) of elephant grass silages at different growth stages (70, 90 and 110 days), with the addition (0, 5, 10 and 15%, on a fresh matter basis) of mesquite pod meal. A completely randomized design (CRD) was used in a factorial arrangement with four replications. PVC pipes 100 mm in diameter were used as experimental silos. After 30 days of ensilage, samples were taken from the open silos to determine chemical composition and IVDMD. The inclusion of mesquite pod meal (MPM) increased (p < 0.01) the concentrations of DM and CP. No interaction (p > 0.01) was detected between MPM concentrations and elephant grass cutting age for DM, CP and NDF contents in the silages. A decrease (p < 0.01) was observed in NDF, ADF and MM concentrations with the inclusion of MPM. There was a linear increase (p < 0.01) in IVDMD with increasing levels of MPM; and IVDMD decreased (p < 0.01) with increasing cutting age of the elephant grass. The inclusion of mesquite pod meal contributed to improve the chemical composition and digestibility of silages.
Highlights
The seasonality of feed production has been one of the limiting factors in ruminant production, due to low and irregular rainfall.Mesquite (Prosopis juliflora) is a non-oily legume with wide distribution in Brazil’s northeast
Prior to being ensiled with elephant grass, the mesquite pods were ground in a hammer mill with 1 cm mesh screens
With 13.5% mesquite pod meal inclusion, the silages showed a minimum limit of dry matter (28.0%), cited by Muck (1988) as the standard for good silage conservation due to the predominance of lactic fermentation (Figure 1)
Summary
The seasonality of feed production has been one of the limiting factors in ruminant production, due to low and irregular rainfall. Mesquite (Prosopis juliflora) is a non-oily legume with wide distribution in Brazil’s northeast. It grows up to 10 m tall, produces fruit measuring up to 20 cm in length, with pods that yield 2 to 8 tons per hectare in non-irrigated areas. Ripe mesquite pods contain nearly 84.0% dry matter (SILVA et al, 2001). In addition to nutritional advantages, mesquite has the most intense fruiting period when pastures are low in protein and have high fiber levels – between July and November in northeastern Brazil
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