Abstract
As consequence of increasing need of higher livestock productions, in conditions of assuring environmental sustainability, comparative tests of properties of forages obtained by application of conventional technologies compared with those obtained as result of organic practices, may be useful. Thus our trial covers issues concerning comparative study of nutritional traits, expresses through chemical composition indices, of silage obtained from alfalfa resulted from two types of cultivation technologies, conventional, and organic, respectively. The experiment was carried out in a familiar farm located near Huedin, County of Cluj, Romania. Higher contents of dry matter, acid detergent fibre, and ammonia are reported in silage obtained from alfalfa cultivated in organic technology, compared to silage obtained from alfalfa conventionally produced. The ammonia content of silage obtained from alfalfa cultivated using conventional technology, reported as % from dry matter, is the single chemical index where high diversity within individual values was identified. Correlations of similar intensities were identified between the indices of the chemical composition of the silage obtained from both, conventionally and organic, cultivated alfalfa. The alfalfa cultivated in organic system promotes higher amounts of crude protein, neutral detergent fibre, and total volatile fatty acids, in alfalfa silage.
Highlights
An important challenge of our times is assuring the sustainability of cultures
Our trial aims to emphasize the values of the nutritional traits of the alfalfa silages, expressed through their chemical composition indices, function of technology of alfalfa production, and the interaction between the silage chemical composition indices, function of the alfalfa production methodology
Study site The research was carried out in a middle size private family farm located in the County of Cluj, Romania, in the vicinity of the Huedin town (46 ̊52’00’’N, and 23 ̊02’00’’E), where alfalfa is cultivated, and where alfalfa silage is produced, in order to be used as feed administered to the dairy cows, reared in the farm
Summary
An important challenge of our times is assuring the sustainability of cultures In this respect adopting practices in harmony with natural environment and practicing organic agriculture wherever possible became more and more an achievable desiderate. Because the alfalfa content in dry matter is an important element of production, the preservation of this parameter at high values is one of the most important desiderate of the alfalfa production. In this respect, we have to mention that ensiling process plays an important role. Received in revised form: 02 Mar 2017. Our trial aims to emphasize the values of the nutritional traits of the alfalfa silages, expressed through their chemical composition indices, function of technology of alfalfa production (organic and conventional), and the interaction between the silage chemical composition indices, function of the alfalfa production methodology
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