Quality properties of sunn hemp (&lt;i&gt;Crotalaria juncea&lt;/i&gt; L.) and maize (&lt;i&gt;Zea mays&lt;/i&gt; L.) silages

Gülcan Demi̇Roğlu Topçu,Şükrü Sezgi̇ Özkan

doi:10.17138/tgft(9)315-320

Abstract

Maize is an ideal forage crop for ensilage because of its high levels of fermentable carbohydrates, although it is low in protein. Sunn hemp is a legume with a high crude protein content with potential to be used in combination with maize to provide a silage with a higher protein content. Different percentages of sunn hemp-maize mixtures of 80-20, 60-40, 40-60 and 20-80 respectively were compared to silages of sole maize and sunn hemp. In the laboratory study, DLG classifications (color, smell, structure, total score and quality class), silage loss (%), silage pH, dry matter content, flieg score, crude protein content, crude ash content, NDF, ADF, metabolic energy (MJ kg-1 DM), dry matter intake, percent digestible dry matter and relative feed value were determined at the end of 60 days ensilage. The crude protein contents of silages increased as the sunn hemp ratio in the mixtures increased. In addition, pure sunn hemp silage and mixtures, especially 80% sunn hemp mixed with 20% maize, were found suitable for silage and it was concluded that sunn hemp and sunn hemp-maize silage mixtures could be used in animal husbandry.

Highlights

The constant growth of the world population requires the development of productive and efficient agricultural practices to meet food demand
DLG classifications, silage loss (%), silage pH, dry matter content, flieg score, crude protein content, crude ash content, neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), metabolic energy (MJ kg/DM), dry matter intake, percent digestible dry matter and relative feed value were determined at the end of 60 days ensilage
Pure sunn hemp silage and mixtures, especially 80% sunn hemp mixed with 20% maize, were found suitable for silage and it was concluded that sunn hemp and sunn hemp-maize silage mixtures could be used in animal husbandry

Summary

Introduction

The constant growth of the world population requires the development of productive and efficient agricultural practices to meet food demand. Turkey is very suitable for animal husbandry with the required natural resources and ecological conditions and the livestock sector is important for the general economy (Seydosoglu 2019). One of the indispensable feed sources of livestock, are mainly obtained from meadow pasture areas and forage crop production in field agriculture (Moore et al 2020). According to 2018 data, total hay production of these two sources in Turkey was 31 million tons, which is not sufficient for livestock needs (Acar et al 2020). Turkey's ecological conditions and topography allows the cultivation of many forage plants (Tan and Yolcu 2021). Many studies reported that sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.), which was previously not cultivated in Turkey, can be successfully grown in regions with Mediterranean climatic conditions (Demiroğlu Topçu and Özkan 2019)

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