Requirement of bacterial inoculant and urea addition for ensiling of desert grass Lasiurus scindicus

Abstract

To ascertain the requirement for bacterial inoculant and urea addition in the ensiling of desert feeds and forages, desert grass Lasiurus scindicus was ensiled in laboratory silos for 90 days in five treatments with differential addition of urea (1% and 2% on D.M. basis), molasses (8% on D.M. basis) and homofermentative lactobacillus culture (LAB) (6% on D.M. basis) in the form of buttermilk (1·8 × 10 6 cells ml -1). The addition of bacterial inoculant altered the fermentation during the initial period of ensiling and lactic acid levels were higher in the final silage. With LAB additions, intense metabolic activity, as shown by rapid degradation of sugars, marked reduction in pH and higher initial production of lactic acid compared to silage without LAB inoculant, was significant ( p < 0·01). Addition of urea at the rate of 1 and 2% increased the crude protein content of the silage from 4·63% (untreated) to 10·43% (1% urea) and 15·83% (2% urea).