Good Silage Research Articles

Kualitas Fisik Silase Jerami Jagung (Zea mays) dengan Campuran Indigofera zollingeriana

Corn straw has the potential as a ruminant feed, but is constrained by low crude protein so it must be combined with Indigofera zollingeriana legumes which have high crude protein. The addition of Indigofera zollingeriana at different levels is expected to increase the crude protein of corn straw silage (Zea mays) and is expected to produce good silage quality. This study aims to determine the physical quality of corn straw silage (Zea mays) and Indigofera zollingeriana in different proportions. The variables observed in this study were the percentage of shrinkage, pH value, percentage of moldy silage, fleigh value, and physical quality (color, aroma, and texture). This experiment was arranged in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with 3 treatments and each treatment was repeated 6 times, so there were 18 experimental units, namely P1 = 80% Corn straw + 15% Indigofera zollingeriana + 4% bran + 1% mineral mixture; P2 = 70% Corn straw + 25% Indigofera zollingeriana + 4% bran + 1% mineral mixture; P3 = 60% Corn straw + 35% Indigofera zollingeriana + 4% bran + 1% mineral mixture. The results of the analysis of variance test showed that corn straw silage (Zea mays) with a mixture of Indigofera zollingeriana had no significant effect (P>0.05) on the percentage of moldy silage, fleigh value, and physical quality (color, aroma, texture) but had a significant effect (P<0.05) on the percentage of shrinkage and pH of silage. Based on this study, it can be concluded that the best silage proportion was obtained in the P2 treatment with 70% corn straw + 25% Indigofera zollingeriana + 4% fine bran + 1% mineral mixture, resulting in good quality silage.

Forage type and additive effects on fermentation quality and biorefinery performance of silages

AbstractThe concept of a green biorefinery has recently gained interest and can be defined as a process where green biomass is processed to a variety of products. Most green biorefineries rely on fresh green biomass as the feedstock, but using a stable ensiled biomass could provide benefits. We evaluated the effects of silage additive treatments on silage fermentation quality and performance in a laboratory scale liquid–solid separation to simulate the first step of a green biorefinery. In Experiment 1, red clover and fresh and wilted grass were ensiled without additive or treated with a lactic acid bacteria inoculant or a formic acid based additive. In Experiment 2, grass or red clover were treated with a fibrolytic enzyme, formic acid or a combination of them, and a control without additive was also included. Silage fermentation quality was improved by additive use. Biomass dry matter concentration was negatively related to liquid yield, but effects of additive treatments on the biorefinery performance were minor and inconsistent between different forages. Optimizing agronomic and feedstock conservation management plays an important role for the success and sustainability of the biorefinery process. Good silage management practices with minimal losses during storage should be targeted, but no clear patterns in biorefinery outputs were observed in the current study when different types of additives were used in grass and clover silage production.

Physico-Chemical Characteristics and Acceptability of Graded Levels of Ensiled Cabbage Waste and Wheat Offals as Ruminants’ Supplemental Diet

Animal nutritionists are now searching for new non-traditional feed sources to enhance ruminants’ diets due to price increases and the unavailability of some unconventional feed ingredients. In a Completely Randomized Design, wheat offal was substituted with cabbage waste silage in diets 1 to 5 at 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40%, respectively for 30 days to assess the physicochemical characteristics and acceptability of the new diets by Yankasa rams. Temperatures of 29.00 ± 0.14 and 28.05 ± 0.78 °C, respectively, were noticeably lower in diets 4 and 5. Diets 4 (4.26) and 5 (4.38) considerably lowered (P > 0.05) the pH. All of the diets had good silages based on color, smell, and texture, with diet 5 having a firm and wet texture. Diets 4 and 5 had sweet aromatic odour. With increasing the amount of cabbage waste in the silage, the dry matter dropped, going from 80.11 to 46.88% in diets 1 and 5, respectively. Diet 4’s lowest CP of 12.68%, is sufficient for ruminant feeding. In diet 4, the values of crude fiber and ether extract significantly (P < 0.05) increased. Although there were substantial differences (P < 0.05) in each diet’s fiber content, the NDF, ADF, and ADL all fell within the acceptable range for excellent silage. All the silages made in diets 1 to 5 were acceptable by Yankasa rams, but diet 5 ranked highest in terms of coefficient of preference (CoP). According to all findings, cabbage waste could be a valuable silage additive in ruminants’ diets. Wheat offal can be replaced by cabbage waste up to 30% and 40% in the diet of ruminants with good silage formation and better CoP.

Effects of plantago species herbage and silage on in vitro ruminal fermentation and microbiome

The present study aimed to compare the nutrient composition, in vitro ruminal fermentation values and microbiome in the ruminal fermentation of herbage and silage of the Plantago media, P. major and P. lanceolata species. The lactic acid (LA) content of P. lanceolata silage was higher than those of other plantago silages (p < 0.05). The α-linolenic, w-3, polyunsaturated (PUFA), medium chain (MCFA) and long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) of plantago silages were lower than those of plantago herbages (p < 0.05). The neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) contents, total gas and methane production, metabolic energy (ME) and organic matter digestion (OMD) values and ammonia-nitrogen concentration in the in vitro fermentation fluid of P. major silage were lower than those of other plantago silages (p < 0.05). The in vitro ruminal methane production and community of archaea Methanobrevibacter in the microbiome of P. major herbage were higher than that of P. media and P. lanceolata herbages. The ensiling process significantly increased the in vitro total gas production, acetic acid concentration and Prevotellaceae bacteria of P. media and P. lanceolate compared their herbages. As a result, P. lanceolata and P. media silages provided high-quality silage fermentation; the nutrient composition was not lost to a great extent in the silage environment and the ruminal fibrolytic bacterial composition was positively affected. Plantago major silage could not provide a good silage quality and the in vitro ruminal fermentation and ruminal fibrolytic bacteria community value were negatively affected. Highlights The crude protein (CP) and very long chain fatty acids contents of P. major herbage were higher than those of P. media and P. lanceolata. However, the P. major silage had high silage CP and ammonia-nitrogen concentration, low in vitro ruminal digestion (total gas production, ME and OMD), and plant cell wall substances. The ensiling of P. lanceolata and P. media positively affected the ruminal fibrolytic bacterial composition (Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, Oscillospiraceae_UCG-002 and Prevotellaceae). The in vitro ruminal methane production and community of Methanobrevibacter in the ruminal microbiome of P. major herbage were higher than those of P. media and P. lanceolata herbages.

Bacterial communities associated with silage of different forage crops in Malaysian climate analysed using 16S amplicon metagenomics

Silage produced in tropical countries is prone to spoilage because of high humidity and temperature. Therefore, determining indigenous bacteria as potential inoculants is important to improve silage quality. This study aimed to determine bacterial community and functional changes associated with ensiling using amplicon metagenomics and to predict potential bacterial additives associated with silage quality in the Malaysian climate. Silages of two forage crops (sweet corn and Napier) were prepared, and their fermentation properties and functional bacterial communities were analysed. After ensiling, both silages were predominated by lactic acid bacteria (LAB), and they exhibited good silage quality with significant increment in lactic acid, reductions in pH and water-soluble carbohydrates, low level of acetic acid and the absence of propionic and butyric acid. LAB consortia consisting of homolactic and heterolactic species were proposed to be the potential bacterial additives for sweet corn and Napier silage fermentation. Tax4fun functional prediction revealed metabolic pathways related to fermentation activities (bacterial division, carbohydrate transport and catabolism, and secondary metabolite production) were enriched in ensiled crops (p < 0.05). These results might suggest active transport and metabolism of plant carbohydrates into a usable form to sustain bacterial reproduction during silage fermentation, yielding metabolic products such as lactic acid. This research has provided a comprehensive understanding of bacterial communities before and after ensiling, which can be useful for desirable silage fermentation in Malaysia.

Ensilage potential and nutritional value of Columbus grass (Sorghum almum Parodi) at different phenology and storage duration in the derived savanna zone of Nigeria

AbstractInsufficient forage supply from natural rangelands during the dry season hampers ruminants' performance in the derived savanna zone of Nigeria. Therefore, to provide alternative feed resources, we evaluated silage potential of Columbus grass (Sorghum almum Parodi) at boot, dough and maturity stages for 4‐, 8‐, 12‐ and 16‐week ensiling durations, in a 3 × 4 factorial experiment. The dry matter yield (DMY) was determined at each harvest stage, and the forages were subsequently ensiled. The results revealed that the DMY of S. almum at maturity was 8.98% and 18.67% higher than at dough and boot stages, respectively (p &lt; 0.05). The silages were ranked “good silage” based on physical characteristics. Silage pH decreased with advancing ensiling duration from 4 to 16 weeks in boot (5.25–4.63), dough (5.63–4.11) and maturity (5.42–4.91), with a corresponding increase in lactic and volatile fatty acids. Crude protein (CP) was higher in forages ensiled at maturity and increased with ensiling duration after initial decline from 4 to 8 weeks. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and hemicellulose increased quadratically from boot to dough and subsequently declined at maturity. Growth stage, ensiling duration and their interactions influenced the macrominerals' content (p &lt; 0.05). Silages' dry matter intake (DMI) declined from boot to dough stage across the ensiling durations, and except for 8 weeks, the DMI increased at maturity by 6.71%, 5.54% and 7.19% in 4, 12 and 16 weeks, respectively. Therefore, owing to the lower NDF and high DMY, CP and DMI of S. almum ensiled at maturity for 16 weeks, it could guarantee a quantitative and qualitative forage supply to maintain optimum animal performance throughout the dry season.

The Substitution of Corn Silage with Potato Pulp Silage at Differing Level in Dairy Cows on Milk Yield, Composition and Rumen Volatile Fatty Acids*

The aim of this study was to determine the quality of potato pulp silage (PPS) prepared with wheat bran and barley straw and the effects of the substituting corn silage with potato pulp silage at differing levels in dairy cows on milk yield, composition and rumen volatile fatty acid (VFA). The study consisted of two experiments. Nutrient con-tents, fermentation parameters, in situ organic matter (OM) and starch degradabilities, in vitro digestibility (IVD) and metabolic energy (ME) content of PPS were determined in the first experiment. The effects of substituting corn silage with potato pulp silage at 0%, 15%, 30% and 45% in the diet of lactating 12 dairy cows on feed intake, milk yield, milk components, rumen fermentation parameters were evaluated in the second experiment. While dry matter (DM), OM and crude protein (CP) contents, pH of silages were statistically similar, starch content, in vitro organic matter digesti-bility (IVOMD), ME, net energy lactation (NEL), and lactic acid values were significantly higher in PPS compared with corn silage (P&amp;lt;0.05). Organic matter intake, milk yield, the composition of milk, post-feeding pH and total VFA levels of ruminal fluid at all sampling hours were similar among the dairy cows (P&amp;gt;0.05). It was concluded that; PPS prepared with wheat bran and straw had a very good silage quality and were even better than corn silage (control). Substitution of corn silage with PPS up to 45% did not cause any negative effects on rumen fermentation parameters and can be safely substituted with corn silage up to 45% in dairy cow diets.

Effect of additives and filling methods on whole plant corn silage quality, fermentation characteristics and in situ digestibility.

ObjectiveThis project aimed to evaluate the effects of both different additives and filling methods on nutritive quality, fermentation profile, and in situ digestibility of whole plant corn silage.MethodsWhole plant corn forage harvested at 26.72% dry matter (DM) was chopped and treated with two filling methods, i) fill silos at one time (F1), ii) fill silos at three times (F3), packing samples into one/three silo capacity at the first day, another one/three capacity at the second day, then one/three at the third day, three replicates. For each replicate, samples were treated with three additives, i) control (CTRL, no additive), ii) Sila-Max (MAX, Ralco Nutrition Inc., Marshall, MN, USA), and iii) Sila-Mix (MIX, Ralco Nutrition Inc., USA). With three replicates of each secondary treatment, there were nine silos, 54 silos in total. Each silo had a packing density of 137.61 kg of DM/m3. All silos were weighed and stored in lab at ambient temperature.ResultsAfter 60 d of ensiling, all items showed good silage fermentation under MAX filled one time or three times (p<0.01). Higher silage quality for all additives was obtained at filling one time than that filled three times (p<0.01). The highest DM and lowest DM loss rate (DMLR) occurred to MAX treatment at two filling methods (p<0.01); Digestibility of acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and curde protein had the same results as silage quality (p<0.01). Yield of digestible DM and digestible NDF also showed higher value under MAX especially for filling one time (p<0.05).ConclusionAll corn silages showed good fermentation attributes (pH<4.0). The forage filled one time had higher silage quality than that filled three times (p<0.01). MAX with homofermentative lactic acid bacteria enhanced the lactic acid fermentation, silage quality and nutrient digestibility, and so improved the digestible nutrient yield.

Nutritive value of ensiled Amaranthus powellii Wild. treated with salt and barley.

Silages or ensiled plant parts are important to feed materials for ruminal fermentation and contributed to the feeding of ruminant animals in large share. The current study was conducted to determine the nutritive value of ensiled Amaranthus powellii Wild. (AP) treated with salt and barley. Experimental silages were (1) no supplemented AP forage (control), (2) 1% salt-added AP, (3) 1% salt + 5% barley-added AP, (4) 5% barley-added AP, (5) 1% salt + 7.5% barley-added AP, and (6) 7.5% barley-added AP silages. Silages were analyzed to determine their nutritional contents, physical properties, and microbiota. The DM (g/kg), OM, CP, ADF, NDF, ADL, and ash contents (g/100g DM) of AP silage were determined as 331.20, 29.84, 12.62, 37.22, 57.72, 42.23, and 3.28, respectively. DM and OM contents were increased by both salt and barley additions while CP and ADF values decreased by these additions (P < 0.01). DDM and RFV values were improved by both salt and barley additions with alone and together usage, reaching the highest levels by 7.5% barley addition (P < 0.01). While salt itself did not affect RFQ, 5%, 7.5% barley, and 1% salt with 5% barley additions decreased this value (P < 0.01), most likely, due to the nutritional content of added barley. The physical properties of AP silage were not affected by any treatment (P > 0.05), except a* and Fleig score (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Salt caused loss natural red coloring in AP silage compared with control silage, while the other additions saved the natural coloring (P < 0.01). Expectedly, all treatments increased lactic acid bacteria count compared with control (P < 0.01). To conclude, AP had the potential to be a good silage with respective to its nutritional contents, feed value, and physical properties with appropriate microbiological status. Salt and barley both can be used to improve the nutritional status of AP silages. Further studies are needed to determine its in vitro digestibility and preference by animals in vivo.

Effect of paddy straw incorporation on bale silage quality of maize fodder

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of incorporation of paddy stray on quality of maize fodder based bale silage. Treatments consisted of increasing proportion of paddy straw (brought to 60% moisture) starting at 0 parts (PS0), to 15 (PS1), 25 (PS2), 35 (PS3) and 95 parts (PS4), with decreasing maize fodder from 100, to 80, 70, 60 and 0 parts, respectively. Five parts of molasses and Lactobacillus casei (NCDC -17) at 10 6 CFU/g on fresh weight basis was added to each treatment. The bale silage was prepared by using a 100 kg bailing machine. Each treatment was evaluated after 60 days of ensiling in terms of quality parameters, chemical composition, fermentation characteristics, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) counts and in vitro digestibility. A significant (P<0.001) increase in pH was observed in PS1, PS2 and PS3 with increase (P<0.001) in ammonia nitrogen content PS1 and PS2. There was a significant (P<0.001) decrease in crude protein, ether extract , water soluble carbohydrates and hemicellulose content with the increase in proportion of paddy straw in the silage. There was no significant effect on content of total volatile fatty acids, however, proportion of acetate reduced (P<0.01) in PS3 with there was a significant (P<0.001) increase in butyrate content. The amount of lactic acid reduced significantly (P<0.001) with the increase in proportion of paddy straw in bale silage. In vitro digestibility was significantly (P<0.001) reduced in PS3, with no effect on methane (ml/g DM) production in any treatment. The microbial counts were found significantly (P<0.001) decreased in PS1, PS2 and PS3, with increase (P<0.001) in yeasts and mould counts. It was concluded that the inclusion of paddy straw decreased the overall fermentation of maize fodder; however the inclusion levels of 15% of paddy straw (PS2) can make good silage without compromising much of its quality.

Biotechnological Impacts of Different Fungal and Bacterial Strains Treatment on Nutritive Value of Some Straws

The current work was carried out to investigate the biotechnological impact of different strains of fungi (Pleurotus Ostreatus , Trichoderma viride and Trichoderma reesei) and bacterial treatment by LAB (Lactobacillus Plantarum with or without addition of molasses) on the nutritive value of agricultural residues for production of good quality straw silage. Four types of straws namely rice straw (RS), bean straw (BS), mixture of rice and bean straw (RBS) and wheat straw (WS) were subjected to biological treatment under solid state fermentation) with each Microorganism. The experimental groups include, control group of each substrate which did not inoculated with any microorganism (CON) , and five treatments groups , T1 (straws treated by Lactobacillus plantarum with molasses), T2 (straws treated with lactobacillus plantarum without molasses), T3 (straws treated by Trichoderma viride ),T4 (Straws treated by pleurotus ostreatus ) and T5 (Straw treated by Trichoderma reesei). Each treatment was carried out for four types of straws. The results of proximate analysis showed increased crude protein, ether extract and ash contents in all treatment compared to the un treated straws .The biotechnological treatment also led to reduction in dry matter, organic matter, crude fiber and fiber fractions contents in all treatments relative to the control group. So it is recommended to treat agricultural residues by cellulosic fungi and bacteria especially Lactobacillus plantarum for improving its nutritive value for animal feeding. Further investigations are required in vivo to study the effect of feeding of the produced biomass on the performance of ruminants.

Silage Quality and Preference of Elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) with Varying Levels of Poultry dropping and Cassava Peel by West African Dwarf Goats

In this study, elephant grass ((Pennisetum purpureum) was ensiled with varying levels of poultry dropping and cassava peel (CSP). Silage characteristics and chemical composition of the silage mixtures were determined in the laboratory while preferences of West African Dwarf (WAD) goats for the mixtures were assessed using eighteen (18) WAD goats. The treatments were: T1: P. purpureum (60%), poultry dropping (40%), dry cassava peel (0%); T2: P. purpureum (60%), poultry dropping (30%), dry cassava peel (10%); T3: P. pupureum (60%), poultry dropping (20%), dry cassava peel (20%); T4: P. purpureum (60%), poultry dropping (10%), dry cassava peel (30%); T5: P. purpureum (60%), poultry dropping (0%), dry cassava peel (40%) and T6: P. purpureum (100%). All the mixtures formed good silage, except the silage with the highest proportion of poultry dropping (T1) and acidity (pH) ranged from 6.75 to 3.80 (T1 and T5 respectively) while colour varied from pale to light green with dark brown and white speckles as proportion of cassava peel in the silage mixture increased. All silages had firm texture with pleasant and slightly alcoholic smell. Dry matter (DM) content of silage increased as proportion of cassava peel in the mixture increased while crude protein (CP) and (NDF) reduced. DM, CP and CF varied from 27.00 to 54.00%, 8.46 to 10.72% and 28.52 to 60.52 %, respectively. The preference by goats was 11.22, 20.44, 20.71, 21.78, 22.56 and 32.28% for T5, T4, T6, T3, T2 and T1 respectively. These results revealed that the silage properties, chemical composition and acceptability of elephant grass silage by WAD goat were enhanced by the addition of cassava peel and poultry dropping to elephant grass

Dynamic changes and characterization of the protein and carbohydrate fractions of native grass grown in Inner Mongolia during ensiling and the aerobic stage.

ObjectiveTo improve the utility of native grass resources as feed in China, we investigated the dynamics of protein and carbohydrate fractions among Inner Mongolian native grasses, during ensiling and the aerobic stage, using the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System.MethodsSilages were prepared without or with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculant. We analyzed the protein and carbohydrate fractions and fermentation quality of silages at 0, 5, 15, 20, 30, and 60 d of ensiling, and the stability at 0.5, 2, 5, and 10 d during the aerobic stage.ResultsInner Mongolian native grass contained 10.8% crude protein (CP) and 3.6% water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) on a dry matter basis. During ensiling, pH and CP and WSC content decreased (p<0.05), whereas lactic acid and ammonia nitrogen (N) content increased (p<0.05). Non-protein N (PA) content increased significantly, whereas rapidly degraded true protein (PB1), intermediately degraded true protein (PB2), total carbohydrate (CHO), sugars (CA), starch (CB1), and degradable cell wall carbohydrate (CB2) content decreased during ensiling (p<0.05). At 30 d of ensiling, control and LAB-treated silages were well preserved and had lower pH (<4.2) and ammonia-N content (<0.4 g/kg of fresh matter [FM]) and higher lactic acid content (>1.0% of FM). During the aerobic stage, CP, extract ether, WSC, lactic acid, acetic acid, PB1, PB2, true protein degraded slowly (PB3), CHO, CA, CB1, and CB2 content decreased significantly in all silages, whereas pH, ammonia-N, PA, and bound true protein (PC) content increased significantly.ConclusionControl and LAB-treated silages produced similar results in terms of fermentation quality, aerobic stability, and protein and carbohydrate fractions. Inner Mongolian native grass produced good silage, nutrients were preserved during ensiling and protein and carbohydrate losses largely occurred during the aerobic stage.

Dry‐matter losses and changes in nutrient concentrations in grass and maize silages stored in bunker silos

AbstractTo reduce losses and improve forage use efficiency in dairy farming systems, mass and nutrient flows during silage production have to be measured from the field to feed bunk. However, data on these losses at the farm scale are scarce. Thus, we examined dry‐matter (DM) losses and changes in nutrient concentrations (proximate constituents, nitrogen [N], phosphorus [P]) and energy values (net energy for lactation [NEL]) of silages on three experimental farms from ensiling to feed‐out. The investigated material included forages from permanent grassland and whole‐crop maize that were stored in 64 side‐walled bunker silos. To determine DM losses, the total‐in versus total‐out method was applied. Additionally, the changes in the nutrient concentrations were measured by comparing the concentrations before and after ensiling. Data analyses were carried out by using ANOVA, and the means across groups were compared via multiple contrast tests. On average, the farms had good silage production management. Average values showed a trend towards higher DM losses during the ensiling process with grass (9%) than maize (7%). The N and P concentrations of the silages remained mainly unchanged during the ensiling process, suggesting that the total losses of N and P were also low (&lt;10%). Regarding the fibre fractions, ensiling resulted in a significant reduction in the concentration of amylase‐treated ash‐excluded neutral detergent fibre (aNDFom) for grass (11%) and maize (15%), while ash‐excluded acid detergent fibre (ADFom) was not affected by the ensiling process. These changes resulted in slightly improved energy values in the silages.

EVALUATION OF CORN SILAGE FROM DIFFERENT REGIONS IN EGYPT

The main objective of this study was to evaluate different samples of corn silage (Whole corn plant with ears) from different regions in Egypt to determine each sample has the highest nutritive value and nutrients digestibility and therefore reduce the feed cost, increase feed efficiency and probability of lactating dairy farms. Silage samples were collected from different four areas in Egypt; El-Salhya, El-Nobarya, El-Monofia and Ganakles. The study Included three field and laboratory work cores which were; chemical composition, in-vitro and in-situ evaluation studies. The samples were analyzed for its chemical composition, Dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL). The silage samples were evaluated in-vitro and in-situ. In-vitro evaluation was conducted using gas production technic. Gas production (GP) was recorded at 0, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24 and 48 hours of incubation. The organic matter digestibility (OMD), short chain fatty acids (SCFA), and metabolizable energy (ME) were measured. The in-situ experiment, involved nylon bags containing silage samples from different regions were incubated in three fistulated Barki rams for 24h. Samples were taken out at 2, 4, 8, 12 and 24h of incubation. The obtained results indicated that the Ganakles silage ampel recorded the lowest (P<0.01) values of GP within the different times compared to others. The silage from El-Salhya had the highest (P<0.01) values for OMD and SCFA. The DMD of in-situ samples was significantly (P<0.01) increased within the different times of incubation with Al-Salhia silage samples, but the lowest significant values (P<0.01) were recorded with Al-Nobaria silage samples. Depending on invitro and in-situ results for silage type results, in vitro and in-situ for silage type from Al-Salhia area had a best characteristics of good silage and was chosen forever conducting lactation trial.

The present situation and prospect of the processing technology of forage grass in China

In recent years, with the rapid improvement of Chinese people’s living standards, the demand of animal products is increasing greatly, which leads to significant shortage in supply of forage especially high-quality forage. The insufficient supply of forage especially high-quality feed blocks the further promotion of animal husbandry. In China, the area of grassland accounts for 42% of the total land area, which is critical for animal husbandry. However, a gap exists between grass and livestock. Grass products such as silage and hay, are the bridge connecting grass cultivation and animal husbandry. Besides, processing technology of grass products is able to solve the question that the excess utilization of the winter-spring pasture and the imbalance of forage grass with the livestock. Therefore, we proposed that grass products processing is the key factor of promoting the development of farming and animal husbandry, it can adjust the balance of grass supply of all years, and guarantee the modern development of animal husbandry. Although great improvement has already been obtained in the processing technology of grass products, the level still is quite low compared with developed countries. Firstly, there is a lack of systematic research related to processing technology, which directly causes the low quality of grass products and weak market competition. Secondly, the machinery equipment associated with forage harvesting and processing in our country are heavily dependent on imports, its high price limits the mechanized production of grass. The physical and chemical characteristics of grass can be improved through processing modulation of grasses, contributing to the efficiency of their storage, transportation and feeding. Of the many kinds of grass products, we highlighted the importance of silage and its additives. Additives are natural or industrial products added in rather large quantities to the forage or grain mass. Additives control or prevent certain types of fermentation, thus reducing losses and improving silage stability. In order to assist in the fermentation process, various silage additives have been used to improve the nutrient and energy recovery in silage, often with subsequent improvements in animal performance. The purpose for applying additives to the silage is to ensure that the growth of lactic bacteria predominates during the fermentation process, producing lactic acid in quantities high enough to ensure good silage. Therefore, this review is made to focus on some practical aspects of the fermentation process and the uses of some common silage additives that include microbial inoculants, enzymes, and propionic acid. Overall, we summarized the current research achievements and existing issues in the processing of grass products at home and abroad regarding concepts, significances, current situations, main theories and technologies in this review. By analyzing problems, we propose the concept of grass processing especially the silage processing technique, and provide a theoretical guidance for upgrading grass products in China, which we consider an important guidance significant for forage production with high quality in the future.

PENGARUH PENAMBAHAN STARTER Lactobacillus Sp. TERHADAP NILAI pH DAN TOTAL ASAM LAKTAT SILASE RUMPUT Panicum maximum

The aim of the research was to evaluate the effect of Lactobacillus Sp. as starter on pH and total Lactic Acid of Panicum maximum Grass Silage. The completely randomized design was been used on this research with 4 treaments and 4 replications. The treatments were different level LAB (0,2,4 dan 6% v/w). The parameters were pH value and lactc acid. The results showed that pH value were significantly (p&lt;0.05) decreased, and Lactic acid were significantly (p&lt;0.05) with addded of Lactobacillus Sp. on Panicum maximum Grass Silage. The conclusion was the use of starter Lactobacillus Sp. on ensilage process produces chemical qualities of good Panicum maximum silage.

Silage production with intercropped pueraria lobata and zea may L.

In this study, kudzu vine-corn intercropping model and their mixed silage were estimated. Two factor split plot experiment design was used. The main factor was intercropping density (A), with four levels: A0, A1, A2, A3. In which A0 referred to control with only corn. A1 was two lines corn with one line kudzu, which means corn: kudzu =2:1. A2 referred to two lines corn with two lines kudzu, which was kudzu: corn= 2:2. A3 was two lines corn with three lines of kudzu, which meant the ratio between kudzu and corn was 2:3. The vice factor was nitrogen utilization level (B), also with four levels: B0, B1, B2, B3. B0 meant no nitrogen utilization (0 kg/hm2). B1 referred to the nitrogen level at 50 kg/hm2; B2 was 100 kg/hm2 and B3 was 200 kg/hm2. Corn was sowed in April and July separately in kudzu vine field. Two forages were harvested together when the corn was at the milk stage. After that, we measured the yield of the forages and then mixed the samples uniformly in each treatment. The mixed samples were chopped up and made into silage using the bag storage method for 60 days and then the silage quality was estimated by nutrition analysis including crude protein, crude fiber, ashes, fat and pH value. The results showed that, intercropping ratio of kudzu vine and corn was the main factor that influenced the system yield and nutrient content. The influence of nitrogen fertilizer declined as the kudzu vine grew. Intercropping density A1, nitrogen application level B1 or B2 can get the highest nutrient yield, at the same time decrease nitrogen input. Meanwhile, the pH value of the silage was low, which indicated a good silage quality.

PENGARUH BAKTERI ASAM LAKTAT SEBAGAI STARTER PADA PROSES ENSILASE

The aim of the research was to evaluate the effect of addition starter Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) on organoleptic quality of napier grass silage. The completely randomized design was been used on this research with 3 treaments and 5 replications. The treatments were different level LAB ( 0 %, 1 % dan 2% v/w). The parameters were physical organoleptic quality silage (pH, color, odor, texture, and molds). The results showed that physical organoleptic quality of napier grass silage with a starter BAL organoleptic significant (p <0.05) better than without the addition of starter BAL. The conclusion was the use of starter lactic acid bacteria on ensilage process produces physical organoleptic qualities of good silage.

Quality and acceptability of velvet bean (&lt;i&gt;Mucuna pruriens&lt;/i&gt;) foliage ensiled with whole plant maize by west Africa dwarf rams

This experiment was conducted to determine the suitability of Velvet Bean Foliage (VBF) and Whole Plant Maize (WPM) silage as dry season feed for ruminants in Southwest of Nigeria. In this study, WPM was ensiled with five levels of VBF (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%). Physical characteristics, temperature, pH and proximate composition of the silages were assessed after 21 days of ensiling. Preference for the silage by ruminants was determined using twelve West African dwarf (WAD) rams. Results revealed that pH, temperature and physical characteristics of all silages were within acceptable range except for VBF -100 which did not make good silage. The appearance, smell and texture of all the silage mixtures compromised increasing level of VBF while the pH increased. The pH of the silage varied from 3.92-7.98. Dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP) and crude fibre (CF) concentration in the silages ranged from 20.67 – 26.65, 8.02 – 15.77, 26.42 - 1926g/100g, respectively. The DM and CF of the silages reduced with increasing level of VBF in the mixture while the CP increased. Coefficient of preference (CoP) for the silage varied from 0.79 to 1.13 while percentage preference varied from 15.58 - 22.50%. The coefficient of preference (CoP) was above unity for VBF (0, 25, 50 and 75) but less than unity for VBF- 100, showing that rams preferred silage with whole plant maize to sole VBF. This result suggests that quality of Whole plant maize silage improved when velvet bean foliage was added; however, acceptability by WAD rams was compromised.Keywords: Velvet bean foliage, whole plant maize, silage, quality, acceptability, rams.