Silage Materials Research Articles

EVALUATION OF SILAGE OF SORGHUM AND SUDAN GRASS HYBRID PULP FOR BIOENERGY PURPOSES

This research was carried out to determine the potential for using the pulp of 10 different sorghum x sudan grass hybrid varieties (Aneto, Greengo, Jumbo, Master BMR, Nutri Honey, Nutrima, Sugar Graze II, Supergraze 1000, Süper Su 22, Tonka) used to obtain ethanol in Bingöl, Eastern Anatolian ecological conditions as silage. Field trials were carried out in 3 replications in 2020 according to the randomized block design. The plants were harvested during the pulping period of the grains. The stems from which the sap was extracted were silaged and left for fermentation at room temperature for 45 days. Feed quality characteristics and organic acid contents were determined in silage materials. Depending on the varieties; silages have a physical score of 7-19, dry matter rate 37.58-50.94%, pH value 3.36-4.30, ADF rate 39.33-50.76%, NDF rate 53.40-66.86%, ADL rate 10.90-13.96%, CP rate 2.76-4.46%, DDM ratio 49.33-50.26%, DMI ratio 1.80-2.36%, RFV ratio 68.66-107.00, net energy value 1.176-1.337, AA ratio 0.11-0.66%, BA ratio 0.76-1.16%, LA ratio 0.07-1.05% and PA ratio was found to vary between 0.0013-0.0026%. As a result, it was concluded that silages made with pulp in cultivars of sorghum x sudan grass hybrid plant can be used more appropriately in cellulosic ethanol production than forage.

Effects of Harvesting Stages and Additives on the Chemical Composition, Fermentation Quality and Relative Feed Value of Soybean Silages Varieties

In this study, the chemical composition, silage fermentation quality and relative feed value of soybean silages varieties, namely Adasoy (A), Derry (D) and Yeşilsoy (Y), with Pioneer11C33 (I), molasses (M) and cracked wheat (W) additives at the three harvesting stages, i.e., full flowering (R2), full pod (R4) and full seed (R6) stages, were determined. It was observed that the A and D varieties were the best silage materials for the production of good quality silage in terms of both nutrient contents such as DM and CP and fermentation criteria such as LA and BA concentrations during the R4 and R6 harvest periods. Molasses and cracked wheat additives significantly improved the fermentation qualities of all soybean varieties (P<0.05), but the fermentation effect of the inoculant on silages was less than that of molasses and cracked wheat. The harvesting of soybean varieties in the full seed and applying molasses or cracked wheat as an additive optimally improves silage characteristics and results in well-preserved silage.

Effects of harvest period and mixed ratio on the characteristic and quality of mixed silage of alfalfa and maize

In order to improve the silage quality and rationally develop and utilize feed resources, the experiment will explore the effects of harvest periods and the ratios on silage characteristics and quality of silage maize (Zea mays L.) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Results showed that dry matter (DM) content, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) of whole silage maize increased significantly (P < 0.05), water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) content of in 3/4 milk line stage was significantly lower than that in other harvesting stages (P < 0.05), and the CP content of 1/4 milk line stage and relative feed value (RFV) of late milk stage were the maximum, respectively; With the delay of the mowing period, the content of DM, NDF and ADF in the third crop of alfalfa increased significantly (P < 0.05), while the CP content decreased significantly (P < 0.05), the harvest period with the highest RFV was at the early flowering period. To sum up, silage corn can be harvested at the end of milk maturity to early wax maturity, and the third crop of alfalfa can be harvested at the early flowering stage, so that silage materials with high nutritional value can be obtained. The corn silage harvested in late september the best harvest period was mixed with alfalfa at the ratio of 10:0, 8:2, 6:4, 5:5, 4:6, 2:8, 0:10, and the mixed silage was fermented for 60 days, then proceeded determination of silage quality, and the principal component analysis (PCA) was used to analyze 10 nutritional quality indicators of 7 different mixed ratios. The results showed that compared with alfalfa silage alone, in the mixed silage of alfalfa and corn silage, with the increase of the proportion of corn silage, the fermentation quality of silage was gradually improved. Sensory evaluation scores and RFV values were higher, WSC and lactic acid (LA) contents were significantly increased (P < 0.05), and pH and ammonia nitrogen (AN) content were significantly decreased (P < 0.05). The in vitro gas productions ( IVGP, at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 72 h) were measured, the results showed that IVGP increased with the increase of silage corn mixed ratio. In summary, the effects of the harvest period of silage corn and alfalfa and different mixing ratios of silage on the quality of silage provide a theoretical basis for improving the quality of silage and rationally developing and utilizing feed resources, so as to be better applied to actual production.

Effects of brewer's spent yeast inclusion level and ensiling duration on fermentative, fungal load dynamics, and nutritional characteristics of brewer's spent yeast-based silage

ObjectiveThis study was conducted to evaluate the effect of brewer's spent yeast (BSY) inclusion level and ensiling duration (ED) on fermentative, fungal load dynamics, and nutritional characteristics of brewer's spent-yeast based silage. Materials and methodsTo prepare the silages materials, 4 BSY inclusion levels (0, 10, 20, and 30%) to replace BSG and 3 ED (2,4 and 6 weeks) were arranged in 4 × 3 factorial combination using a completely randomized design (CRD) in 5 replications. The ratio of brewery spent grain (BSG) to wheat bran (WB) used majorly as protein and energy sources, respectively was 30:69 with a 1% salt addition. Parameters measured include observation for surface spoilage, yeast and mold colony count, silage temperature, pH, total dry matter loss (TDML), major proximate, detergent fractions and permanganate lignin, in-vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) and estimated metabolizable energy (EME) values. ResultsThe study revealed that at any BSY inclusion level and ED, extensive mold growths and discolorations were not observed. However, slightly higher values of 6.5, 5.7, and 12.2 colonies forming unit (CFU)/g DM yeast, mold, and total fungal counts (TFC), respectively were recorded only at the 6 weeks of the fermentation period with 30% BSY inclusion level. Brewer's spent yeast inclusion level and ED had a significant (P < 0.05) effect on silage temperature (mean = 18.05 °C) and pH (mean = 4.16). Among proximate and detergent values, crude protein (mean CP g/kg DM = 204.5), neutral detergent fiber (mean NDF g/kg DM = 552.9), and acid detergent fiber (mean ADF g/kg DM = 115.9) responded significantly (P < 0.05) to both BSY inclusion levels and ED. ConclusionAmong nutritional quality, CP, IVOMD, and EME of silage samples were subjected to substantial improvements when silage masses were prepared from 20% BSY inclusion levels and when the same silage materials were allowed to ferment for four weeks. In addition, the lab-based experiment should be supported with additional silage quality parameters like volatile fatty acid content of the silage materials and supplementation of ruminant livestock under both on-station and on-farm conditions using either a pilot and/or target animals.

A meta-analysis to observe silage microbiome differentiated by the use of inoculant and type of raw material.

Silage fermentation is naturally carried out by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to mainly produce lactic acid (LA) and other organic acids as preservatives. Along with fermentation time, the growth of LAB will replace and suppress undesirable microorganisms. This meta-analysis study aimed to explore silage microbiome differentiated by LAB inoculants and type of raw materials. A total of 37 articles with 185 studies and 475 datasets were used for building up the meta-database. Data were subjected to the mixed model methodology. The parameters observed were silage quality and silage microbiome post-ensiling process. Results revealed that four bacterial genera along with Weissella dominated the post-ensiling process. The addition of lactic acid inoculants in the silage has increased the abundance of Lactobacillus spp. and decreased the Shannon index significantly. Moreover, the abundance of both L. plantarum and L. buchneri increased, and subsequently, Weissella, Pseudomonas, Proteobacteria, pH value, ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N), coliforms, and the yeasts were decreased significantly due to the addition of LAB inoculants in silage (p < 0.05). Environmental factors such as temperature affected the existence of Pseudomonas, Exiguobacterium, and Acinetobacter. However, the dry matter, LA, acetic acid (AA), the ratio of LA to AA, and the LAB population were enhanced significantly (p < 0.05). Among the LAB types, the lowest abundance of Pseudomonas was due to the LAB group, while the lowest abundance of Weissella and Proteobacteria was due to the addition of the combined LAB group. In conclusion, the addition of LAB is effectively enhancing the silage microbiome and silage quality by altering bacterial diversity and the metabolic products of the silage materials for safe preservation.

Enhancement of Biomass Conservation and Bioethanol Production of Sweet Sorghum Silage by Constructing Synergistic Microbial Consortia.

The efficient storage of materials before bioethanol production could be key to improving pretreatment protocol and facilitating biodegradation, in turn improving the cost-effectiveness of biomass utilization. Biological inoculants were investigated for their effects on ensiling performance, biodegradability of silage materials, and final bioethanol yield from sweet sorghum. Two cellulolytic microbial consortia (CF and PY) were used to inoculate silages of sweet sorghum, with and without combined lactic acid bacteria (Xa), for up to 60 days of ensiling. We found that the consortia notably decreased pH and ammonia nitrogen content while increasing lactic acid/acetic acid ratios. The microbes also functioned in synergy with Xa, significantly reducing lignocellulose content and improving biomass preservation. First-order exponential decay models captured the kinetics of nonstructural carbohydrates and suggested high water-soluble carbohydrate (grams per kilogram dry matter [DM]) preservation potential in PY-Xa (33.48), followed by CF-Xa (30.51). Combined addition efficiently improved enzymatic hydrolysis and enhanced bioethanol yield, and sweet sorghum treated with PY-Xa had the highest ethanol yield (28.42 g L-1). Thus, combined bioaugmentation of synergistic microbes provides an effective method of improving biomass preservation and bioethanol production from sweet sorghum silages. IMPORTANCE Ensiling is an effective storage approach to ensure stable year-round supply for downstream biofuel production; it offers combined facilities of storage and pretreatment. There are challenges in ensiling sweet sorghum due to its coarse structure and high fiber content. This study provides a meaningful evaluation of the effects of adding microbial consortia, with and without lactic acid bacteria, on changes in key properties of sweet sorghum. This study highlighted the bioaugmented ensiling using cellulolytic synergistic microbes to outline a cost-effective strategy to store and pretreat sweet sorghum for bioethanol production.

Effects of Different Soybean and Maize Mixed Proportions in a Strip Intercropping System on Silage Fermentation Quality

Soybean (Glycine max Merr.), with a high nutritional value, is an important oil crop and a good protein feed crop. Due to the shortage of high-protein feed and the high import pressure on soybean, scarce high-protein feed is the main research target for improving feed quality. High-quality soybean (Qihuang 34) and high-yield silage maize (Zea mays L.) (Jingling silage 386) varieties were used as the experimental materials in this study. The silage quality and the microbial community of the mixed silage of soybean and maize were analyzed, and the compatible intercropping ratios of maize–soybean mixed silage were evaluated. This experiment designed five strip intercropping systems (SIS) in a randomized block. The intercropping row ratios of maize and soybean were 0:1 (pure soybean, S), 1:0 (pure maize, M), 1:1 (MS1), 1:3 (MS2), and 1:5 (MS3). Dry matter yield and fresh matter yield were improved in the treatments of MS1 and MS2. In the mixed silage systems of maize and soybean, with an increase in soybean proportion, crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF) contents gradually increased, but the contents of water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) and dry matter (DM) reduced to different degrees (p &lt; 0.05). Moreover, the soybean silage alone had a poor fermentation performance, as indicated by high pH, high acetic acid (AA), propionic acid (PA), butyric acid (BA), and ammonia-N (NH3-N) concentrations, and low lactic acid (LA) concentration. By contrast, the mixed silage materials were conducive to reducing the pH, PA, BA, and NH3-N, and increasing the LA content. The relative abundance of Lactobacillus and Weissella in the MS were higher, and the abundance of undesirable bacteria were lower than in the S. The MS2 materials had the lowest pH, the highest LA concentration, and the highest relative abundance of Lactobacillus and Weissella among the three mixed silage groups. Therefore, the mixed silage in the SIS modified the microbial communities and improved the feed fermentation quality while increasing yields. The better intercropping ratio of maize–soybean mixed silage was 1:3. These results could provide a theoretical basis for the wide application and popularization of soybean as a high-protein silage forage source.

Silage Fermentation Quality, Anthocyanin Stability, and in vitro Rumen Fermentation Characteristic of Ferrous Sulfate Heptahydrate-Treated Black Cane (Saccharum sinensis R.).

Pretreatment of lignocellulose agricultural biomass with iron prior to ensiling is required to accelerate biomass breakdown during fermentation, which could result in functional microorganisms and chemicals that reduce nutrition loss, harmful substances, and improve animal performance. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of increasing dilutions of ferrous sulfate heptahydrate (FS) pretreatment at fresh matter concentrations of 0, 0.015, and 0.030% on the fermentation quality of black cane (BC) silage, anthocyanin stability, ruminal biogas, rumen fermentation profile, and microbial community. Pre-ensiled and silage materials were evaluated. High moisture, fiber, anthocyanin, and lignification of biomass, as well as undesirable ensiling microorganisms, were found in BC' pre-ensiled form. Increasing dilutions of FS incorporated into silages were observed to linearly decrease dry matter, anthocyanin, and nutritive value losses. The lignin values decreased linearly as the percentage of FS increased up to 0.030%. Given that the ruminants were fed pre-ensiled materials, BC silage treated with 0.030% FS dilution had comparable results to pre-ensiled BC in terms of increasing in vitro volatile fatty acid concentrations, maintaining total gas production, and reducing methane production, when compared to other FS-treated silages. In addition, BC silage treated with a 0.030% FS dilution inhibited methanogenic bacteria and regulated cellulolytic bacteria in rumen fluid. Overall, the anthocyanin content of BC remained constant throughout the rumen fermentation process after increasing dilutions of FS, indicating that BC is a viable ruminant feedstock and that pretreatment of BC with dilute FS-assisted ensiling at 0.030% could be used to generate ruminant diets.

Perbaikan Manajemen Pakan Silase untuk Keberlanjutan Usaha Peternakan Sapi di Era New Normal pada Kelompok Ternak Bago Mulyo

Feeding independence is one of the target achievements desired by every farmer. One of them is the Bago Mulyo livestock group. The Bago Mulyo livestock group is a livestock group located in Gumukmas District, Jember Regency. Several problems of the Bago Mulyo Livestock Group which reduce production by 5% because the prices of production facilities (seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and feed) are expensive and the distribution is not smooth; the need for food will increase by 5% due to panic buying and food supplies. The distribution of feed was not optimal, making farmers have to find solutions so that feed ingredients are still available. One solution is to utilize existing feed ingredients and maintain their feed quality until they are available throughout the year, namely by silage method. The implementation of the service consists of several activities, the first was coordination with the head of the Bago Mulyo livestock group, purchased silage materials, simulated modified silo tools, implementation of community service, and surveying the results of community service activities. The results of the community service survey which have shown that 100% of farmers who participate in the service activities understand silage technology with the addition of silo modification from previously only 43% who understand silage technology. The conclusion is an increase in understanding of silage technology which is one of the indicators of support for the service team in carrying out service activities for the Bago Mulyo Livestock Group, so that this technology can be applied properly for the sustainability of the cattle business in the Livestock Group.

Non‐destructive prediction of forage crop moisture contents using microwave transmitted signals with a microstrip transmission line sensor

AbstractThis paper describes a non‐destructive method for using microwave transmitted signals to measure the moisture content of silage wrapped with plastic films. To collect measurements by a vector network analyzer, each bag of silage was placed on a microstrip transmission line without destruction of the films. Both rye and corn were tested. Significant linear relationships between the amplitude change (ΔA) and phase shift (Δφ) were obtained except for with fully dried corn, and the corresponding R2 values between ΔA and Δφ were 0.8 or greater. The slopes, which represent the ratio of phase shift to amplitude change (Δφ–ΔA ratio), depended on the frequency and moisture content. R2 values between the Δφ–ΔA ratio and moisture content of rye and corn were greater than 0.8 at the frequency of 3.6 GHz or above except for with fully dried corn samples. At 3.6 GHz, significant linear relationships between the Δφ–ΔA ratio and moisture content were obtained for rye and corn. Furthermore, the slope and intercept of the linear regression line between the Δφ–ΔA ratio and moisture content of rye were not significantly different from those of corn. These results illustrate the potential of the non‐destructive moisture content measurement method with microwave transmitted signals for silage materials with high moisture contents.

寒冷地におけるサイレージ用トウモロコシの原料生産特性と早晩性品種群の配合に関する研究 : I.早晩性品種群の経時的生産特性と地帯別の品種群配合

寒冷地におけるサイレージ用トウモロコシの原料生産特性と早晩性品種群の配合に関する研究 : I.早晩性品種群の経時的生産特性と地帯別の品種群配合

寒冷地におけるサイレージ用トウモロコシの原料生産特性と早晩性品種群の配合に関する研究 : V.単純積算温度有効性の根拠

寒冷地におけるサイレージ用トウモロコシの原料生産特性と早晩性品種群の配合に関する研究 : V.単純積算温度有効性の根拠

Bromatología de ensilados de corona de piña con pulpa de cítricos, heno y urea.

&lt;p class="p1"&gt;El objetivo de esta investigación fue determinar las características nutricionales de los ensilados de mezclas de corona de la piña con inclusión de pulpa de cítricos deshidratada y heno, con niveles crecientes de urea. El experimento fue realizado entre los meses de mayo a setiembre del 2013 y las coronas provenían de Guápiles, Costa Rica. Estas fueron picadas hasta obtener una partícula promedio de 3 cm, y colocadas en bolsas de empaque al vacío a las que se les agregó, urea (0;0,5;1,0;1,5% p/p en base fresca), dos fuentes altas en materia seca: heno (H) de pasto Transvala (&lt;em&gt;Digitaria decumbens&lt;/em&gt;, Stent., cv. Transvala) y pulpa de cítricos deshidratada (PCD) ambos a un nivel de inclusión (10% p/p en base fresca), y un único nivel de melaza (3% p/p) e inóculo bacterial por fermentación de melaza con suero de leche (1 l/t). Además se preparó una muestra sin aditivos como control. El heno aumentó el contenido de materia seca y todos los componentes de la fibra, pero redujo el contenido de proteína cruda (PC), carbohidratos no fibrosos y nutrimentos digestibles totales. Cuando se usó PCD, se redujo la fracción fibrosa, lo que aumentó la digestibilidad de la mezcla ensilada. El uso de urea aumentó el contenido de PC y redujo el nivel de nitrógeno ligado a la fibra por un efecto de dilución. Se estimó que los materiales ensilados podrían producir 0,43-1,89 kg leche/vaca, al consumir 5 kg material verde (MV)/animal; 0,86-3,77 kg leche/vaca, al consumir 10 kg MV/animal; 1,29-5,66 kg leche/vaca, al consumir 15 kg MV/animal.&lt;/p&gt;

FERMENTATION QUALITY OF KING GRASS SILAGE TREATED WITH LIQUID OR DRIED INOCULANT OF LACTIC ACID BACTERIA

The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritive value and fermentation characteristic of king grass silage treated with addition of liquid or dried lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculant. Experiment was arranged to a completely randomized design with four treatments and three replications. Four treatments as follows (A) king grass without LAB inoculant as the control; (B) king grass + 30 ml of liquid of epiphytic LAB inoculant/kg of fresh forage; (C) king grass + 30 g of freeze-dried powder of LAB inoculant/kg of fresh forage; (D) king grass + 30 g of centrifuged powder of LAB inoculant/kg of fresh forage. The liquid LAB inoculant was sprayed on the top of grass and then mannualy mixed by hand. The intial LAB concentration in all inoculants were 1.0 × 106 cfu/g. About 500 g of silage materials were ensiled into plastic silos and stored at room temperatures (approximately 28oC) for 30 days. Results showed that pH value, concentrations of lactic acid, N-amonia (NH3-N), butyric acid and total volatile fatty acids (VFA) as well as Fleigh Point were affected by treatment of LAB inoculant. Silage treated with liquid or dried of LAB inoculant had lower (P<0.01) pH value compared to the control silage. Concentrations of NH3-N and butyric acid significantly decreased (P<0.01) in silage treated with LAB inoculants. Silage treated with centrifuged powder of LAB inoculant had the highest (P<0.05) Fleigh Point than other silage. In vitro neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility was significantly higher (P<0.05) in silage treated with LAB inoculant compared to the control silage.

Effects of utilization of local food by-products as total mixed ration silage materials on fermentation quality and intake, digestibility, rumen condition and nitrogen availability in sheep.

Four wethers were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square design experiment to evaluate in vivo digestibility of total mixed ration (TMR) silage with food by-products for dairy cows, and the ruminal condition and nitrogen (N) balance were examined. Five by-products (i.e. potato waste, noodle waste, soybean curd residue, soy sauce cake and green tea waste) were obtained. Four types of TMR silage were used: control (C) containing roughage and commercial concentrate, T1:20% and T1:40% containing the five by-products replacing 20% and 40% of the commercial concentrate on a dry matter (DM) basis, respectively, and T2:40% containing three by-products (potato waste, noodle waste and soybean curd residue) replacing 40% of the commercial concentrate on a DM basis. The ingredients were mixed and preserved in oil drum silos for 4 months. The TMR silages showed 4.02-4.44% and 1.75-2.19% for pH and lactic acid contents, respectively. The digestibility of DM and neutral detergent fiber, and total digestible nutrient content were higher (P < 0.05) for T2:40% feeding than for C feeding. Urinary nitrogen excretion tended to be lower (P = 0.07) for T2:40% than for C. The results suggested 40% replacing of commercial concentrate by using the three food by-products can be most suitable for TMR silage.

Soil Organic Carbon and Nitrogen Decomposition in Fecal Manure of Cattle Fed Browse/Maize Silages

&lt;p&gt;Soil organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) decomposition in fecal manure of cattle fed browses of Calliandra (&lt;em&gt;Calliandra calothyrsus&lt;/em&gt;), Gliricidia (&lt;em&gt;Gliricidia sepium&lt;/em&gt;) and Leucaena (&lt;em&gt;Leucaena leucocephala&lt;/em&gt;) browse/maize silage mixtures and maize (&lt;em&gt;Zea mays&lt;/em&gt;) silage alone when applied to the soil were investigated in a pot experiment in comparison to the corresponding silages fed. Maize silage alone had the lowest N and a larger C: N ratio, making it a poor quality compost when applied to the soil, but compared to the browse/maize silage mixtures it had the highest level of soluble N as non-protein nitrogen (NPN) which makes much of its N available for soil microbial decomposition of its organic C. Calliandra browse/maize silage mixture had the highest level of fiber-bound N (ADFN), which reduces N availability for soil microbial decomposition of its organic C in spite of its high N content and a narrower C: N ratio. Fecal manure from maize silage alone had a lower level of N and a wider C: N ratio than fecal manure from the other silages fed which would affect its decomposition in the soil, but it had the lowest level of ADFN and much of its N is made available for soil microbial decomposition of its organic C. Soil samples after 12 weeks of the experiment showed that Calliandra browse/maize silage mixture maintained the highest level of C in the soil, while maize silage alone maintained the lowest level. Also soils treated with fecal manure from the other browse/maize silage mixtures maintained higher levels of C than fecal manure from maize silage alone. Organic C levels were lowest at 8 weeks of the experiment for all treatments and rose to the original levels at 12 weeks which could have been as a result of biotic and hydrologic factors coupled with soil aggregation. Decomposition of organic N followed a similar trend as organic C. The two elements are linked in both plant inputs in the soil and in the eventual soil humic substances. The soils treated with browse/maize silage mixtures maintained C: N ratios that were similar to that of the control soil and higher than those of the fecal manure treatments. Thus, in spite of the added silage materials to the soil, rapid decomposition of organic C could not occur to reflect benefits of adding the silage materials to the soil. Thus, fecal manure, particularly from feeding animals on browse/forage diets is more beneficial in the soil as it would decompose more readily releasing the plant nutrients they contain.&lt;/p&gt;

Analysis on biochemical methane potential of agricultural byproducts with different types of silage storage

The aim of this work is to estimate biogas production by anaerobic digestion of agricultural byproduct silage at the low carbon green village in South Korea. The composition of agricultural byproduct from hot pepper farms was analyzed and it was found to be favorable with anaerobic digestion. In the cases of silage materials, the theoretical methane potentials of all of the ensiled materials were increased with silage storage having an increased range from 103 to 120 % compared to that without ensiling. The biochemical methane potential (BMP) tests showed that the ultimate methane potential of ensiled material was measured to be higher than that of raw material without silage storage, while the first order hydrolysis constant was lower. All of the silage materials containing microbial additives used in this study showed higher ultimate methane potentials and first order hydrolysis constants than raw material and silage material without additives. The change of ultimate methane potential was analyzed over time, and all of the test materials, except Day 2, showed higher ultimate methane potential than raw material, Day 0, and the highest was found on Day 40.

Shaft Friction of an ASABE Standard Soil Cone Penetrometer

<abstract><title><italic>Abstract.</italic></title> To ensure penetration results that are comparable under various experimental conditions, cone penetrometers specified by ASABE Standards have been suggested for many years. Elastic-plastic properties are typical of most agricultural materials, so the material being penetrated by a cone penetrometer may contact the penetrometer shaft, and friction on the shaft may affect the penetration force data. Development of a method for quantifying this friction force is expected to improve the accuracy of cone penetrometer data. The objectives of this study were: (1) to evaluate a method for determining friction force on the shaft of a cone penetrometer while penetrating sand and clay soils packed in a specific cylinder, (2) to verify the penetration friction component (PFC) that may significantly influence penetration resistance (PR) measurements for various densities of chopped maize, and (3) to assess the effectiveness of a proposed filter method for adjusting friction on the penetrometer shaft. With these intentions, we embedded strain gauges into an ASABE Standard small cone. The tip was free from the shaft friction, so the output of this sensor was used as a reference in this study. We found the ASABE Standard small cone suitable for a broad range of soil textures, as little PFC was observed from the sand or the clay soil samples. However, considerable friction from penetrating chopped maize was observed at three levels of packed density using the cylinder method. In this situation, with the reference of the sensor output inside the tip, a pair of coefficients (C₁ = 2329, C₂ = 2120) were optimized to filter the PFC out of the PR measurement. The adjusted data agreed well with those of the reference sensor (R² = 0.968; RMSE = 6.521 N). Thus, ASABE Standard penetrometers can also be used for silage materials without mechanical modification.

Silage Quality of King Grass (Pennisetum purpureophoides) Treated with Epiphytic Lactic Acid Bacteria and Tannin of Acacia

The aim of this study was to evaluate the silage quality of king grass (Pennisetum purpureophoides) treated with addition of epiphytic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) prepared from fermented grass extract (FGE) or combined with tannin of acacia. Experiment was arranged to a completely randomized design with six treatments and three replications. Treatments were (A) king grass without additive as a control; (B) king grass + 3% (v/w) of FGE; (C) king grass + 3% (v/w) of FGE + 10 ml of acacia extract (50 g/100 ml); (D) king grass + 3% of FGE (v/w) + 10 ml of acacia extract (50 g/75 ml); (E) king grass + 3% of FGE (v/w) + 10 ml of acacia extract (50 g/50 ml), and (F) king grass + 3% of FGE (v/w) + 10 ml of acacia extract (50 g/25 ml). About 250 g of silage materials were ensiled in 400 ml bottle silos at room temperatures (approximately 28 °C) for 30 days. Variables measured were characteristics of FGE, fermentation characteristics and chemical composition of silage. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance and the significance differences among means were tested by the Duncan's multiple range test. Results showed that the number of lactic acid bacteria in FGE increased from 0.8 × 107 cfu/ml to 2.9 × 107 cfu/ml after 2 days anaerobic incubation. Concentration of lactic acid in silages with addition of FGE or combined with tannin of acacia (B, C, D, E, and F) were higher (P3-N decreased with increasing concentration of tannin. Butyric acid concentration decreased in silages B, C, D, E, and F as compared to that in silage A. Addition of FGE combined with tannin prepared from acacia leaf improved fermentation quality of king grass silage.

Fermentation quality and nutritive value of rice crop residue based silage ensiled with addition of epiphytic lactic acid bacteria.

Silage is the feedstuff resulted from the preservation of forages through lactic acid fermentation. The aim of this study was to evaluate nutritive value, fermentation characteristics and nutrients digestibility of rice crop residue based silage ensiled with epiphytic lactic acid bacteria (LAB). The mixture of rice crop residue (RC), soybean curd residue (SC) and cassava waste (CW) in a 90: 5: 5 (on dry matter basis) ratio was used as silage material. Three treatments silage were (A) RC + SC + CW as a control; (B) RC + SC + CW + LAB inoculums from rice crop residue; (C) RC + SC + CW + LAB inoculums from king grass. Silage materials were packed into plastic silo (1.5 kg capacity) and stored for 30 days. The results showed that crude protein content in B and C silage was higher than that of silage A, but NDF content in silages B and C was lower than that of silage A. Lactic acid concentration was higher (P < 0.01) in silage C compared to silage B and A, thus pH value of silage C was lower (P < 0.01) than silage B and A. Silage C had the highest Fleigh point than that of other silages. Dry matter and organic matter digestibilities were higher in silages B and C (P < 0.01) than that of control silage. It was concluded that the addition of LAB inoculums from king grass to rice crop residue based silage resulted a better fermentation quality compared to LAB inoculums from rice crop residue. Key Words : Silage, Rice Crop Residue, Lactic Acid, In Vitro