Silage Neutral Detergent Fiber Research Articles

126 The inclusion of Aspergillus oryzae prebiotic counteracts the decline on neutral detergent fiber digestibility associated with increased intake level, on corn silage and sorghum silage-based diets

Abstract The inclusion of Aspergillus oryzae prebiotic (AOP; Amaferm, Biozyme Inc., St Joseph, MO) in ruminant diets has been proven to stimulate cellulolytic ruminal microorganisms, although, its positive effect on nutrient digestibility seems to be diet dependent. Our objective was to evaluate how AOP influences the apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter (DM) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) at varying levels of intake, for diets with different forage sources and inclusion levels. Data were compiled from 3 experiments containing 4 diets for backgrounding cattle, assessing the use of AOP as a feed additive. The studies were Exp. 1): corn silage-based diet (CS; n = 24 steers), Exp. 2-A): sorghum silage-based diet (SS; n = 20 heifers), Exp. 2-B): citrus pulp and cotton gin byproducts-based diet (BP; n = 20 heifers), and Exp. 3): bermudagrass hay-based diet (BH; n = 24 steers). Separate ANCOVA analyses by diet were conducted using SAS, including in the model the effect of treatment (TRT; AOP vs. No AOP) and the interaction between TRT and level of intake (dry matter intake; DMI). Level of intake was calculated as percentage of body weight (DMI/BW). Least square mean differences between treatments were conducted at different levels of intake at which both treatments were represented. For apparent total tract digestibility of DM and NDF (NDFD), the TRT × DMI/BW interaction was significant (P ≤ 0.05) in the case of the CS and SS diets, but not in the BP and BH diets (P ≥ 0.10). For both silage diets, NDF and DM digestibility decreased as the level of intake increased. Consequently, the positive effect of AOP on NDFD was greater at increased levels of intake (3.3 and 3.5% of the BW for CS and SS, respectively), resulting in 9.8% improvement on NDFD for the CS diet (P = 0.04, 37.9 vs. 41.6% for No AOP vs. AOP, respectively) and 25% improvement in the SS diet (P = 0.01, 42.5 vs. 53.2% for No AOP vs. AOP, respectively). At a moderate intake (2.5% of the BW), AOP improved NDFD by 6.0 and 14.1% for the CS and SS diets, respectively (P ≤ 0.05). While at reduced intake (1.8 and 1.7% of BW, for CS and SS), NDFD did not differ (P ≥ 0.10) between treatments for either CS (47.9%) or SS (56.5%) diets. In conclusion, the inclusion of AOP in silage-based diets attenuates the decline on apparent total tract digestibility of NDF associated with increased feed intake, helping to maintain digestibility closer to its maximum potential. Whereas, at reduced levels of intake, it is more unlikely to observe a positive effect of AOP on fiber digestibility.

Effects of Different Row Spacing on the Nutritional Value of Quinoa Silage

Climate changes in the world cause an increase in arid areas and saline soils, and at the same time, the increase in extreme climate and soil conditions restricts land use efficiency. In these areas, it becomes difficult to provide silage feed for animals. Therefore, the search for alternative forage plants is also increasing. Quinoa (Chenepodium quinoa Willd.) plant, which is resistant to arid, cold and salty soils, has an important alternative plant potential for silage production in extreme climate and soil conditions. For this purpose, a research was conducted on the silage nutrition values of 2 quinoa varieties (Cherry Vanilla and Read Head) grown at 4 different row spacing distances (17.5, 35.0, 52.5, 70.0 cm). In the research, It is aimed to determine crude ash content (CA), crude protein (CP), acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), dry matter digestibility (DMD), dry matter consumption (DMI) and relative feed value (RFV), which have important nutritional values for animals. As a result of the research, it was determined that sowing seeds at different row spacings had a significant effect on CP, NDF, DMI and RFV of quinoa silage. There was no significant difference in the nutritional values of quinoa silage between varieties (except CP). According to the results of the research, it was determined that sowing with wide row spacing increased the nutritional value of quinoa silage.

Valor nutritivo e características fermentativas da silagem de milheto com diferentes níveis de casca de café

ABSTRACT: The research was conducted to test the hypothesis that the inclusion of coffee husk (Coffea sp.) would improve the fermentative characteristics and quality of pearl millet silage (Pennisetumglaucum). Thus, the objective was to assess the effect of the inclusion of different levels of coffee husk in pearl millet silage on the chemical composition, fermentative characteristics and degradability in situ of silage. The experimental design used was completely randomized and the treatments consisted of the silage of the whole pearl millet plant with the inclusion of increasing levels of coffee husk: 0%, 7%, 14% and 21%, based on natural matter. After 60 days of fermentation, the silages were evaluated for chemical characteristics, fermentative, degradability in situ dry matter (DM) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF). The inclusion of coffee husk did not alter (P > 0.05) the contents of crude protein (11.94%), NDF (44.89%) and total digestible nutrients (65.09%). There were increases in the concentrations of DM and fiber in acid detergent, accompanied by a reduction in the concentrations of mineral matter and ether extract, as the proportion of coffee husks in silages increased. There was an increase in the lignin content up to the level of 7.59% inclusion of the coffee husk. There was no effect of the inclusion of the coffee husk on the pH of the silage (3.60). However, the inclusion of coffee husk resulted in a reduction in temperature, gas losses, and degradability in situ of silage DM and NDF. It is recommended to include coffee husk up to the level of 14.0% of the natural matter to improve the fermentation pattern and the quality of the pearl millet silage.

Whole-Genome Analysis of Termite-Derived Bacillus velezensis BV-10 and Its Application in King Grass Silage.

Bacillus velezensis (B. velezensis) is a cellulose-degrading strain that has the potential as an additive in fermented feed. B. velezensis BV-10 was isolated and screened from the termite gut. We sequenced the whole genome of this new source of B. velezensis to reveal its potential for use in cellulose degradation. Whole-genome sequencing of B. velezensis BV-10 showed that it has a circular chromosome of 3929792 bp containing 3873 coding genes with a GC content of 45.51% and many genes related to cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin degradation. King grass silage was inoculated with B. velezensis BV-10 and mixed with other feed additives to assess the effect of B. velezensis BV-10 on the fermentation quality of silage. Six treatment groups were established: the control, B. velezensis BV-10, molasses, cellulase, B. velezensis BV-10 plus molasses, and B. velezensis BV-10 plus cellulase groups. After 30 days of silage-fermentation testing, B. velezensis BV-10 was found to rapidly reduce the silage pH value and significantly reduce the acid-detergent fiber (ADF) content (p < 0.05). The addition of B. velezensis BV-10 plus molasses and cellulase in fermented feed significantly reduced the silage neutral-detergent fiber and ADF content and promoted organic-acid accumulation (p < 0.05). The above results demonstrate that B. velezensis BV-10 promotes the fermentation quality of silage and that this effect is greater when other silage-fermentation additives are included. In conclusion, genes involved in cellulose degradation in B. velezensis BV-10 were identified by whole-genome sequencing and further experiments explored the effects of B. velezensis BV-10 and different feed additives on the fermentation quality of king grass silage, revealing the potential of Bacillus velezensis as a new silage additive.

Determination of Silage Quality of Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) with Oat (Avena sativa L.) and Rye (Secale cereale L.) Mixtures

In this study, it was aimed to determine the quality of silage mixtures (100:0%, 75:25%, 50:50%, 25:75% and 0:100%) of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L. cv Berkem) with oat (Avena sativa L. cv Faikbey) and rye (Secale cereale L. cv Aslım-93). Following the harvest, plants were cut in 2-3 cm sizes, filled in vacuum bags according to the mixing ratios and left for fermentation at 25±2 oC for 60 days. Physical observations (smell, structure, color), dry matter (DM), pH, crude protein (CP), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) analysis were applied to silage samples and relative feed value (RFV) was determined. According to the results obtained, the total physical score of the silages, consisting of the sum of the odor, structure and color scores, ranged between 13.30-19.75 and the physical quality of the silages was ranged between middle-very good class. According to the results of the research, it was determined that the silage DM, ADF and NDF ratios decreased, and the pH, CP and RFV values increased in parallel with the increase in the fenugreek ratio in the mixture. The DM, pH, CP, ADF, NDF and RFV values of the silages varied between 15.67-34.33%, 5.06-5.79%, 6.01-18.17%, 32.03-48.90%, 40.07-74.53% and 63.41-148.48%, respectively. As a result, it was concluded that the silage of “25% oats + 75% fenugreek” mixture was superior to the silages of other mixtures, especially when considered the chemical parameters.

Efficacy of formic acid, enzymes, and microbial additives in silage on the performance of sheep: Systematic review and meta-analysis

This study aimed to carry out a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of chemical, enzymatic, and microbial additives on the silage quality and performance of sheep. After article selection using the Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, LILACS and MEDLINE-PubMed databases and a manual search of scientific journals and the references of articles selected in the systematic review, 4257 articles published through May 2021 were identified. Fifty-four randomized control trials eligible for review were selected. Data were grouped into subgroups by the additive type (Mho = homofermentative microbial inoculant; Mhe = heterofermentative microbial inoculant; MMi = microbial inoculant mixture; Fa = formic acid; En = enzymes). The meta-analysis was performed using the “meta” package of R software. The data were analyzed using the random effects model and the raw mean difference with a 95% confidence interval (p < 0.05). Fa use reduced (p < 0.05) the silage crude protein digestibility (CPD) (−20.7 g/kg DM), and the ammonia nitrogen (NH3–N) (−53.6 g/kg total N), and acetic acid (−5.06 g/kg DM) content and pH (−0.325) and increased the animal nitrogen retention (1.30 g/day), and the dry matter (DM) (14.1 g/kg NM), crude protein (CP) (20.4 g/kg DM) and water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) (11.5 g/kg DM) content. En use reduced (p < 0.05) the silage neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD) (−33.1 g/kg DM), CP (−10.8 g/kg DM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) (−49.1 g/kg DM), NH3–N (−25.5 g/kg total N) and acetic acid (−4.43 g/kg DM) content. Mho use increased (p < 0.05) the dry matter intake (DMI) (95 g/day), dry matter digestibility (DMD) (28.8 g/kg DM), CPD (26.6 g/kg DM), WSC (2.55 g/kg DM), nitrogen intake (2.23 g/day), retained nitrogen (2.19 g/day) and lactic acid (10.4 g/kg DM) content and reduced the mold count (−1.01 log10 CFU/g), NH3–N (−13.4 g/kg total N), acetic acid (−3.31 g/kg DM) content and aerobic stability (−33.8 h) of the silage. Mhe use increased (p < 0.05) the DMI (78.6 g/day), carcass yield (0.906%), DM (9.96 g/kg NM), aerobic stability (23 h) and acetic acid (19.9 g/kg DM) content and reduced the NDF (−20 g/kg DM) and ADF (−16.2 g/kg DM), yeast (−0.852 log10 CFU/g) and mold (−0.469 log10 CFU/g) counts. MMi use increased (p < 0.05) the average daily gain (17 g/day), DM (13.4 g/kg NM) and yeast (0.930 log10 CFU/g) count and reduced the silage pH (−0.037). All additive types improved the silage quality, but only MMi improved weight gain in sheep. Mhe increased silage aerobic stability and can be used for this purpose on commercial farms.

Fermentation Quality and Nutritional Traits of Cluster Bean-Maize Mixture Silages

In present study, effects of different mixture ratios of cluster bean (CB) and maize (M) on silage fermentation and nutritional traits were investigated. Based on dry matter (DM) ratios, maize and cluster bean plants were mixed in five different ratios (100% M, 75% M+25% CB, 50% M+50% CB, 25% M+75% CB and 100% CB). Pure maize, cluster bean and mixture were ensiled for 60 days. Effects of mixture ratios on investigated traits were found to be highly significant (p≤0.01). Increasing silage DM, ADF (acid detergent fiber), NDF (neutral detergent fiber), lactic acid, gas-methane production, metabolizable energy (ME) and organic matter digestibility (OMD) values and decreasing pH levels were observed with increasing maize ratio of the mixtures. Increasing silage crude oil (CO), crude ash (CA) and crude protein (CP) content and volatile fatty acids (acetic, butyric and propionic) were observed with increasing cluster bean ratio of the mixtures. Present findings revealed that improvements were achieved in DM, pH, nutritional traits and ME of the silages with mixtures of maize and cluster bean. It was concluded that 25, 50 and 75% maize ratios in mixtures provided significant contributions to silage quality.

Effect of source and level of forage in the diet on in vitro ammonia emission from manure of Holstein and Jersey dairy cows

Reducing overall reactive N losses from dairy production systems depends substantially on reducing the atmospheric emission of manure ammonia (NH3). The objective of this study was to determine potential NH3-N emission of reconstituted manure using an in vitro protocol. Feces and urine were collected from a companion study designed as a Latin square in which 4 Holstein and 4 Jersey cows were fed diets containing 2 levels of forage neutral detergent fiber (NDF) [low-forage NDF (19%) vs. high-forage NDF (24%; dry matter basis)] from either alfalfa silage or corn silage (70:30 vs. 30:70 ratio of alfalfa silage NDF:corn silage NDF) arranged as a 2 × 2 factorial. All diets contained similar levels of crude protein (17%) and starch (23%), and had forage-to-concentrate ratios of 55:45 and 68:32 for low- and high-forage NDF diets, respectively. Measurements of NH3-N emission were conducted in a laboratory-scale chamber with 16 g of reconstituted manure (urine plus feces) incubated for 48 h at 15°C with sampling at 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 h. Hourly NH3-N emissions data were analyzed using a repeated-measures mixed model in R (https://www.r-project.org/). The fixed effects were breed, forage NDF level, forage NDF source, time of sampling, and all possible interactions; cow was included as a random term. The cumulative 48-h NH3-N emissions and the scaled-up emissions accounting for daily output of manure from each cow were analyzed using the same model but without time of sampling. Level and source of forage in the diet tended to influence the pattern in hourly rate and 48-h cumulative emission, respectively. Accounting for daily manure volume differences, low-forage NDF diets led to lower estimates of daily NH3-N emissions than high-forage NDF diets (20% on a cow basis, 15% on a raw manure basis, and 18% on a manure-N basis). Compared with Holsteins, Jerseys emitted 17% lower estimated NH3-N on a cow basis, mainly due to lower manure excretion but tended to emit 15% more NH3-N expressed on a manure-N basis. Findings of this study suggested that cow breed and dietary forage NDF level should be considered in the prediction of NH3-N emission from the dairy industry.

Influence of fiber degradability of corn silage in diets with lower and higher fiber content on lactational performance, nutrient digestibility, and ruminal characteristics in lactating Holstein cows

The effect of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) degradability of corn silage in diets containing lower and higher NDF concentrations on lactational performance, nutrient digestibility, and ruminal characteristics in lactating Holstein cows was measured. Eight ruminally cannulated Holstein cows averaging 91 ± 4 (standard error) days in milk were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with 21-d periods (7-d collection periods). Dietary treatments were formulated to contain either conventional (CON; 48.6% 24-h NDF degradability; NDFD) or brown midrib-3 (BM3; 61.1% 24-h NDFD) corn silage and either lower NDF (LNDF) or higher NDF (HNDF) concentration (32.0 and 35.8% of ration dry matter, DM) by adjusting the dietary forage content (52 and 67% forage, DM basis). The dietary treatments were (1) CON-LNDF, (2) CON-HNDF, (3) BM3-LNDF, and (4) BM3-HNDF. Data were analyzed as a factorial arrangement of diets within a replicated Latin square design with the MIXED procedure of SAS (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC) with fixed effects of NDFD, NDF, NDFD × NDF, period(square), and square. Cow within square was the random effect. Time and its interactions with NDFD and NDF were included in the model when appropriate. An interaction between NDFD and NDF content resulted in the HNDF diet decreasing dry matter intake (DMI) with CON corn silage but not with BM3 silage. Cows fed the BM3 corn silage had higher DMI than cows fed the CON corn silage, whereas cows fed the HNDF diet consumed less DM than cows fed the LNDF diet. Cows fed the BM3 diets had greater energy-corrected milk yield, higher milk true protein content, and lower milk urea nitrogen concentration than cows fed CON diets. Additionally, cows fed the BM3 diets had greater total-tract digestibility of organic matter and NDF than cows fed the CON diets. Compared with CON diets, the BMR diets accelerated ruminal NDF turnover. When incorporated into higher NDF diets, corn silage with greater in vitro 24-h NDFD and lower undegradable NDF at 240 h of in vitro fermentation (uNDF240) allowed for greater DMI intake than CON. In contrast, for lower NDF diets, NDFD of corn silage did not affect DMI, which suggests that a threshold level of inclusion of higher NDFD corn silage is necessary to observe enhanced lactational performance. Results suggest that there is a maximum gut fill of dietary uNDF240 and that higher NDFD corn silage can be fed at greater dietary concentrations.

Effects of dietary laccase supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestion, rumen fermentation and microbiota in dairy bulls

This study investigated the impacts of dietary laccase addition on performance, nutrient digestion, rumen fermentation and microbiota in bulls. Eight Holstein bulls with rumen cannula were allocated in a repeated 4 × 4 Latin square experiment design into four groups: control, low-laccase (LL), medium-laccase (ML) and high-laccase (HL) with 0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 g/kg dietary dry matter (DM) of laccase addition, respectively. Addition of laccase did not influence DM intake but higher average daily gain and lower feed conversion ratio were found for bulls in ML group. Apparent nutrients digestibility elevated linearly with increasing laccase supplementation. Digestibility of DM and organic matter in ML, crude protein (CP) in ML and HL as well as neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre in LL, ML and HL were higher. Increasing laccase addition quadratically decreased ruminal pH, quadratically increased total volatile fatty acids content and changed ruminal fermentation mode to more propionate formation. Ruminal ammonia-N concentration decreased linearly. Ruminal degradability of concentrate CP and corn silage DM were higher for bulls in ML, but degradability of corn silage NDF was higher for bulls in ML and HL groups. Activities of cellobiase, α-amylase and laccase were higher for bulls in ML group. Populations of total bacteria, methanogens, Fibrobacter succinogenes, Ruminococcus albus, Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens, Prevotella ruminicola and Ruminobacter amylophilus increased linearly, but fungi and R. flavefaciens increased quadratically. Urine excretion of total purine derivatives was higher for bulls receiving medium or high level of laccase supplementation. The results suggested that dietary laccase supplementation increased performance and nutrient digestibility, and the appropriate addition level of laccase was 0.4 g/kg DM in bulls.

Evaluation of source of corn silage and trace minerals on rumen characteristics and passage rate of Holstein cows

The effects of source of corn silage and trace mineral on rumen fermentation, turnover, and particle passage rates were evaluated with 8 ruminally cannulated Holstein cows averaging 83 (standard error = 5) days in milk in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments and 28-d periods. The diets consisted (dry basis) of 55% conventional (CON) or brown midrib-3 (BM3) corn silage, 2% chopped wheat straw, and 43% grain mix with either sulfate (STM) or hydroxy (HTM) source of Cu, Zn, and Mn trace minerals. The targeted supplemental amount of Cu, Zn, and Mn was 194, 1,657, and 687 mg/d, respectively. The dietary treatments were (1) CON-STM, (2) CON-HTM, (3) BM3-STM, and (4) BM3-HTM. Dietary nutrient composition of BM3 diets averaged 32.1% amylase neutral detergent fiber on an organic matter basis (aNDFom) and 6.9% undigested neutral detergent fiber at 240 h of in vitro fermentation (uNDF240om; % of dry matter), and CON diets averaged 36.2% aNDFom and 8.6% uNDF240om (% of dry matter). Data were summarized by period and analyzed as a replicated Latin square design with fixed model effects for corn silage, trace mineral, corn silage and trace mineral interaction, period within replicated square, and replicated square using the MIXED procedure of SAS (version 9.4, SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). Cow within replicate was a random effect. Daily mean, standard deviation, minimum, and maximum for rumen pH were unaffected by corn silage or trace mineral source. Cows fed the CON diets had greater rumen acetate percentage than cows fed the BM3 diets (65.7 vs. 64.7 molar %). In contrast, cows fed the BM3 diets had greater rumen propionate percentage than cows fed the CON diets (21.4 vs. 20.4 molar %). Total volatile fatty acid concentration was lower for cows fed STM versus HTM in BM3 diets, but not for the cows fed the CON diets. Cows fed the BM3 diets had faster turnover rate and shorter turnover time for uNDF240om than cows fed the CON diets (3.12 vs. 2.86%/h and 33.3 vs. 36.5 h, respectively). Cows fed the BM3 diets had a faster passage rate of small and medium corn silage neutral detergent fiber particles than cows fed the CON diets (5.73 vs. 5.37%/h and 4.74 vs. 4.31%/h, respectively). We observed a corn silage by source of trace mineral interaction on organic matter and uNDF240om rumen pool size and organic matter turnover. Overall, source of corn silage had a pronounced influence on rumen dynamics presumably related to greater in vitro neutral detergent fiber digestibility and lower uNDF240om content of BM3 corn silage that allowed for faster turnover of indigestible neutral detergent fiber and greater passage rate of corn silage particles. In contrast, the source of trace mineral had much less significant effects on rumen fermentation, turnover, and particle passage rates. Corn silage-based diets intended to enhance rumen fiber fermentation, turnover, and passage are more affected by source and digestibility of neutral detergent fiber than source of dietary trace minerals.

Ruminal fermentation and degradation, kinetic flow of digesta and milk fatty acid composition of cows fed sugarcane silage-based diets supplemented with whole cottonseed

The aim of this study was to evaluate the ruminal fermentation and degradation parameters, the kinetic flow of digesta in the gastrointestinal tract, and the milk fatty acid (FA) profile in Holstein x Gyr cows fed 59% sugarcane silage-based diets with 0% (control), 5%, 10% and 15% whole cottonseed (WCS) on a dry matter (DM) basis. Four rumen-cannulated cows with an average milk yield of 14.4±3.3 kg day-1 and 85±25 days in milk were allocated in a 4 x 4 Latin square design. There was no effect of dietary WCS levels on the intake of organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and nonfibrous carbohydrates, but there was a linear increase in the intake of ether extract (EE). There was no treatment effect on the apparent digestibility of DM, OM, CP, EE and NDF or on the ruminal degradability parameters for DM and NDF of sugarcane silage. Also, no treatment effects were observed on rumen pH, ruminal and postruminal particulate passage rates or on the rate of passage of the fluids in the rumen. WCS promoted linear reductions in the milk fat contents of lauric, myristic and palmitic acids and linear increases in the milk fat contents of stearic, oleic, trans-10 C18:1 and elaidic acids. The milk fat contents of vaccenic, rumenic, linoleic and ?-linolenic acids were unaffected by WCS supplementation. The inclusion of up to 15% WCS in sugarcane silage-based diets did not alter the digestibility of nutrients, the rumen degradability of the fiber, or the kinetic flow of digesta in the gastrointestinal tract of Holstein x Gyr cows but improved the nutritional quality of milk fat through an increase in the content of oleic acid, which is beneficial to human health, and decreased levels of hypercholesterolemic lauric, myristic and palmitic acids.

Enteric methane, lactation performances, digestibility, and metabolism of nitrogen and energy of Holsteins and Jerseys fed 2 levels of forage fiber from alfalfa silage or corn silage

Our objective was to determine the effects of replacing alfalfa silage (AS) neutral detergent fiber (NDF) with corn silage (CS) NDF at 2 levels of forage NDF (FNDF) on enteric methane (CH4), lactation performance, ruminal fluid characteristics, digestibility, and metabolism of N and energy in Holstein and Jersey cows. Twelve Holstein and 12 Jersey cows (all primiparous and mid-lactation) were used in a triplicated split-plot 4 × 4 Latin square experiment, where breed and diet formed the main and subplots, respectively. The 4 iso-nitrogenous and iso-starch dietary treatments were arranged as a 2 × 2 factorial with 2 levels of FNDF [19 (low FNDF, LF) and 24% (high FNDF, HF) of dry matter] and 2 sources of FNDF (70:30 and 30:70 ratio of AS NDF to CS NDF). Soyhull (non-forage NDF) and corn grain were respectively used to keep dietary NDF and starch content similar across diets. Total collection of feces and urine over 3 d was performed on 8 cows (1 Latin square from each breed). The difference in dry matter intake (DMI) between Holsteins and Jerseys was greater when fed AS than CS. Compared with Jerseys, Holstein cows had greater body weight (48%), DMI (34%), fat- and protein-corrected milk (FPCM; 31%) and CH4 production (22%; 471 vs. 385 g/d). However, breed did not affect CH4 intensity (g/kg of FPCM) or yield (g/kg of DMI), nutrient digestibility, and N partitioning. Compared with HF, LF-fed cows had greater DMI (10%), N intake (8%), and FPCM (5%), but they were 5% less efficient (both FPCM/DMI and milk N/intake N). Compared with HF, LF-fed cows excreted 11 and 17% less urinary N (g/d and % of N intake, respectively). In spite of lower (2.5%) acetate and higher (10%) propionate (mol/100 mol ruminal volatile fatty acids) LF-fed cows had greater (6%) CH4 production (g/d) than did HF-fed cows, most likely due to increased DMI, as affected mainly by the soyhulls. Compared with AS, CS-fed cows had greater DMI (7%) and FPCM (4%), but they were less efficient (5%), and CH4 yield (g/kg of DMI) was reduced by 8%. In addition, per unit of gross energy intake, CS-fed cows lost less urinary energy (15%) and CH energy (11%) than did AS-fed cows. We concluded that, in contrast to level and source of FNDF, breed did not affect digestive and metabolic efficiencies, and, furthermore, neither breed nor dietary treatments affected CH4 intensity. The tradeoff between CH4 and N losses may have implications in future studies assessing the environmental effects of milk production when approached from a whole-farm perspective.

Effects of ensiling time on corn silage neutral detergent fiber degradability and relationship between laboratory fiber analyses and in vivo digestibility

Accurate analysis of degradability of silage neutral detergent fiber (NDF) is important for diet formulation and to predict lactational performance of dairy cows. In this study, 5 corn silage hybrids ensiled for 0 (unfermented), 30, 60, 120, and 150 d were used to determine the effects of ensiling time on silage neutral detergent fiber degradability (NDFD) and to assess the relationships between near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIR) NDF-related analyses and in situ NDFD variables. In addition, the relationships between dietary concentration of indigestible NDF, 288-h incubation (iNDF288), or undegraded NDF, 240-h incubation (uNDF240), and in vivo total-tract apparent organic matter and NDF digestibility were studied in total mixed ration samples from 16 experiments with lactating dairy cows. Ensiling time had no effect on silage NDF concentration; however, the ratio of acid detergent fiber ÷ NDF increased, and estimated hemicellulose concentration decreased quadratically with ensiling time. Also, concentration of NDF-bound protein decreased, and that of lignin increased linearly with ensiling time. These changes in silage fiber composition resulted in a linear decrease in in situ effective degradability of silage NDF with increasing ensiling time. The indigestible fraction of NDF and concentration of structural carbohydrates were not affected by ensiling time. Correlations of in situ NDFD variables with laboratory NIR NDFD analyses were weak to moderate. The relationship of corn silage uNDF240 with lignin concentration or 30-h NDFD (all NIR analyses) was remarkably good (R2 = 0.73 and 0.88, respectively). The relationship between in situ iNDF288 concentration (but not uNDF240) and in vivo total-tract apparent digestibility of dietary organic matter and NDF was good (R2 = 0.72 and 0.80, respectively). In conclusion, in situ degradability of silage NDF linearly decreased from 0 to 150 d ensiling time, primarily caused by a decrease in concentrations of hemicellulose and NDF-bound protein. In situ NDF degradability measurements and common laboratory NIR NDF-related analyses were generally poorly correlated. We found a good relationship between in vivo NDF digestibility and dietary concentration of iNDF288 determined in situ, but the relationship with uNDF240 was poor.

Amylolytic activity and chemical composition of rehydrated ground maize ensiled with α-amylase or glucoamylase

AbstractA completely randomized experiment was designed to evaluate the effects of α-amylase (AMY) and glucoamylase (GLU) on total losses, fermentative profile, chemical composition and amylolytic activity of rehydrated maize. Eighty-four experimental silos of rehydrated maize [0.33 litres/kg ground maize, 4-mm theoretical particle size, and 625 g/kg dry matter (DM)] were assigned to the following treatments: (1) control (CON), no enzyme addition; (2) GLU added at 300 µl/kg of ground maize (as-fed); and (3) AMY added at 300 µl/kg of ground maize. Seven silos from each treatment were opened after 7, 14, 21 and 28 days. Differences among treatments were evaluated through orthogonal contrasts (CON v. enzymes, and AMY v. GLU). Time effects were decomposed using polynomial regression. Glucoamylase silage exhibited greater total losses than AMY. Enzymes increased acetate and lactic acid concentrations and decreased ethanol concentration. Regardless of treatment, gas, effluent and total fermentative losses linearly increased, whereas DM recovery linearly decreased with higher storage length. Glucoamylase silage had lower ammonia nitrogen and higher lactic acid concentrations than AMY. Enzyme treatments decreased silage neutral detergent fibre content and increased in vitro DM degradation. Glucoamylase silage exhibited a more moderate starch content and greater in vitro DM degradation than AMY. Storage time linearly decreased DM, starch and fibre content of rehydrated maize. In vitro degradation of DM linearly increased as the storage length increased. This study showed evidence that enzymes with amylolytic activity, particularly GLU, improve the fermentative profile and DM degradation of rehydrated maize silage.

Nutritional value and physical and chemical characteristics of white mulberry tree using different conservation methods for ruminant feed

This study was carried out to evaluate the white mulberry tree (Morus alba) as a feedstuff for ruminants in natura, as hay and as silage. A completely randomized design with five treatments and three replicates was used, where the treatments were five types of mulberry forage: (1) in natura after cutting; (2) hay; (3) silage of mulberry in natura; (4) silage of wilted mulberry and (5) silage of mulberry with ground ear corn. The content of crude protein (CP) did not differ between the silages (average of 19.03% of dry matter - DM). The CP content of the silages was higher than in mulberry hay (15.26% DM) and similar to mulberry after cutting (17.00% DM). The neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content did not differ between the silages (34.84% DM on average), but the NDF of silage with ear corn was lower than the mulberry hay (33.77 vs. 39.36% DM). The acid detergent fiber (ADF) content did not differ between silages and mulberry hay (30.66% DM on average). The lowest value for ADF was observed in the mulberry after cutting (26.06% DM). The aerobic stability of the silages was not broken during the seven days of aerobic exposure. The pH of silage of mulberry in natura was similar to silage of wilted mulberry (4.80 on average), while the silage with ear corn showed a lower pH value (4.58) compared to the other silages. The buffering capacity (BC) did not differ between the silage with ear corn and silage of wilted mulberry (84.91 meq 100 g DM-1 on average), while a lower value was observed for silage of mulberry in natura (56.69 meq 100 g DM-1). The highest value for ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) was demonstrated in the silage of mulberry in natura (13.08% total N), and the lowest values were observed in the silage with ear corn and silage of wilted mulberry (7.49 and 9.58% total N, respectively). Silage with 11% of ground ear corn is the best alternative use of white mulberry tree as forage for ruminant feeding, since this form presented low fiber content and a fermentative pattern suitable for the process of forage conservation.

Características da silagem de resíduo úmido de fécula de mandioca adicionada de níveis de ureia

This study aimed to evaluate the nutritive and microbiological composition and fermentation changes in the residue of wet cassava starch (RWCS) ensiled with different levels of urea. The experimental design was a randomized split plot 4x2, with four levels of urea added in the residue of wet cassava starch (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 g/kg as fed) allocated to plots, and the sampling positions in the silo (superficial and intermediate) allocated to the subplots. The RWCS was ensiled in air circular concrete silos with approximately 1000 kg of capacity. Urea was added to RWCS between layers at the time of ensiling and the material was kept ensiled for a period of 45 days. After the fermentation period, the silos were opened and samples were collected for the determination of temperature, pH, total nitrogen, ammonia, dry matter, mineral matter, organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, and the population of fungi and yeasts, lactic acid bacteria and Clostridium. The urea addition to the level of 20 g/kg as fed silage for the residue of wet cassava starch with approximately 18 % of DM increases the pH, total N, NH3-N, crude protein, NDF and ADF of silage. However, this addition reduce the populations of lactic acid bacteria, fungi, yeasts and the total population of microorganisms without altering the content of dry matter, hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin.

Exchanging physically effective neutral detergent fiber does not affect chewing activity and performance of late-lactation dairy cows fed corn and sugarcane silages

The objective of this study was to determine whether replacing the physically effective neutral detergent fiber (peNDF) of corn silage with sugarcane silage peNDF would affect performance in dairy cows. Twenty-four late-lactation Holstein cows were assigned to eight 3×3 Latin squares with 21-d periods. The dietary treatments were (1) 25% peNDF of corn silage, (2) 25% peNDF of sugarcane silage, and (3) 12.5% peNDF of corn silage + 12.5% peNDF of sugarcane silage. The physical effectiveness factors (pef) were assumed to be 1 for corn silage and 1.2 for sugarcane silage, as measured previously by bioassay. Thus, peNDF was calculated as neutral detergent fiber (NDF) × pef. The concentrate ingredients were finely ground corn, soybean meal, pelleted citrus pulp, and mineral-vitamin premix. Dry matter intake (22.5±0.63kg/d), 3.5% fat-corrected milk yield (28.8±1.13kg/d), milk composition (fat, protein, lactose, urea, casein, free fatty acids, and somatic cell count), and blood metabolites (glucose, insulin, and nonesterified fatty acids) were unaffected by the treatments. The time spent eating, ruminating, or chewing was also similar among the diets, as was particle-sorting behavior. By contrast, chewing per kilogram of forage NDF intake was higher for the sugarcane silage (137min/kg) than the corn silage diet (116min/kg), indicating the greater physical effectiveness of sugarcane fiber. Based on chewing behavior (min/d), the estimated pef of sugarcane silage NDF were 1.28 in the corn silage plus sugarcane silage diet and 1.29 in the sugarcane silage diet. Formulating dairy rations of equal peNDF content allows similar performance if corn and sugarcane silages are exchanged.

Degradabilidade das silagens de diferentes frações da parte aérea de quatro cultivares de mandioca

Objetivou-se determinar a degradabilidade ruminal da matéria seca, proteína bruta e fibra em detergente neutro das silagens de diferentes frações da parte aérea de quatro variedades de mandioca. Os ensaios de degradabilidade foram realizados segundo um delineamento em blocos casualizados em esquema fatorial 4 x 3, sendo 4 variedades (Amarelinha, Sabará, Olho Roxo e Periquita) e 3 frações da parte aérea (planta inteira, terço superior e sobras do plantio). As silagens do terço superior e das sobras do plantio apresentaram maior fração solúvel da MS em relação à planta inteira. Dentro de cada variedade, a Sabará e a Olho Roxo apresentaram na fração do terço superior maiores degradabilidades efetivas da MS. Entre as variedades, a Sabará apresentou maior degradabilidade efetiva da MS (51,59%). As variedades Sabará e Periquita foram iguais e apresentaram degradabilidade efetiva da PB superiores às variedades Amarelinha e Olho Roxo na silagem do terço superior. A Sabará apresentou maior degradabilidade efetiva da FDN nas silagens do terço superior e sobras de plantio. A silagem da parte aérea da variedade de mandioca Sabará apresenta melhor degradabilidade ruminal , considerando-se a fração do terço superior. As sobras de plantio também demonstram bom potencial para utilização na forma de silagem, na alimentação de ruminantes.

In sacco Dry Matter and NDF Degradability of Grass Silage Harvested at Three Stages of Maturity

The objective of this experiment was to study the effects of grass maturity at harvest on the nutritive value of grass silage in relation to chemical composition and in sacco degradability of dry matter (DM) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF). Grass sward was harvested at transition phase (P1), early reproductive phase (P2) and late reproductive (P3) growth stage of orhardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) as a dominant grass (70% over other grasses). Four fistulated Charolais sheep were used to measure silage DM and NDF degradability characteristics over 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h of in sacco incubation. As the crop matured, the NDF and acid detergent fiber (ADF) concentration decreased significantly (P<0.05). The DM degradability and the effective degradability significantly decreased (P<0.05) with increasing grass maturity at harvest. The effective degradability (ED) of DM and NDF was calculated considering a rumen passage rate of 4% hour-1 and the following values were found: 62.6, 51.2, 50.7 for DM and 46.9, 39.3, 38.0 for NDF, respectively. It was concluded that decreased in sacco DM and NDF degradability was a result of lower nutritive value of grass silage harvested at advanced grass maturity.