Chemical composition and nutritive value of corn silage harvested in the northeastern United States after Tropical Storm Irene

The current study aimed to evaluate the application effects of the preactivated Lactobacillus buchneri and urea on the fermentative characteristics, chemical composition and aerobic stability in corn silages. The design was completely randomized, in a 6 × 5 factorial arrangement, with six types of additive and five opening times. The treatments consisted of corn silage; corn silage with freeze-dried inoculant; corn silage with freeze-dried inoculant +1.0% urea; corn silage with activated inoculant; corn silage with activated inoculant +1.0% urea, and corn silage with 1.0% urea. Populations of lactic acid bacteria stabilized at the 70th day, with average values of 8.91 and 9.15 log cfu/g for corn silage with freeze-dried inoculant +1.0% urea and corn silage with freeze-dried inoculant, respectively. In contrast, the silages without additives showed significantly lower values of 7.52 log cfu/g forage at the 70th day. The silages with urea (isolated or associated with the inoculant) increased the total nitrogen content. The maximum temperature values were highest in the corn silages without additives, indicating that these silages were more prone to deterioration. The use of Lactobacillus buchneri activated proved to be more efficient in improving the fermentative profile of corn silages than the freeze-dried inoculant. The use of urea as an additive reduced the losses and improved the nutritional value and aerobic stability of corn silages. Additionally, the combination of Lactobacillus buchneri activated and urea may be used as a technique to improve the fermentative profile, chemical composition and aerobic stability of corn silages.

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262 Brassicas as an alternative forage in the northeastern United States

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skz258.187 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 97 (Supplement_3) ◽

pp. 90-91

Author(s):

Eric D Billman ◽

S Leanne Dillard ◽

Kathy J Soder

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Fixed Effects ◽

Nutritive Value ◽

Energy Content ◽

Block Design ◽

Yield Potential ◽

Net Energy ◽

Annual Ryegrass ◽

Forage Production ◽

Northeastern United States

Abstract In the northeastern United States, winter forage management has traditionally necessitated either: a) feeding conserved forages, or b) stockpiling grazeable perennial forage. Forage brassicas offer a low-cost alternative to these strategies. This project evaluated performance of different annual forage brassicas in northeastern forage production systems. Three brassicas, ‘Barisca’ rapeseed (Brassica napus L.), ‘Inspiration’ canola (B. napus L.), and ‘Appin’ turnip (B. rapa L.) were compared against ‘KB Supreme’ annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) for dry matter yield and nutritive value over two autumn production seasons. Replicated plots were 5.5 × 9.1 m and seeded (brassicas at 5.6 kg/ha; ryegrass at 22.4 kg/ha) in August of 2015 and 2016 in a randomized complete block design. Four harvests occurred each year at two-week intervals following initial harvest. Statistical analyses were conducted using PROC GLIMMIX in SAS 9.4; harvest and species were fixed effects, while year and its interactions were considered random. Harvest date had no significant impact on DM yield (P > 0.05). All brassica yields (734 – 861 kg/ha) were significantly greater (P < 0.001) than annual ryegrass (344 kg/ha). This indicated brassica yield was superior under environmental stress conditions that hinder annual ryegrass growth. Nutritive value concentration suggested ryegrass had greater CP (28.1%) than the brassicas (24.2 – 25.4%) and minimal differences in net energy content (< 2%) among species (P < 0.001). However, per-area (kg/ha) values resulted in consistently greater (P < 0.001) CP (176 – 204 kg/ha), and NEL (1.2 – 1.5 Mcal/ha) than annual ryegrass (CP = 88 kg/ha; NEL = 0.56 Mcal/ha). Therefore, the greater yield potential of forage brassicas allows them to supply greater nutrient supplementation during periods of low forage availability, at a reduced feeding cost.

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Fermentative profile and nutritive value of corn silage with Tamani guinea grass

Semina Ciências Agrárias ◽

10.5433/1679-0359.2020v41n6p2733 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (6) ◽

pp. 2733-2746

Author(s):

Francielly Paludo ◽

◽

Kátia Aparecida de Pinho Costa ◽

Mariana Borges de Castro Dias ◽

Fábio Adriano Santos e Silva ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chemical Composition ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Nutritive Value ◽

Corn Silage ◽

Panicum Maximum ◽

Protein Fractionation ◽

Fresh Matter ◽

Dry Matter Digestibility ◽

Guinea Grass

The use of silage has been an efficient alternative to feed supply during the shortage of roughage in dry periods, providing quality feed that is widely used in ruminant feeding. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the fermentative characteristics and nutritive value of corn silage with Tamani guinea grass (Panicum maximum BRS cv. Tamani) through chemical composition, in vitro dry matter digestibility and protein fractionation. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with four replications. The treatments consisted of five silages: corn; corn with 10% Tamani guinea grass; corn with 20% Tamani guinea grass; corn with 30% Tamani guinea grass; and corn with 40% Tamani guinea grass, totalling 20 experimental silos. The addition of tamani grass to silages was determined based on fresh matter. For ensiling, corn was harvested with 320 g kg-1 DM (dry matter) and Tamani guinea grass in a 30-day development cycle with 286 g kg-1 DM. After 50 days of silage, the silos were opened to analyse the fermentative characteristics, chemical composition and protein fractionation of the silage. The results showed that the addition of Tamani guinea grass in corn silage increased the pH and buffering capacity and reduced the dry matter and lactic acid concentration but did not compromise the fermentative characteristics of silages. The addition of 40% Tamani guinea grass in corn silage provided increased levels of crude protein, in vitro dry matter digestibility, protein A, B1 and C, and decreased the fractions B3 and C, which makes Tamani guinea grass an alternative to improve the quality of exclusive corn silage, resulting in better quality silage.

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