Use of fresh sugar cane crush as an additive for grass silage
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Date
1998
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
A study comprising of two experiments was conducted to investigate the effectiveness
of Fresh Sugar Cane Crush (FSCC) as water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) additive for
napier (JPennisetum purpureum) and guatemala (Tripsacum laxuni) grasses silage
making.
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes of average 1.9 X 1(J2M3 were used as laboratory silos
for experiment I and earth pit silos (7.5 x lO^M’)for experiment II. The second
experiment was conducted so as to mimic the field condition as well as to produce
enough silage for acceptability test by dairy heifers.
The effect of grass species and additives were observed in both experiments while the
effect of wilting was observed in the first experiment only. In both experiments five
treatments comprised of T1 - no additive (control), T2 - 5 % molasses, T3 - 5 %
FSCC, T4 - 10 % FSCC, T5 - 15 % FSCC were used to test the effectiveness of
FSCC as a WSC additive in grass silage making. Parameters observed were chemical
composition, fermentation products, sensoric tests and in- vitro dry matter digestibility
(IVDMD). Dry matter losses and acceptability test were observed in the second
experiment. The data were analyzed by General linear model system of SAS (1988).
In the first experiment, there was no significant (P > 0.05) difference between
unwilted and wilted napier silages in terms of DM contents. Wilted guatemala silage
had significantly ( P < 0.05) higher DM contents than unwilted guatemala silage. In
napier silage, wilting resulted into higher WSC (16.7 vs 15.0 gkg"DM), IVDMD
(59.9 vs 58.7 %), pH (4.02 vs 3.89), ammonia nitrogen (3.4 vs 2.5 %) and lower
lactic acid (15.3 vs 17.5 gkg"DM). In guatemala grass silage,wilting resulted into
higher WSC (20.4 vs 14.2 gkg』DM), ammonia nitrogen (3.8 vs 2.9 %), lactic acid
(18.4 vs 13.5 gkg-lDM), butyric acid (1.2 vs 0.6 gkg-1DM) and lower IVDMD (60.7
vs 62.2).The pH between wilted and unwilted guatemala grass silages were not
significantly different (P > 0.05).
The DM contents were significantly different (P V 0.05) between treatments in
unwilted napier and wilted guatemala grass silages. For both napier and guatemala
grass silages, pH ranged from 3.78 in T5 for unwilted guatemala to 4.5 in T1 for
wilted napier. Lactic acid ranged from 3.6 in T1 wilted guatemala to 27.4 gkglDM
in T5 unwilted napier. Ammonia nitrogen was lowest (2.3 %) in T5 wilted guatemala
and highest (4.6 %) in T1 wilted guatemala.
Regardless of wilting DM, WSC, IVDMD, ammonia nitrogen, and butyric acid were
significantly (P V 0.05) higher in guatemala silage than in napier silage. The pH and
lactic acid contents of napier and guatemala silages were not significantly (P > 0.05)
different.
In experiment two, the DM contents were significantly (P V 0.001) different between
treatments in guatemala silage and the percentage DM loss ranged from 16.1 in T5 to
39.1 % in Tl. In napier silage the DM loss was highest (32.9 %) in T2 and lowest
(13.7 %) in T3. In guatemala silage the intake rate between treatments ranged from
14.6 in T4 to 31.2 gDM/min in T2. In napier silage the intake rate ranged from 29.1
in T2 to 41.6 gDM/min in T4. Both napier and guatemala silages showed significant
(P V 0.05) difference between treatments in terms of WSC and IVDMD. In napier
silage, the control treatment had highest pH (4.34), ammonia nitrogen (3.9 %) and
lower lactic acid (7.9 gkg4DM).Butyric acid was not detected in napier silages. In
guatemala silage, the control treatment showed the highest pH (4.54), Ammonia
nitrogen (3.1 %), butyric acid (3.0 gkg'DM) and lowest lactic acid (7.3 gkg4DM).
There were no significant differences between napier and guatemala silages in terms
of DM, IVDMD and ammonia nitrogen. The WSC contents and intake rate were
higher in napier than in guatemala silage.The percentage DM loss, pH, lactic acid and
acetic acid content were significantly (P V 0.05) higher in guatemala than in napier
silage.
It was concluded that 5% FSCC and 10% FSCC could be used to conserve well silages
of guatemala and napier grasses, respectively. Further findings are required to
establish the levels of inclusion of FSCC in other common grasses such as Panicum
maximum and Setaria splendida.
Description
Dissertation
Keywords
Guatemala silages, Ammonia nitrogen, Wilted napier silages