<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Ensiling preserving a forage crop and its nutrients to feed later on as silage. In this study, elephant grass was ensiled with varying levels of molasses as an additive to evaluate its effect on the nutritive value and <italic>in-vitro</italic> digestibility of the silage. Four treatments of <italic>Pennisetum purpureum</italic> grass silage were produced with the inclusion of molasses at 0 (T1), 2.5 (T2), 5 (T3), and 7.5 % (T4) inclusion levels. Elephant grass ensiled with higher levels of molasses inclusions (T3, and T4) had significantly higher <italic>(p</italic> &lt; 0.05) dry matter, crude protein, nitrogen-free extract, and lactic acid than T1 and T2 silages. However, T1 and T2 silages had significantly higher (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05) crude fibre and ash contents. Furthermore, silage without molasses inclusion (T1) had significantly higher <italic>(p</italic> &lt; 0.05) in most of the fibre fractions compared to other silages in this study. At 6 and 15 hours, there were no significant differences (<italic>p</italic> > 0.05) in the means of <italic>in-vitro</italic> gas production. However, gas production was significantly higher (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05) in silages with the inclusion of additives (T4, T3, and T2) at 9, 12, 18, 21, and 24 hours of incubation. Conspicuously, silages containing graded levels of molasses as an additive had significantly higher (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05) digestibility and organic matter digestibility than the silage without molasses. The methane gas and metabolisable contents were significantly higher (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05) in T3 and T4 silages than T1 and T2 silages. However, T3 had significantly the highest (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05) gas volume followed by T2, T4, and T1 silages. It can be concluded that our H1 hypothesis was confirmed and the inclusion of molasses as an additive in elephant grass silage resulted in improved dry matter, crude protein, lactic acid contents, reduced fibre fractions, and superior <italic>in-vitro</italic> digestibility values as well as relatively better gas production by the silage.</p>
</abstract>

Ensiling preserving a forage crop and its nutrients to feed later on as silage. In this study, elephant grass was ensiled with varying levels of molasses as an additive to evaluate its effect on the nutritive value and in-vitro digestibility of the silage. Four treatments of Pennisetum purpureum grass silage were produced with the inclusion of molasses at 0 (T1), 2.5 (T2), 5 (T3), and 7.5 % (T4) inclusion levels. Elephant grass ensiled with higher levels of molasses inclusions (T3, and T4) had significantly higher (p < 0.05) dry matter, crude protein, nitrogen-free extract, and lactic acid than T1 and T2 silages. However, T1 and T2 silages had significantly higher (p < 0.05) crude fibre and ash contents. Furthermore, silage without molasses inclusion (T1) had significantly higher (p < 0.05) in most of the fibre fractions compared to other silages in this study. At 6 and 15 hours, there were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in the means of in-vitro gas production. However, gas production was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in silages with the inclusion of additives (T4, T3, and T2) at 9, 12, 18, 21, and 24 hours of incubation. Conspicuously, silages containing graded levels of molasses as an additive had significantly higher (p < 0.05) digestibility and organic matter digestibility than the silage without molasses. The methane gas and metabolisable contents were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in T3 and T4 silages than T1 and T2 silages. However, T3 had significantly the highest (p < 0.05) gas volume followed by T2, T4, and T1 silages. It can be concluded that our H1 hypothesis was confirmed and the inclusion of molasses as an additive in elephant grass silage resulted in improved dry matter, crude protein, lactic acid contents, reduced fibre fractions, and superior in-vitro digestibility values as well as relatively better gas production by the silage.

Effect of molasses on nutritive value and <italic>in-vitro</italic> digestibility of elephant grass silage

Agricultura Tropica et Subtropica

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Effect of molasses on nutritive value and  digestibility of elephant grass silage

Ensiling preserving a forage crop and its nutrients to feed later on as silage. In this study, elephant grass was ensiled with varying levels of molasses as an additive to evaluate its effect on the nutritive value and in-vitro digestibility of the silage. Four treatments of Pennisetum purpureum grass silage were produced with the inclusion of molasses at 0 (T1), 2.5 (T2), 5 (T3), and 7.5 % (T4) inclusion levels. Elephant grass ensiled with higher levels of molasses inclusions (T3, and T4) had significantly higher (p  0.05) in the means of in-vitro gas production. However, gas production was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in silages with the inclusion of additives (T4, T3, and T2) at 9, 12, 18, 21, and 24 hours of incubation. Conspicuously, silages containing graded levels of molasses as an additive had significantly higher (p < 0.05) digestibility and organic matter digestibility than the silage without molasses. The methane gas and metabolisable contents were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in T3 and T4 silages than T1 and T2 silages. However, T3 had significantly the highest (p < 0.05) gas volume followed by T2, T4, and T1 silages. It can be concluded that our H1 hypothesis was confirmed and the inclusion of molasses as an additive in elephant grass silage resulted in improved dry matter, crude protein, lactic acid contents, reduced fibre fractions, and superior in-vitro digestibility values as well as relatively better gas production by the silage.

Ensiling preserving a forage crop and its nutrients to feed later on as silage. In this study, elephant grass was ensiled with varying levels of molasses as an...

Effect of molasses on nutritive value and in-vitro digestibility of elephant grass silage

Publié en ligne: 06 juil. 2024

Pages: 72 - 76

Reçu: 11 janv. 2024

Accepté: 06 juin 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ats-2024-0007

Mots clés
additives, composition, conservation, dry matter, fermentation, fibre fraction, forages, gas production

© 2024 Samuel Kola Ayandiran et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Effect of molasses on nutritive value and in-vitro digestibility of elephant grass silage

Publié en ligne: 06 juil. 2024

Pages: 72 - 76

Reçu: 11 janv. 2024

Accepté: 06 juin 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ats-2024-0007

Mots clésadditives, composition, conservation, dry matter, fermentation, fibre fraction, forages, gas production

© 2024 Samuel Kola Ayandiran et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Mots clés
additives, composition, conservation, dry matter, fermentation, fibre fraction, forages, gas production