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Sample records for grass silages harvested

  1. Faecal particle-size distribution from ewes fed grass silages harvested at different stages of maturity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jalali, Alireza; Nørgaard, Peder; Nadeau, E.

    2008-01-01

    The aim of this experiment was to study the effect of maturity stage of grass at harvest on particle size in faeces from ewes fed grass silage ad libitum. Eighteen pregnant Swedish ewes bearing two foetuses were given one of three treatments as their only feed. The treatments were early (ECS......), medium (MCS) or late (LCS) cut grass silage. The ECS, MCS and LCS silages contained 449, 578, and 634 g NDF kg-1 and 166, 111 and 81 g crude protein kg-1 DM, respectively. The in situ rumen indigestible NDF (INDF) was 77, 164 and 268 g kg-1 of NDF; the degradation rate of digestible NDF (kdDNDF) was 64......, 47 and 44 g kg-1 h-1 and DM intake was 2.5, 2.1 and 1.5 kg d-1 for ECS, MCS and LCS silage, respectively. Faeces samples were collected during four days, washed in nylon bags, freeze dried and sieved into six sieving fractions; bottom bowl (B), 0.106 (C), 0.212 (D), 0.5 (S), 1.0 (M) and 2.36 (O) mm...

  2. Effect of grass silage chop length on chewing activity and digestibility

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Garmo, T.H.; Randby, Å.T.; Eknæs, M.

    2008-01-01

    Round bale grass silage harvested early (D-value 757 g kg-1 DM) or at a normal (D-value 696 g kg-1 DM) time was used to study the effect of harvesting time, chop length and their interaction on chewing activity and digestibility by dairy cows. Six early lactating Norwegian Red cows were used in a 6...... due to reduced ET, CT = 45, 41 and 39 min kg-1 DM for rations with long, coarsely and finely chopped silage, respectively. Grass silage chop length did not influence diet digestibility, but there was a significant effect of harvesting time on digestibility. No interaction between harvesting time...

  3. Nutritional value of grass silage of mombasa associated with additives agroindustrial

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    Euclides Reuter de Oliveira

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available It was aimed to evaluate the chemical composition of grass silage-mombasa associated with different additives in four times of opening the silo. The experiment was conducted in UFGD. After harvesting the forage, biomass in natura crushed, was taken to the lab, homogenized and enriched on the basis of natural mass, with the following additives: 5% wheat bran, 5% of waste (broken grain and soy ice cream cone of soybean, 5% urea in natural matter and the witness (without additive.The silos were opened after (unprocessed material, 15, 30 and 45 days, for the analysis of chemical composition. The data obtained were analyzed through the statistical programme SISVAR and averages were compared to 5% of probability, by Skott-Knot. The grass silage- mombasa without additive presented major (P0.05 of grass silage- mombasa associated with 5 of urea in 15 days and 45 of silage. The grass silage-mombasa with 5% urea showed the highest crude protein content at time 0 and differed from other treatments. The silage of mombasa associated with 5% urea provided greater in vitro digestibility of dry matter to 15 days of silage.

  4. Improving the energy balance of grass-based anaerobic digestion through combined harvesting and pretreatment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tsapekos, Panagiotis; Kougias, Panagiotis; Egelund, H.

    2017-01-01

    on meadow and cultivated grass silages. The results showed that relatively high methane production can be achieved from meadow and cultivated grass harvested in different seasons. The findings indicated that the bioenergy production can be improved based on the selection of the appropriate harvesting...

  5. Effect of increasing plant maturity in timothy-dominated grass silage on the performance of growing/finishing Norwegian Red bulls

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Randby, Å T; Nørgaard, P; Weisbjerg, Martin Riis

    2010-01-01

    An investigation was made of the potential for attaining high daily live weight (LW) gain, high feeding efficiency and carcass quality in Norwegian Red (NRF) bulls fed grass silage harvested at early stages of maturity, supplemented with minimal amounts of concentrates. Roundbale silage was produ......An investigation was made of the potential for attaining high daily live weight (LW) gain, high feeding efficiency and carcass quality in Norwegian Red (NRF) bulls fed grass silage harvested at early stages of maturity, supplemented with minimal amounts of concentrates. Roundbale silage...... and a formic acid-based additive applied. All silages were preserved with restricted fermentation. Silage DOMD values were 0·747, 0·708 and 0·647 for harvesting time (H) 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Silages were fed ad libitum as sole feed, or supplemented with 2–4 kg concentrate at increasing LW, to six bulls per...... treatment from age 7 months (288 kg) to slaughter at 575 kg. Daily LW gain for bulls fed unsupplemented silage was 1423, 1262 and 936 g, respectively, for H1, H2 and H3, and 1570, 1567 and 1357 g for supplemented bulls. For concentrate-supplemented bulls, higher energy intake increased proportions...

  6. Voluntary intake, digestibility and nitrogen utilization by sheep fed ensiled grass clover mixture harvested at three stages of maturity

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    Marina Vranić

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this experiment was to study the effects of grass maturity at harvest on silage ad libitum intake, in vivo digestibility and N retention in wether sheep. The sward was harvested at the stem elongation, tasseling and flowering growth stages of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata. Three silages were offered to four Charolais wether sheep in an incomplete change over design with four periods. As the crop matured, there was an increase (P<0.001 in dry matter (DM, organic matter (OM and acid detergent fiber (ADF concentration and a decrease in crude protein (CP concentration (P<0.001. Increasing maturity of grass ensiled showed a linear decrease (P<0.01 in voluntary silage intake of DM, OM, neutral detergent fiber (NDF, a linear decrease (P<0.01 in digestibility of silage DM, OM, NDF, ADF, CP, and a linear decrease in nitrogen balance (P<0.01. No quadratic response was recorded in silage intake, digestibility or N balance. The results suggest that grass maturity at harvest influences the nutritive value of grass silage, in terms of ad libitum intake, in vivo digestibility and N retention in sheep, as a result of changes in chemical composition.

  7. Early lactation feed intake and milk yield responses of dairy cows offered grass silages harvested at early maturity stages

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Randby, A T; Weisbjerg, M R; Nørgaard, P

    2012-01-01

    was available in automatic feed stations. Intake of grass silage when fed as the sole feed was 16.9 kg of DM on average for lactation wk 1 to 16. When H1 was supplemented with 4 or 8 kg of concentrates, silage DM intake did not change, but total DM intake increased to 20.6 and 23.7 kg/d, respectively. Energy......The main objective was to evaluate the potential of grass silages of very high quality to support a high milk yield with a low or moderate, or even without concentrate supplementation. Production responses to increased levels of concentrate supplementation with 3 primary growth grass silages...... differing in digestibility were studied using 66 Norwegian Red dairy cows. Roundbale silage was produced from a timothy-dominated sward at very early (H1), early (H2), and normal (H3) stages of crop maturity. Crops were rapidly wilted (h) and a formic acid-based additive was applied. All silages were...

  8. Dry matter losses of grass, lucerne and maize silages in bunker silos

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    Brigitte Koehler

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available An efficient feed management is important for a sustainable and economic agricultural production. One of the main points for improving the efficiency is the reduction of feed losses. In the present investigation the dry matter (DM losses of grass, lucerne and maize silages in farm scaled bunker silos were analysed. The method of determining DM losses was the total-in versus total-out DM mass flow of the silos, including the determination of DM content and other silage parameters via manual sampling. The results taken from 48 silos showed on average for all investigated crops 9–12% of DM losses. Density and feed out rate showed a negative correlation to DM losses in maize silages. According to the applied method for determining DM losses on farm scale, a guideline of 8% can be suggested for maximum DM losses in bunker silos for grass and maize silages. The described method seems to be applicable for improving the feed management by using largely automated measurements on the harvest and feeding side.

  9. Influence of stage of maturity of grass silages on protein digestion and microbial protein synthesis in the rumen.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bosch, M.W.; Bruchem, van J.; Bongers, L.J.G.M.; Tamminga, S.

    1994-01-01

    In four change-over experiments, wilted grass silages, differing in growth stage at harvesting and as a consequence in cell wall content, were fed ad libitum to dairy cows in early and late lactation. Ruminal degradation rate of the crude protein fraction of the silages was investigated using nylon

  10. Improving the energy balance of grass-based anaerobic digestion through harvesting optimization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tsapekos, Panagiotis; Kougias, Panagiotis; Egelund, H.

    with a number of coarse barbs) to simultaneously mow and mechanically pretreat two different lignocellulosic substrates. Thus, ensiled meadow grass was initially examined at the first experimental set up. Regarding the second field test, an area sowed with regularly cultivated grass was harvested. In order......) protocol. The findings showed that methane production can efficiently be enhanced by mechanical pretreatment applied at the harvesting step. More specifically, the most effective treatment yielded more than 10% increase in the bioenergy production from both examined grass silages. Our study demonstrates...... that the appropriate harvester can improve the energy output by approximately 2.4 GJ/ha under optimal conditions and subsequently, the overall sustainability of grass-based AD....

  11. Effects of feeding dairy cows different legume-grass silages on milk phytoestrogen concentration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Höjer, A; Adler, S; Purup, Stig

    2012-01-01

    interval of legume-grass silage on phytoestrogen intake and milk phytoestrogen concentrations. In one experiment, 15 Swedish Red dairy cows were fed 2- or 3-cut red clover-grass silage, or 2-cut birdsfoot trefoil-grass silage. In a second experiment, 16 Norwegian Red dairy cows were fed short-term ley...... red clover-grass silage diet (1,494μg/kg of milk). Because of the metabolism of biochanin A, genistein, and prunetin, their concentrations in milk and the apparent recovery were low. Coumestrol was detected in only short-term and long-term ley silage mixtures, and its milk concentration was low....... Concentrations of secoisolariciresinol and matairesinol were higher in 2-cut birdsfoot trefoil-grass and long-term ley silage mixtures, those with legume species other than red clover, and the highest grass proportions. The 2-cut birdsfoot trefoil-grass silage diet also resulted in higher enterolactone...

  12. The effect of a mixture of Lactobacillus strains on silage quality and nutritive value of grass harvested at four growth stages and ensiled for two periods

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    Johan De Boever

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available   The effect of adding an inoculant containing Lactobacillus buchneri, L. plantarum and L. casei to wilted perennial ryegrass, harvested at four growth stages and ensiled for either 60 or 150 d on silage fermentation quality, chemical composition, rumen degradability of neutral detergent fibre (NDF and organic matter (OM and in vitro OM digestibility (OMd was studied. Compared to the control silage, more sugars were fermented to lactic and acetic acid with the inoculant, resulting in a lower pH, less dry matter losses and protein degradation and a better aerobic stability. The effects of the additive on fermentation quality were more pronounced after 150 than after 60 d of ensiling, because the quality of the control silage was worse after long ensiling period. The treatment lowered NDF content of grass harvested at the first two growth stages by degrading cell walls to complex sugars, but had no effect on NDF degradability of the silage. The inoculant had no effect on rumen OM degradability nor on OMd after the short ensiling period, but increased the rumen OM degradability for the first two growth stages and OMd for all growth stages after long ensiling period.

  13. Microbiological Quality of Panicum maximum Grass Silage with Addition of Lactobacillus sp. as Starter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sumarsih, S.; Sulistiyanto, B.; Utama, C. S.

    2018-02-01

    The aim of the research was to evaluate microbiological quality of Panicum maximum grass silage with addition Lactobacillus sp as starter. The completely randomized design was been used on this research with 4 treaments and 3 replications. The treatments were P0 ( Panicum maximum grass silage without addition Lactobacillus sp ), P1 ( Panicum maximum grass silage with 2% addition Lactobacillus sp), P2 (Panicum maximum grass silage with 4% addition Lactobacillus sp) and P3 (Panicum maximum grass silage with 6% addition Lactobacillus sp).The parameters were microbial populations of Panicum maximum grass silage (total lactic acid bacteria, total bacteria, total fungi, and Coliform bacteria. The data obtained were analyzed variance (ANOVA) and further tests performed Duncan’s Multiple Areas. The population of lactic acid bacteria was higher (PMicrobiological quality of Panicum maximum grass silage with addition Lactobacillus sp was better than no addition Lactobacillus sp.

  14. Estimating grass and grass silage degradation characteristics by in situ and in vitro gas production methods

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    Danijel Karolyi

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Fermentation characteristics of grass and grass silage at different maturities were studied using in situ and in vitro gas production methods. In situ data determined difference between grass and silage. Degradable fraction decreased as grass matured while the undegradable fraction increased. Rate of degradation (kd was slower for silage than fresh grass. Gas production method (GP data showed that fermentation of degradable fraction was different between stage of maturity in both grass and silage. Other data did not show any difference with the exception for the rate of GP of soluble and undegradable fraction. The in situ degradation characteristics were estimated from GP characteristics. The degradable and undegradable fractions could be estimated by multiple relationships. Using the three-phases model for gas production kd and fermentable organic matter could be estimated from the same parameters. The only in situ parameter that could not be estimated with GP parameters was the soluble fraction. The GP method and the three phases model provided to be an alternative to the in situ method for animal feed evaluations.

  15. Intercropping of corn, brachiaria grass and leguminous plants: productivity, quality and composition of silages

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    Patrícia Monteiro Costa

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available The present study was carried out with the objective to evaluate the productive and qualitative characteristics of forages produced in systems of intercropping of corn, brachiaria grass and different leguminous plants. Productivity, bromatological composition and the fermentative profile of the silages from the following treatments were evaluated: corn in exclusive cultivation (CEC; intercropping of corn with brachiaria grass (CB; intercropping of corn, brachiaria grass and Calopogonium mucunoides (CBCal; intercropping of corn, brachiaria grass and Macrotyloma axillare (CBMac; and intercropping of corn, brachiaria grass and Stylozanthes capitata (CBSty. The experimental design utilized was completely randomized. For each type of cultivation, five plots or replications of three linear meters were harvested, and the material was separated. The variables assessed were: dry matter productivity per area; dry matter productivity of corn per area; crude protein production per area and productivity of total digestible nutrients per area. The material originated from the cultures was ensiled, with dry matter between 28 and 32%. After, the material was placed and compacted appropriately in bucket silos. A sample was collected from each replication for determination of the contents of DM, crude protein (CP, ether extract (EE, lignin, neutral and acid detergent fibers (NDF and ADF and TDN. A fraction of the sample of silages from each treatment was compressed for extraction of the juice and determination of the silage quality. There was difference between the forms of cultivation for the dry matter production per hectare. The CEC with production of 11920.1 kg DM/ha did not differ from CB (8997.41 kg DM/ha or CBCal (10452.10 kg DM/ha; however, it was superior to CBMac (8429.75 kg DM/ha and to CBSty (8164.83 kg DM/ha. The contents of DM, CP, NDF, ADF, lignin and TDN did not differ between the silages from the different treatments. All the silages presented

  16. Effects of maize maturity at harvest and dietary proportion of maize silage on intake and performance of growing/finishing bulls

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zaralis, K.; Nørgaard, P.; Helander, C.

    2014-01-01

    Whole-crop maize silage as forage in diets of finishing cattle can promote high intakes and thus, enhances animal performance. In the present study we evaluated the effect of whole-crop maize maturity at harvest and the proportion of maize-silage in diets of finishing bulls, on feed intake...... of treatments, involving two maturity stages of maize at harvest (i.e. dough stage or dent stage) and two maize silage proportions (i.e. 100% maize silage or 50% maize and 50% grass silage). The diets were offered ad libitum as total mixed rations (TMRs) with inclusion of concentrates (i.e. rolled barley; dried...... distillers’ grain plus soluble; cold-pressed rapeseed cake) in a 40% proportion on DM basis. All animals were slaughtered at a target body weight of 630 kg. Bulls fed on diets containing maize silage as sole forage achieved higher live-weight gain (P

  17. Rumen fermentation profile and intestinal digestibility of maize and grass silages

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ali, M.

    2013-01-01

    Maize and grass silages are commonly used as major feed materials for dairy cows in Europe and are becoming common parts of dairy cow rations in other parts of the world. Thenutritive value of maize and grass silages varies greatly due to variation in chemical composition. A combination of

  18. Influence of species and preservations on the quality and safety of grass silages

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    Jiří Skládanka

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper evaluates the quality of model silages made of wilted grass biomass and treated with silage additives. Grass species used for the production of silages were Lolium perenne, Festulolium pabulare and Festulolium braunii harvested in the first cut at the stage of earing. The assessed grass species were wilted after the cut for an identical time 36 hours (2008, resp. 24 hours (2009. The treatment was made either with a chemical preparation (formic acid, propionic acid, ammonium formate and/or with a bio­lo­gi­cal inoculant (Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus plantarum, Pediococcus acidilactici, Lactobacillus salivarius, cellulase, hemicellulase and amylase. The amount of the chemical ingredient was 4 l . t−1 and the amount of the biological additive was 10 g . t−1.The biomass was after wilting ensilaged in con­tai­ners whose diameter and height were 0.15 m and 0.64 m, respectively. After 60 days of ensilaging, the silages were assessed for pH, organic acids content, ethanol content and acidity of water extract (AWE; organic nutrients assessed in the silages were crude fibre (CF, neutral detergent fibre (NDF, acid detergent fibre (ADF, crude protein (CP and digestibility of organic matter (DOM. Hygienic safety was assessed from the contents of zearalenon, fumonisin and aflatoxin mycotoxins. The high (P < 0.05 dry matter (DM content in Festulolium pabulare silages indicates that the species tends to rapid wilting. The higher DM content reflected in lower biomass losses (P < 0.05. The lowest pH values (P < 0.05 were detected in silages made of Festulolium braunii. The fact relates to the higher content of lactic acid in the prepared microsilages. The use of ensiling additives affected the quality of extracts. Namely the application of the biological additive led to the increased content (P < 0.05 of not only lactic acid but acetic acid too. Titrable acidity was not affected by the ensiling additives. As to the

  19. Napier Grass and Legume Silage for Smallholder Farmers in Coastal Kenya

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muinga, R.W.; Mambo, L.C.; Bimbuzi, S.

    1999-01-01

    Inadequate feed during the dry season is a major cause of low dairy productivity in Kenya. Napier grass is grown by smallholder dairy farmers due to its high biomass yield especially during the rainy season when it can be ensiled to ensure feed available in the dry season.The objective of the study was to determine the silage quality of mixtures of Napier grass and Legume forages. Maize bran was used as the main source of readily available carbohydrates replacing molasses. The mixtures were compared to the conventional Napier grass/legume has higher nutritive value than silage made from Napier grass only and that maize bran could replace molasses as a source of readily available carbohydrates

  20. Effects on the equine colon ecosystem of grass silage and haylage diets after an abrupt change from hay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muhonen, S; Julliand, V; Lindberg, J E; Bertilsson, J; Jansson, A

    2009-07-01

    The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of an abrupt change from grass hay (81% DM) to grass silage (36% DM) or grass haylage (55% DM), fed at similar DM intakes, and to compare the effects of silage and haylage on the composition and activities of the colon microflora. The forages were from the same swath harvested on the same day. Four adult colon-fistulated geldings were randomly assigned to diets in a crossover design. The study started with a preperiod when all 4 horses received the hay diet, followed by an abrupt feed change to the haylage diet for 2 horses and the silage diet for 2 horses. All 4 horses then had a new second preperiod of hay, followed by an abrupt feed change to the opposite haylage and silage diet. The periods were 21 d long, and the forage-only diets were supplemented with minerals and salt. The abrupt feed changes were made at 0800 h. Colon samples were taken before the abrupt feed change, 4 and 28 h after the feed change, and 8, 15, and 21 d after the feed change, all at 1200 h. Colon bacterial counts, VFA, pH, and DM concentrations were unchanged throughout the first 28 h after the abrupt feed change from hay to haylage and silage. Also, fecal pH and DM concentrations were unchanged during the first 28 h. During the weekly observations, colon lactobacilli counts increased (P = 0.023) in horses receiving the silage diet and were greater than on the haylage diet at 21 d. Streptococci counts decreased (P = 0.046) in horses receiving the haylage diet and were less than on the silage diet at 15 and 21 d. Total VFA concentrations and colon and fecal pH did not differ between diets and were unchanged throughout the weekly observations. The DM concentration of colon digesta and feces decreased (P = 0.030 and 0.049, respectively) on both diets during the weekly observations. The results suggest that in horses fed at the maintenance level of energy intake, an abrupt feed change from grass hay to grass silage or grass haylage from

  1. Effect of inclusion of citrus pulp inxaraés grass silage

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    Júnior Issamu Yasuoka

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of inclusion of different levels of pelleted citrus pulp (PCP on the quality of xaraés grass silage. Xaraés grass was ensiled at 54 days of growth with 0, 10, 20 and 30% PCP and divided into 20 experimental silos (five repetitions/treatment. A completely randomized design was adopted. The silos were opened after 67 days for the determination of dry matter (DM, crude protein (CP, neutral detergent fiber (NDF, acid detergent fiber (ADF, pH, and titratable acidity of the silages. The inclusion of PCP did not influence DM content, but reduced CP content. NDF and ADF content decreased with the addition of citrus pulp. Regarding pH, a significant difference was only observed for the inclusion of 30% PCP. Titratable acidity in the silage was lower in the absence of PCP (0% compared to the treatment with 30% (P<0.05. The inclusion of 30% PCP in xaraés grass silage is indicated since it improves the quality of the fibrous fraction, while maintaining acceptable pH values.

  2. Fermentative characteristics and nutritional value of elephant grass silage added with dehydrated banana peel

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    Lara Maria Santos Brant

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate the fermentative losses and nutritional value of elephant grass silages with the increasing of inclusion levels of dehydrated banana peel. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design, with six treatments and four replications, being the silage exclusively from elephant grass, and five levels of inclusion of banana peel to the elephant grass silage, as the following - 5; 10; 15; 20 and 25%, being added based on natural matter. The addition of the banana peel in the silage reduced linearly (p < 0.05 the pH, the ammoniacal nitrogen and the losses of the fermentative process. In addition, the inclusion of banana peel increased linearly (p < 0.05 the dry matter and non-fibrous carbohydrates. On the other hand, the neutral detergent fiber and the acid detergent fiber were linearly reduced with the inclusion of the banana peel (p < 0.05, but there was no change in the dry matter digestibility in situ. The inclusion of dehydrated banana peel in elephant grass silage reduces the losses of the fermentation process with more consistent results at the 25% inclusion level, however, it reduces the silage nutritional value due to fibrous and protein quality.

  3. Moisture Concentration Variation of Silages Produced on Commercial Farms in the South-Central USA

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    K. J. Han

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Preservation of forage crops as silage offers opportunity to avoid the high risk of rain-damaged hay in the humid south-central USA. Recent developments with baled silage or baleage make silage a less expensive option than typical chopped silage. Silage has been important in the region primarily for dairy production, but baleage has become an option for the more extensive beef cattle industry in the region. Silage samples submitted to the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center Forage Quality Lab from 2006 through 2013 were assessed for dry matter (DM and forage nutritive characteristics of chopped silage and baleage of the different forage types from commercial farms primarily in Louisiana and Mississippi. Of the 1,308 silage samples submitted, 1,065 were annual ryegrass (AR with small grains (SG, the warm-season annual (WA grasses, sorghums and pearl millet, and the warm-season perennial (WP grasses, bermudagrass and bahiagrass, providing the remaining samples. Concentration of DM was used to indicate an effective ensiling opportunity, and AR silage was more frequently within the target DM range than was the WA forage group. The AR samples also indicated a high-quality forage with average crude protein (CP of 130 g/kg and total digestible nutrient (TDN near 600 g/kg. The cooler winter weather at harvest apparently complicated harvest of SG silage with chopped SG silage lower in both CP and TDN (104 and 553 g/kg, respectively than either AR silage or baleage of SG (137 and 624 g/kg for CP and TDN, respectively. The hot, humid summer weather along with large stems and large forage quantities of the WA grasses and the inherently higher fiber concentration of WP grasses at harvest stage indicate that preservation of these forage types as silage will be challenging, although successful commercial silage samples of each forage type and preservation approach were included among samples of silages produced in the region.

  4. Microbial protein synthesis, digestion and lactation responses of cows to grass or grass-red clover silage diet supplemented with barley or oats

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    A. VANHATALO

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available The study was conducted to evaluate effects of silage type (grass-red clover vs. pure grass and grain supplement (oats vs. barley on rumen fermentation, post-ruminal nutrient flows, diet digestion and milk production. Four primiparous Finnish Ayrshire cows fitted with cannulae in the rumen and duodenum were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square experiment with four 28-d experimental periods and 2 × 2 factorial arrangements of treatments. Using red clover-containing (40% silage rather than pure grass silage had minor effects on rumen fermentation or diet digestion but increased non-ammonia nitrogen (N flow in terms of increased flows of microbial and dietary N entering to the small intestine. This was reflected as a reduced ruminal N degradability on grass-red clover diets. Furthermore, grass-red clover diets in comparison to grass silage diets increased milk lactose concentration and yields of milk, protein and lactose. Feeding oats in replacement for barley had minor effects on rumen fermentation or post-ruminal non-ammonia N flows but reduced digestibility of organic matter and neutral detergent fibre in the diet. Using oats rather than barley increased yields of milk and lactose but reduced milk protein concentration. Oats also increased proportions of C18:0 and C18:1 in milk fat and reduced those of C10:0 to C16:0. It is concluded that inclusion of red clover and replacement of barley with oats in grass silage based diets have beneficial effects in dairy cow production.;

  5. Co-Digestion of Napier Grass and Its Silage with Cow Dung for Methane Production

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    Wipa Prapinagsorn

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Methane production from co-digestion of grass with cow dung and silage with cow dung was conducted by a bioaugmentation technique. For self-fermentation, maximum methane yield (MY of 176.66 and 184.94 mL CH4/g-VSadded were achieved at a ratio of grass to cow dung and silage to cow dung of 1:1, respectively. A higher maximum MY of 179.59 and 208.11 mL CH4/g-VSadded was obtained from co-digestion of grass with cow dung and silage with cow dung bioaugmented with anaerobic sludge at a ratio of 3:1. The solid residue left over after co-digestion at a ratio of 3:1 was pretreated by alkaline plus enzyme before used to produce methane and a maximum MY of 333.63 and 301.38 mL CH4/g-VSadded, respectively, was achieved. Overall power generated from co-digestion of grass with cow dung plus pretreated solid residues and co-digestion of silage with cow dung plus pretreated solid residues were 0.0397 and 0.007 watt, respectively.

  6. Chemical composition of elephant grass silages supplemented with different levels of dehydrated cashew bagasse

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    Danillo Glaydson Farias Guerra

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available The objective of the present study was to evaluate the chemical composition of elephant grass silages supplemented with different levels dried cashew bagasse (DCB. Our experiment used a randomized design replicated four times, each replicate consisting of the following five treatments: 100% elephant grass; 95% elephant grass + 5% DCB; 90% elephant grass + 10% DCB; 85% elephant grass + 15% DCB; and 80% elephant grass + 20% DCB. The elephant grass was cut manually to a residual height of 5 cm at 80 days of age, and cashew bagasse was obtained from the processing of cashew stalks used in fruit pulp manufacturing in Mossoró/RN. Plastic buckets were used as experimental silos, and 90 days after ensiling the experimental silos were opened and the contents analyzed. The addition of dried cashew bagasse to silage linearly increased the levels of dried matter and crude protein by 0.59% and 0.13%, respectively, for each 1% addition (P < 0.05. The neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent content of the silages was reduced by 0.22% and 0.09%, respectively, for each 1% addition of the bagasse. The total carbohydrate content was not influenced by the bagasse addition (P > 0.05, and averaged 82.29%. The levels of non-fiber carbohydrate showed linear growth (P < 0.05 as the dehydrated cashew bagasse was added, and pH and ammoniacal nitrogen levels were reduced. The addition of the dehydrated bagasse to elephant grass silage improves its chemical composition, and it can be effectively added up to the level of 20%.

  7. Improving the energy balance of grass-based anaerobic digestion through combined harvesting and pretreatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsapekos, P; Kougias, P G; Egelund, H; Larsen, U; Pedersen, J; Trénel, P; Angelidaki, I

    2017-08-01

    An important challenge that has to be addressed to achieve sustainable anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic substrates is the development of energy and cost efficient pretreatment methods. Technologies orientated to simultaneously harvest and mechanically pretreat the biomass at the field could meet these criteria as they can potentially reduce the energy losses. The objective of this study was to elucidate the effect of two full-scale harvesting machines to enhance the biogas production and subsequently, improve energy balance. The performances of Disc-mower and Excoriator were assessed on meadow and cultivated grass silages. The results showed that relatively high methane production can be achieved from meadow and cultivated grass harvested in different seasons. The findings indicated that the bioenergy production can be improved based on the selection of the appropriate harvesting technology. More specifically, Excoriator, which cuts and subsequently applies shearing forces on harvested biomass, enhanced the methane production up to 10% and the overall energy budget was improved proportionally to the driving speed increase. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Elephant grass clones for silage production

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rerisson José Cipriano dos Santos

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Ensiling warm-season grasses often requires wilting due to their high moisture content, and the presence of low-soluble sugars in these grasses usually demands the use of additives during the ensiling process. This study evaluated the bromatological composition of the fodder and silage from five Pennisetum sp. clones (IPA HV 241, IPA/UFRPE Taiwan A-146 2.114, IPA/UFRPE Taiwan A-146 2.37, Elephant B, and Mott. The contents of 20 Polyvinyl chloride (PVC silos, which were opened after 90 days of storage, were used for the bromatological analysis and the evaluation of the pH, nitrogen, ammonia, buffer capacity, soluble carbohydrates, and fermentation coefficients. The effluent losses, gases and dry matter recovery were also calculated. Although differences were observed among the clones (p < 0.05 for the concentrations of dry matter, insoluble nitrogen in acid detergents, insoluble nitrogen in neutral detergents, soluble carbohydrates, fermentation coefficients, and in vitro digestibility in the forage before ensiling, no differences were observed for most of these variables after ensiling. All of the clones were efficient in the fermentation process. The IPA/UFRPE TAIWAN A-146 2.37 clone, however, presented a higher dry matter concentration and the best fermentation coefficient, resulting in a better silage quality, compared to the other clones.

  9. Effect of nitrogen fertilization on the protein quality of timothy grass and silage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liisa Syrjälä-Qvist

    1984-09-01

    Full Text Available Timothy grass given N fertilizer at the rates of 40, 80 and 120 kg N/ha was preserved in 3 glass-fibre silos of 0.4 m3. The crude protein content of DM in the grass increased with the increase of N fertilization as follows: N40 14.8 %, N80 18.4 % and N120 22.1 %, but the proportion of true protein in crude protein decreased: N40 82 %, N80 78 % and N120 76 %. The proportion of watersoluble N in the total N in the grass was: N40 27 %, N80 30 % and N120 33 %. The higher was the N fertilization level, the more rapidly was the protein of the grass degraded in the rumen. The amino acid profile of the protein was similar at all the N fertilization levels. The quality of all the silages was good. The NH3-N fraction of total N was 2.8—3.9 % and the proportion of water-soluble N in total N was 51—55 %, In silage the decrease during ensiling in the proportion of true protein in crude protein and the increase in the proportion of water-soluble N in total N were smaller than in the other silages. The rumen degradability of protein during the first two hours was also lowest in this silage.

  10. Rumen escape protein in grass and grass silage deterimened with a nylon bag and an enzymatic technique

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cone, J.W.; Gelder, van A.H.; Mathijssen-Kamman, A.A.; Hindle, V.A.

    2004-01-01

    Rumen escape protein (REP) was determined for six grasses and 16 grass silages using a nylon bag technique and an in vitro technique using a proteolytic enzyme preparation of Streptomyces griseus. In vitro, the samples were incubated for 0, 1, 6 and 24 h. The highest correlation observed between

  11. Effects of maturity and harvest season of grass-clover silage and of forage-to-concentrate ratio on milk production of dairy cows

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alstrup, L; Søegaard, K; Weisbjerg, M R

    2016-01-01

    This study examined the effects of maturity and season of harvest of grass-clover silages and forage:concentrate ratio (FCR) on feed intake, milk production, chewing activity, digestibility, and fecal consistency of Holstein dairy cows. Comparison included 2 cuts in spring season (early and late......) and 2 cuts in summer season (early and late) combined with high FCR (80:20; HFCR) and low FCR (50:50; LFCR). The experiment included 24 lactating Holstein cows arranged as 2 repeated 4 × 4 Latin squares with four 21-d periods and included measurements of feed composition, feed intake, milk production...... digestible than late maturity cuts, which was also reflected in a lower concentration of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) in early maturity cuts, whereas summer cuts had a higher crude protein concentration than spring cuts. Increased maturity decreased the intake of DM and energy, increased NDF intake...

  12. Role of ammonia and biogenic amines in intake of grass silage by ruminants

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Os, van M.

    1997-01-01

    In Northern- and Western-Europe, grass silage is a major component in winter feeding rations for ruminants. The intake of ensiled grass is often lower than the intake of hay or the fresh grass of similar digestibility. This intake depression is attributed to the fermentation products

  13. Evaluation of physical structure value in spring-harvested grass/clover silage and hay fed to heifers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schulze, A.K.S.; Nørgaard, P.; Byskov, M.V.

    2015-01-01

    The physical structure value of conserved grass/clover forages of spring harvest was evaluated by assessing effects of harvest time, conservation method, iNDF/NDF ratio and NDF intake (NDFI) per kg BW on chewing activity and fecal particle size in dairy heifers. A mixed sward consisting of ryegrass...

  14. Effects of maturity and harvest season of grass-clover silage and of forage-to-concentrate ratio on milk production of dairy cows.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alstrup, L; Søegaard, K; Weisbjerg, M R

    2016-01-01

    This study examined the effects of maturity and season of harvest of grass-clover silages and forage:concentrate ratio (FCR) on feed intake, milk production, chewing activity, digestibility, and fecal consistency of Holstein dairy cows. Comparison included 2 cuts in spring season (early and late) and 2 cuts in summer season (early and late) combined with high FCR (80:20; HFCR) and low FCR (50:50; LFCR). The experiment included 24 lactating Holstein cows arranged as 2 repeated 4 × 4 Latin squares with four 21-d periods and included measurements of feed composition, feed intake, milk production and composition, chewing activities, digestibilities, and fecal dry matter (DM) concentration and scoring. Forages were fed as two-thirds grass-clover and one-third corn silage supplemented with either 20 or 50% concentrate. Rations were fed ad libitum as total mixed rations. Early maturity cuts were more digestible than late maturity cuts, which was also reflected in a lower concentration of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) in early maturity cuts, whereas summer cuts had a higher crude protein concentration than spring cuts. Increased maturity decreased the intake of DM and energy, increased NDF intake, and decreased the yield of energy-corrected milk (ECM). Summer cuts increased the ECM yield compared with spring cuts. Milk yield (kg and kilogram of ECM) was numerically higher for cows fed early summer cut, independent of FCR in the ration. Milk protein concentration decreased, or tended to decrease, with maturity. For LFCR, the milk fat concentration increased with maturity resulting in a decreased protein:fat ratio. At HFCR, increased maturity increased the time spent chewing per kilogram of DM. Digestibility of silages was positively correlated with the fecal DM concentration. The DM intake and ECM yield showed no significant response to FCR in the ration, but the milk composition was affected. The LFCR decreased the milk fat percentage and increased the milk protein

  15. Milk Production of Lactating Cows Fed Pangola Silage Ensiled with Irradiated Silage Innoculant and Fresh Cut Pangola Grass

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prasanpanich, Somkiert; Buaphan, Sirirat; Boon-ek, Lertchatand; Piadang, Nattayana

    2006-09-01

    Ten crossbred Holstein lactating cows of mid-lactation and similar body score condition were balanced across the 2 treatments containing Group 1: 5 cows given fresh cut Pangola grass and Group 2: 5 cows fed Pangola silage ensiled with silage innoculant, under Group Comparison Design. They were also provided with an exact amount of 1 kg meal concentrate to 1 kg of milk produced. Mineral supplement and water were supplied free choice. The results did show that the cows in Group 1 had significantly higher (P<0.05) roughage and total dry matter intake than did the cows in Group 2. However, milk production in Group 2 appeared to have a non-significant higher amount, the concentrations of Blood urea nitrogen, Blood glucose and Triiodothyronine were not significant different between groups. The body weight change increased in both groups. It can concluded that cows fed Pangola silage ensiled with silage innoculant seemed to have higher Digestibility Co-efficiency due to the high efficiency of silage innoculant fermentation. Then, silage quality would be improved by mean of silage innoculant application.

  16. Effects of nitrogen fertilisation rate and maturity of grass silage on methane emission by lactating dairy cows

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Warner, D.; Hatew, B.; Podesta, S.C.; Klop, G.; Gastelen, van S.; Laar, van H.; Dijkstra, J.; Bannink, A.

    2016-01-01

    Grass silage is typically fed to dairy cows in temperate regions. However, in vivo information on methane (CH4) emission from grass silage of varying quality is limited. We evaluated the effect of two rates of nitrogen (N) fertilisation of grassland (low fertilisation (LF), 65 kg of N/ha; and high

  17. Fermentation Characteristics and Microbial Diversity of Tropical Grass-legumes Silages

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roni Ridwan

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Calliandra calothyrsus preserved in silage is an alternative method for improving the crude protein content of feeds for sustainable ruminant production. The aim of this research was to evaluate the quality of silage which contained different levels of C. calothyrsus by examining the fermentation characteristics and microbial diversity. Silage was made in a completely randomized design consisting of five treatments with three replications i.e.: R0, Pennisetum purpureum 100%; R1, P. purpureum 75%+C. calothyrsus 25%;, R2, P. purpureum 50%+C. calothyrsus 50%; R3, P. purpureum 25%+C. calothyrsus 75%; and R4, C. calothyrsus 100%. All silages were prepared using plastic jar silos (600 g and incubated at room temperature for 30 days. Silages were analyzed for fermentation characteristics and microbial diversity. Increased levels of C. calothyrsus in silage had a significant effect (p<0.01 on the fermentation characteristics. The microbial diversity index decreased and activity was inhibited with increasing levels of C. calothyrsus. The microbial community indicated that there was a population of Lactobacillus plantarum, L. casei, L. brevis, Lactococcus lactis, Chryseobacterium sp., and uncultured bacteria. The result confirmed that silage with a combination of grass and C. calothyrsus had good fermentation characteristics and microbial communities were dominated by L. plantarum.

  18. Steers performance fed diets with Alexander grass silage (Urochloa plantaginea x sorghum silage (Sorghum bicolor (L. Moench

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Flânia Mônego Argenta

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to evaluate the parameters related to feedlot beef steers fed with Alexander grass silage or sorghum silage as roughage source. Twelve animals with initial average of weight and age of 245 kg and 20 months, respectively, belonging to Nellore (N, Charolais (C, 21/32 N 11/32 C, 21/32 C 11/32 N; 43/64 N 21/64 C and 43/64 C 21/64 N genetic groups were used. The ration was composed by a roughage:concentrate relation of 50:50 (dry matter basis, offered at ease. The dry matter, crude protein, ether extract, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber daily intake didn’t differ between roughage sources, being the medium values of 10.18; 1.28; 0.20; 4.96 and 2.51 kg/day, respectively. However, the ether extract intake by metabolic size and by corporal weight percentage were higher for the one that consumed sorghum silage, obtaining values of 2.74 and 2.36 g/metabolic size and 0.06 and 0.05 kg/100 kg of live weight. The same behavior was observed for digestible energy intake, presenting values of 364.87 and 302.83 g/metabolic size and 8.10 and 7.02 kg/100 kg of live weight. The daily average gain, final corporal score and feed conversion weren’t influenced by roughage type, being the values of 1.31 kg; 4.05 points and 7.78 kg of DM/kg of weight gain, respectively. The Alexander grass silage is a feasible alternative as its substitution in relation to sorghum silage.

  19. Forage fiber effects on particle size reduction, ruminal stratification, and selective retention in heifers fed highly digestible grass/clover silages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schulze, A K S; Weisbjerg, M R; Storm, A C; Nørgaard, P

    2014-06-01

    The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of NDF content in highly digestible grass/clover silage on particle size reduction, ruminal stratification, and selective retention in dairy heifers. The reduction in particle size from feed to feces was evaluated and related to feed intake, chewing activity, and apparent digestibility. Four grass/clover harvests (Mixtures of Lolium perenne, Trifolium pratense, and Trifolium repens) were performed from early May to late August at different maturities, at different regrowth stages, and with different clover proportions, resulting in silages with NDF contents of 312, 360, 371, and 446 g/kg DM, respectively, and decreasing NDF digestibility with greater NDF content. Four rumen-fistulated dairy heifers were fed silage at 90% of ad libitum level as the only feed source in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Silage, ingested feed boluses, medial and ventral ruminal digesta, and feces samples were washed with neutral detergent in nylon bags of 10-μm pore size, freeze dried, and divided into small (1 mm) particles by dry-sieving. Chewing activity, rumen pool size, and apparent digestibility were measured. Intake of NDF increased linearly from 2.3 to 2.8 kg/d with greater NDF content of forages (P = 0.01), but silages were exposed to similar eating time (P = 0.55) and rumination time per kg NDF (P = 0.35). No linear effect of NDF content was found on proportion of LP in ingested feed boluses (P = 0.31), medial rumen digesta (P = 0.95), ventral rumen digesta (P = 0.84), and feces (P = 0.09). Greater proportions of DM (P ruminal digesta compared with ventral rumen, and differences in DM proportion increased with greater NDF content (P = 0.02). Particle size distributions were similar for digesta from the medial and ventral rumen regardless of NDF content of the silages (P > 0.13). The LP proportion was >30% of particles in the ventral and medial rumen, whereas in the feces, the LP proportion was content of the silages

  20. Ingestive Behavior of Ovine Fed with Marandu Grass Silage Added with Naturally Dehydrated Brewery Residue

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniele de Jesus Ferreira

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The objective was to evaluate the ingestive behavior of ovine fed Marandu grass silage with dehydrated brewery residue added. The experiment had a completely randomized design with five treatments and four repetitions, with the treatments levels of inclusion being of 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40% natural matter of naturally dehydrated brewery residue for 36 hours to the marandu grass silage. 20 ovines were used and the experimental period was 21 days, 15 being for adaptation to diets. The use of brewery byproduct promoted quadratic effect (P<0.05 for the consumption of dry matter with maximum point value estimated at adding 23.25% additive. Ingestion efficiency and rumination efficiency of dry matter (g DM/hour were significant (P<0.05, by quadratic behavior, and NDF ingestion and rumination efficiency showed crescent linear behavior. The DM and NDF consumption expressed in kg/meal and in minutes/kg were also significant (P<0.05, showing quadratic behavior. Rumination activity expressed in g DM and NDF/piece was influenced (P<0.05 by the adding of brewery residue in marandu grass silage in quadratic way, with maximum value estimated of 1.57 g DM/bolus chewed in inclusion of 24.72% additive in grass silage. The conclusion is that intermediary levels adding of 20 to 25% dehydrated brewery residue affects certain parameters of ingestive behavior.

  1. Natural lactic acid bacteria population of tropical grasses and their fermentation factor analysis of silage prepared with cellulase and inoculant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khota, Waroon; Pholsen, Suradej; Higgs, David; Cai, Yimin

    2016-12-01

    Natural lactic acid bacteria (LAB) populations in tropical grasses and their fermentation characteristics on silage prepared with cellulase enzyme and LAB inoculants were studied. A commercial inoculant Lactobacillus plantarum Chikuso 1 (CH), a local selected strain Lactobacillus casei TH14 (TH14), and 2 cellulases, Acremonium cellulase (AC) and Maicelase (MC; Meiji Seika Pharma Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan), were used as additives to silage preparation with fresh and wilted (6 h) Guinea grass and Napier grass. Silage was prepared using a laboratory-scale fermentation system. Treatments were CH, TH14, AC at 0.01% fresh matter, AC 0.1%, MC 0.01%, MC 0.1%, CH+AC 0.01%, CH+AC 0.1%, CH+MC 0.01%, CH+MC 0.1%, TH14+AC 0.1%, TH14+AC 0.01%, TH14+MC 0.1%, and TH14+MC 0.01%. Microorganism counts of Guinea grass and Napier grass before ensiling were 10 2 LAB and 10 6 aerobic bacteria; these increased during wilting. Based on morphological and biochemical characteristics, and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, natural strains from both grasses were identified as L. plantarum, L. casei, Lactobacillus acidipiscis, Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides, Leuconostoc garlicum, Weissella confusa, and Lactococcus lactis. Lactobacillus plantarum and L. casei are the dominant species and could grow at lower pH and produce more lactic acid than the other isolates. Crude protein and neutral detergent fiber were 5.8 and 83.7% of dry matter (DM) for Guinea grass, and 7.5 and 77.1% of DM for Napier grass. Guinea grass had a low level of water-soluble carbohydrates (0.39% of DM). Guinea grass silage treated with cellulase had a lower pH and higher lactic acid content than control and LAB treatments. The 0.1% AC and MC treatments had the best result for fermentation quality. All high water-soluble carbohydrate (2.38% DM) Napier grass silages showed good fermentation quality. Compared with control and LAB-inoculated silage, the cellulase-treated silages had significantly higher crude protein content and

  2. Comparative Advantage of Maize- and Grass-Silage Based Feedstock for Biogas Production with Respect to Greenhouse Gas Mitigation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andreas Meyer-Aurich

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper analyses the comparative advantage of using silage maize or grass as feedstock for anaerobic digestion to biogas from a greenhouse gas (GHG mitigation point of view, taking into account site-specific yield potentials, management options, and land-use change effects. GHG emissions due to the production of biogas were calculated using a life-cycle assessment approach for three different site conditions with specific yield potentials and adjusted management options. While for the use of silage maize, GHG emissions per energy unit were the same for different yield potentials, and the emissions varied substantially for different grassland systems. Without land-use change effects, silage maize-based biogas had lower GHG emissions per energy unit compared to grass-based biogas. Taking land-use change into account, results in a comparative advantage of biogas production from grass-based feedstock produced on arable land compared to silage maize-based feedstock. However, under current frame conditions, it is quite unrealistic that grass production systems would be established on arable land at larger scale.

  3. The cost of silage harvest and transport systems for herbaceous crops

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Turhollow, A.; Downing, M. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Butler, J. [Butler (James), Tifton, GA (United States)

    1996-12-31

    Some of the highest yielding herbaceous biomass crops are thick- stemmed species. Their relatively high moisture content necessitates they be handled and stored as silage rather than hay bales or modules. This paper presents estimated costs of harvesting and transporting herbaceous crops as silage. Costs are based on an engineering- economic approach. Equipment costs are estimated by combining per hour costs with the hours required to complete the operation. Harvest includes severing, chopping, and blowing stalks into a wagon or truck.

  4. Postruminal degradation of crude protein, neutral detergent fibre and starch of maize and grass silages in dairy cows

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ali, M.; Weisbjerg, Martin Riis; Cone, J.W.

    2012-01-01

    samples of grass silage were used. The samples were selected to represent a broad range in digestibility and chemical composition. Prior to the intestinal incubations, samples were incubated in the rumen for 6 h (starch), 12 h (CP) or 24 h (aNDFom) using the rumen nylon bag technique. Residues from....... The objective of this study was to develop a unique dataset on the ruminal degradability and the postruminal digestibility of CP, NDF (aNDFom, amylase neutral detergent fibre organic matter basis) and starch in maize and grass silages, using the mobile nylon bag technique. Twenty samples of maize silage and 20...... in the maize and grass silages. The results proved the assumption of the Dutch feed evaluation system that the rumen undegraded starch is completely digested in the small intestine of dairy cows. Regression showed that the rumen degradability, the intestinal digestibility and the total tract undigested...

  5. The influence of grass silage-to-maize silage ratio and concentrate composition on methane emissions, performance and milk composition of dairy cows.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hart, K J; Huntington, J A; Wilkinson, R G; Bartram, C G; Sinclair, L A

    2015-06-01

    It is well-established that altering the proportion of starch and fibre in ruminant diets can alter ruminal and post-ruminal digestion, although quantitative evidence that this reduces enteric methane (CH4) production in dairy cattle is lacking. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of varying grass-to-maize silage ratio (70 : 30 and 30 : 70 DM basis), offered ad libitum, with either a concentrate that was high in starch or fibre, on CH4 production, intake, performance and milk composition of dairy cows. A total of 20 cows were allocated to one of the four experimental diets in a two-by-two factorial design run as a Latin square with each period lasting 28 days. Measurements were conducted during the final 7 days of each period. Cows offered the high maize silage ration had a higher dry matter intake (DMI), milk yield, milk energy output and lower CH4 emissions when expressed per kg DMI and per unit of ingested gross energy, but there was no difference in total CH4 production. Several of the milk long-chain fatty acids (FA) were affected by forage treatment with the most notable being an increase in 18:0, 18:1 c9, 18:2 c9 c12 and total mono unsaturated FA, observed in cows offered the higher inclusion of maize silage, and an increase in 18:3 c9 c12 c15 when offered the higher grass silage ration. Varying the composition of the concentrate had no effect on DMI or milk production; however, when the high-starch concentrate was fed, milk protein concentration and milk FAs, 10:0, 14:1, 15:0, 16:1, increased and 18:0 decreased. Interactions were observed for milk fat concentration, being lower in cows offered high-grass silage and high-fibre concentrates compared with the high-starch concentrate, and FA 17:0, which was the highest in milk from cows fed the high-grass silage diet supplemented with the high-starch concentrate. In conclusion, increasing the proportion of maize silage in the diets of dairy cows increased intake and performance, and reduced CH

  6. Neglected grass species of Southern Africa: Nutritive value of conserved Hyperthelia dissoluta harvested at different growth stages

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacob Gusha

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Native species like Hyperthelia dissoluta have great potential in livestock production but not much has been done to improve their contribution to that sector.  This study examined 2 conservation methods (drying and ensiling and 3 different growth stages, namely: elongation stage (January, early flowering (February and late flowering stage (March of H. dissoluta in terms of nutritional composition and digestibility.  The method of conservation had a significant effect (P<0.05 on nutritive value, with silage having more P and CP than hay.  Stage of growth had an effect (P<0.05 on all nutritional properties of both hay and silage:  Phosphorus, Ca and CP concentrations and digestibility of hay and silage decreased with maturity, while NDF and ADF concentrations increased.  Silage pH value was significantly higher at elongation (5.2 and late flowering growth stages (5.7 than at early flowering (4.4.  Dry matter digestibility of the conserved material reached levels as high as 82% for silage made at the elongation stage with all values at least 60%.  We conclude that H. dissoluta can be conserved as both silage and hay to produce a good quality feed.  Harvesting at the early flowering stage would seem to provide a good compromise between quantity (not measured in this study and quality of harvested forage.  Further studies seem warranted to determine the acceptability and intake of the material by livestock, the advantages of adding fermentable carbohydrates during ensiling and DM yields in different areas and a range of seasonal conditions. Keywords: Air drying, hay, perennial native grasses, plastic bag silo, quality silage.DOI: 10.17138/TGFT(4179-184

  7. Comparison of silage and hay of dwarf Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) fed to Thai native beef bulls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mapato, Chaowarit; Wanapat, Metha

    2018-03-23

    Both quantity and quality of forages are important in dry season feeding. Eight Thai native beef bulls were arranged in a Completely randomized design to evaluate dwarf Napier namely Sweet grass (Pennisetum purpureum cv. Mahasarakham) preserved as silage or hay on feed intake, digestibility, and rumen fermentation. The animals were fed with forage ad libitum supplemented with concentrate mixture at 1.0% of BW for 21 days; data were collected during the last 7 days. The results showed that there were differences (P  0.05) in animals fed silage and hay. Sweet grass is better preserved as hay rather than silage.

  8. Amino acid profile of metabolisable protein in lactating dairy cows is affected by dry matter concentration in grass-clover silage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Johansen, Marianne; Lund, Peter; Weisbjerg, Martin Riis

    2018-01-01

    Our previous study showed that supply of metabolisable protein (MP) to lactating dairy cows increased with increasing dry matter (DM) concentration in grass-clover silage. The aim of this study was to examine how amino acid (AA) profile of MP was affected by silage DM concentration. Eight grass-c...

  9. Effect of stage of maturity of grass at harvest on intake, chewing activity and distribution of particle size in faeces from pregnant ewes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jalali, Alireza; Nørgaard, Peder; Weisbjerg, Martin Riis

    2012-01-01

    This study was conducted to investigate the effect of stage of maturity at harvest on the intake of grass silage, eating and ruminating activity and the distribution of faecal particle size in ewes during late pregnancy. A total of 18 Swedish Finull × Dorset 85 ± 8 kg (mean ± s.d.) ewes bearing t...

  10. Metabolisable protein supply to lactating dairy cows increased with increasing dry matter concentration in grass-clover silage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Johansen, Marianne; Hellwing, Anne Louise Frydendahl; Lund, Peter

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this experiment was to study the effect of increased dry matter (DM) concentration in grass-clover silage, obtained by extending the pre-wilting period before ensiling, on the amount of metabolisable protein (MP) supplied to lactating dairy cows. Spring growth and first regrowth of grass...... and faeces, respectively, were collected over 94 h to cover the diurnal variation, pooled, and subsequently analysed. Rumen fluid was collected in same sampling procedure. To estimate the duodenal flow of microbial protein, microbes were isolated from the rumen and analysed for amino acids (AA) and purines...... flow of AA. The higher duodenal flow of AA derived from a lower rumen degradation of feed protein and a tendency towards a higher microbial synthesis in the rumen. Fibre digestibility and CH4 production were not affected by silage DM concentration. In conclusion, MP concentration in grass-clover silage...

  11. Influence of stage of maturity of grass silages on digestion processes in dairy cows

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bosch, M.W.

    1991-01-01

    Because of the introduction of a milk quota system in 1984 and the subsequent decrease of the number of dairy cows with some 25%, an increasing number of farms in the Netherlands has a surplus of grass and grass silage, which makes it interesting to increase the roughage proportion in the

  12. Feed intake, growth performance and digestibility in goats fed whole corn plant silage and Napier grass

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khaing, K.T.

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Shortage and inconsistent quality of forage in developing countries are the major constraints to the development of ruminant sector. To overcome these problems, feeding of ruminants with conserved forages is an important feeding strategy to ensure the success of ruminant production in the third world countries. The use of whole corn plant as silage has drawn many attention due to high protein efficiency, relatively high digestible energy and total digestible nutrients. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine feed intake, growth performance and nutrients digestibility in goats fed different inclusion level of whole corn plant silage to Napier grass based diets. Fifteen male Boer cross goats around six months old and approximately 18.54 ? 1.83 kg of body weight were used as experimental animals. The goats were assigned into five treatment groups consisted of different proportions of Napier grass (G and whole plant corn silage (CS ?T1:100/0 G/CS; T2:75/25 G/CS; T3:50/50 G/CS; T4:25/75 G/CS and T5:0/100 G/CS. The increase of corn silage to Napier grass proportion demonstrates increase in dry matter intake and growth performance in the goats. The highest nutrient digestibility was observed in T5:0/100 G/CS and T3:50/50 G/CS. It can be concluded that high proportion of corn silage to grass diets had resulted in increases in feed intake and growth performance of goats. Feeding the animals with T5 and T3 resulted in high nutrient utilization compared to other treatments. However, the highest growth performance was observed in animals that were fed with T5 diets.

  13. Increasing harvest maturity of whole-plant corn silage reduces methane

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hatew, B.; Bannink, A.; Laar, van H.; Jonge, de L.H.; Dijkstra, J.

    2016-01-01

    The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of increasing maturity of whole-plant corn at harvest on CH4 emissions by dairy cows consuming corn silage (CS) based diets. Whole-plant corn was harvested at a very early [25% dry matter (DM); CS25], early (28% DM; CS28), medium (32% DM;

  14. Effect of legume–grass silages and α-tocopherol supplementation on fatty acid composition and α-tocopherol, β-carotene and retinol concentrations in organically produced bovine milk

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Höjer, A; Adler, S; Martinsson, K

    2012-01-01

    - or three-cut red clover–grass silages (R2 and R3, respectively) or two-cut birdsfoot trefoil–grass silage (B2). In Exp. 2, 16 Norwegian Red dairy cows were fed short-term ley silage with red clover (S3) or long-term ley silage with white clover (L3) in combination with the supplementation of RRR...

  15. Effects of Streptococcus bovis Isolated from Bovine Rumen on the Fermentation Characteristics and Nutritive Value of Tanzania Grass Silage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anderson de Moura Zanine

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Streptococcus bovis on the fermentation characteristics and nutritive value of Tanzania grass silage. Tanzania grass was chopped and left untreated (U or treated with Streptococcus bovis JB1 at 1 × 106 colony-forming units per gram (cfu/g of fresh forage or Streptococcus bovis HC5 at 1 × 106 cfu/g of fresh forage and packed into sixtuplicate laboratory silos. The largest number of enterobacteria, molds and yeast (M&Y occurred in untreated silages and the smallest populations of enterobacteria and M&Y and the largest numbers of lactic acid bacteria (LAB, at 9.81 and 9.87 log cfu/g, were observed in Streptococcus bovis JB1 and HC5, respectively (P<0.05. Silages treated with JB1 and HC5 had lower (P<0.05 silage pHs and concentrations of ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N than untreated silages. The application of Streptococcus bovis JB1 and HC5 resulted in fewer losses through gases and effluents (P<0.05, which resulted in greater dry matter recovery (DMR and crude protein recovery (CPR (P<0.05. Streptococcus bovis JB1 and HC5 improved the fermentative profile and increased the concentration of crude protein and DMR and CPR in Tanzania grass silage.

  16. Determination of region-specific data of yield and quality of alternatives to silage maize in fodder crops – field trails with forage gras and clover grass mixtures, Sorghum as well as whole plant silage of grain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wosnitza, Andrea

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available This project should generate current regional results over a period of three years about the parameter yield and quality of alternative fodder crops to maize; this includes grass and clover grass mixtures, silage maize, varieties of Sorghum/millets and whole plant silages of wheat, rye and triticale. The tested silage maize showed the highest and most reliable average dry matter yield with 23 tons per hectare, with a very low variance. The Sorghum and millet varieties had dry matter yields of 3 to 5 tons per hectare below the silage maize yield but with individual values fluctuating in a broad range within years and locations. With values far below 28% the dry matter contents were not suitable for ensiling. The grass and clover grass mixtures are good, stable and established alternatives to maize for silage. They achieved high yields comparable with these of Sorghum but stable and with a highly suitable dry matter content for ensiling. The yield of the whole plant silages was up to 22% lower compared with maize. So none of the alternative crops can compete with the high level yield of silage maize in its favoured region, therefore would be a combination of two crops recommended. But some individual locally adapted mixtures or varieties of the alternative crops reached nearly 80% of the maize yield. Silage maize showed the highest level of the net energy content for lactation (NEL, followed by the values of the fodder crops and the whole plant silages. The Sorghum varieties showed the lowest NEL value of all tested cultures. The highest crude protein showed the fodder crops contents. Silage maize, Sorghum and the whole plant silages had values lying nearly around the 50% mark of the fodder crops.

  17. Different techniques to study rumen fermentation characteristics of maturing grass and grass silage

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cone, J.W.; Gelder, van A.H.; Soliman, I.A.; Visser, de H.; Vuuren, van A.M.

    1999-01-01

    Grass samples were harvested during the 1993 growing season after a precut on April 27, 1993 and were stored frozen or left to ensile in 30-L buckets. Effects on chemical composition and fermentation kinetics of the maturation of the grass and of ensiling were investigated. Chemical composition and

  18. Post-ruminal digestibility of crude protein from grass and grass silages in cows

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cone, J.W.; Gelder, van A.H.; Mathijssen-Kamman, A.A.; Hindle, V.A.

    2006-01-01

    Grass samples were grown on a clay or sandy soil, fertilised with 150 or 300 kg N/ha per year, and harvested on different days during two consecutive growing seasons. The grass samples were stored frozen or ensiled after wilting to approximately 250 or 450 g DM/kg. The recoveries of crude protein

  19. Nycterohemeral eating and ruminating patterns in heifers fed grass or corn silage: analysis by finite Fourier transform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deswysen, A G; Dutilleul, P; Godfrin, J P; Ellis, W C

    1993-10-01

    Average daily and within-day nycterohemeral patterns of eating and ruminating behavior were determined in six Holstein-Friesian heifers (average BW = 427 kg) given ad libitum access to either corn or grass silage in a two-period crossover design. Rhythm components (number of cycles/24 h) were characterized by finite Fourier transform of the 24-h mastication activities as measured during 4 d by continuous jaw movement recordings. Average daily voluntary intake of corn silage was 8.2% greater (P = .05) than that for grass silage and was associated (P finite Fourier transform was reparameterized to express the amplitude (as periodograms) and phase of each rhythm component. Rhythm Components 1, 3, and 4 contributed primarily to explaining the total dispersion of the 24-h series of time spent eating and ruminating, for both silage types and individual heifers. Relative importance of Rhythm Component 1 of time spent eating, indicative of a main circadian pattern, was related positively to pedigree value for milk production (P = .01) and negatively to milk protein concentration (P = .09).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  20. Effect of digestibility of grass-clover silage and concentrate to forage ratio on methane emission from dairy cows

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hellwing, Anne Louise Frydendahl; Weisbjerg, Martin Riis

    and D, respectively. TMR forage DM consisted of 2/3 of one of the respective grass-clover silages and 1/3 maize silage, and concentrate (soya meal and wheat) proportion of DM was 20% (low) or 50% (high). Methane emissions from the cows were measured 20-22 hours in one of four chambers working after...

  1. A large outbreak of bovine botulism possibly linked to a massive contamination of grass silage by type D/C Clostridium botulinum spores on a farm with dairy and poultry operations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Relun, A; Dorso, L; Douart, A; Chartier, C; Guatteo, R; Mazuet, C; Popoff, M R; Assié, S

    2017-12-01

    Type D bovine botulism outbreaks associated with poultry litter are increasingly reported in European countries, but the circumstances of exposure to Clostridium botulinum toxins remain unclear. In spring 2015, a large type D/C bovine botulism outbreak affected a farm with dairy and poultry operations. Epidemiological and laboratory investigations strongly suggest that the outbreak was caused by feeding cattle with insufficiently acidified grass silage that was contaminated by type D/C C. botulinum spores. The source of the spores remains unclear, but could have been a stack of poultry litter stored in the grass silage pasture before harvesting. The presence of putrefied poultry carcasses mixed in with the litter is relatively unlikely considering the careful daily removal of poultry carcasses. These findings reinforce the importance of proper ensiling of feed materials and highlight the need for safe disposal of poultry litter, even in the case of good management of poultry deadstock, in order to prevent bovine botulism.

  2. Mesquite pod meal in elephant grass silages - doi: 10.4025/actascianimsci.v35i3.12506

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Otávio Rodrigues Machado Neto

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available This study evaluated the chemical composition and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD of elephant grass silages at different growth stages (70, 90 and 110 days, with the addition (0, 5, 10 and 15%, on a fresh matter basis of mesquite pod meal. A completely randomized design (CRD was used in a factorial arrangement with four replications. PVC pipes 100 mm in diameter were used as experimental silos. After 30 days of ensilage, samples were taken from the open silos to determine chemical composition and IVDMD. The inclusion of mesquite pod meal (MPM increased (p 0.01 was detected between MPM concentrations and elephant grass cutting age for DM, CP and NDF contents in the silages. A decrease (p  

  3. Fermentation characteristics and nutritional quality of elephant grass silage added the buriti fruit peel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raimundo Ribeiro Ferreira

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this research was to evaluated the inclusion of buriti fruit peel as additive on the fermentation profile, losses, chemical composition and degradability of elephant grass silage. We used a completely randomized design with five levels of buriti fruit peel (0, 50, 100, 200 and 400 g kg-1. The silos were opened after 28 days of storage. In situ degradability monitoring was conducted using a split-plot design in which four animals represented the blocks and silage supplemented with five levels of buriti fruit peel represented the treatments. The use of the additive in elephant silage increased dry matter (DM (P < 0.001, ether extract (EE (P < 0.001, ash (P < 0.001, neutral detergent fiber (NDF (P < 0.001 and acid detergent fiber (ADF (P= 0.0000. The pH (P= 0.0000, N-NH3 (P = 0.024 and there was a decrease in gas losses (P < 0.001, effluent losses and dry matter recovery (P = 0.218 not were influenced by the addition of buriti fruit peel. The inclusion of buriti fruit peel linearly reduced the ruminal degradability DM of soluble fraction (a (P < 0.001 and potentially degradable insoluble fraction (b (P < 0.001. The DM content increase with the addition of the buriti fruit peel to the elephant grass silage promotes improvements in the fermentation process, reduces losses of nutrients and ruminal disappearance of dry matter and does not significantly change the chemical composition with the inclusion of 166.7 g kg-1 of the buriti fruit peel.

  4. Effects of feeding level and NDF content of grass-clover silages on chewing activity, fecal particle size and NDF digestibility in dairy heifers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schulze, Anne-Katrine Skovsted; Weisbjerg, Martin Riis; Nørgaard, Peder

    2014-01-01

    intake (PRumination time per kg DM intake (Pcontents (Prumination with greater...... NDF content (Prumination time increased with greater NDF content (Pcontent (P...The objective of this study was to assess effects of feed intake and NDF content of highly digestible grass-clover silage on chewing behavior, fecal particle size distribution and apparent digestibility in restrictively fed heifers. Four grass-clover silages (Lolium perenne, Trifolium pratense...

  5. Ingestive Behavior of Ovine Fed with Marandu Grass Silage Added with Naturally Dehydrated Brewery Residue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Jesus Ferreira, Daniele; de Moura Zanine, Anderson; de Paula Lana, Rogério; Lima de Souza, Alexandre; Divino Ribeiro, Marinaldo; Mattos Negrão, Fagton; Castro, Wanderson José Rodrigues; Nunes Parente, Henrique; Valério Geron, Luiz Juliano; de Azevedo Câmara, Larissa Rodrigues

    2016-01-01

    The objective was to evaluate the ingestive behavior of ovine fed Marandu grass silage with dehydrated brewery residue added. The experiment had a completely randomized design with five treatments and four repetitions, with the treatments levels of inclusion being of 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40% natural matter of naturally dehydrated brewery residue for 36 hours to the marandu grass silage. 20 ovines were used and the experimental period was 21 days, 15 being for adaptation to diets. The use of brewery byproduct promoted quadratic effect (P Ingestion efficiency and rumination efficiency of dry matter (g DM/hour) were significant (P behavior, and NDF ingestion and rumination efficiency showed crescent linear behavior. The DM and NDF consumption expressed in kg/meal and in minutes/kg were also significant (P behavior. Rumination activity expressed in g DM and NDF/piece was influenced (P ingestive behavior.

  6. Variation between individual cows in in situ rumen degradation characteristics of maize and grass silages

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ali, M.; Cone, J. W.; van Duinkerken, G.; Klop, A.; Blok, M. C.; Bruinenberg, M.; Khan, N. A.; Hendriks, W. H.

    2016-01-01

    Different numbers of animals have been used in different studies to cover the variation between individual animals in in situ rumen degradation characteristics of maize and grass silages. The objective of this study was to determine whether three cows are sufficient or not to cover the variation

  7. Evaluation of physical structure value in spring-harvested grass/clover silage and hay fed to heifers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schulze, A.K.S.; Nørgaard, P.; Byskov, M.V.

    2015-01-01

    The physical structure value of conserved grass/clover forages of spring harvest was evaluated by assessing effects of harvest time, conservation method, iNDF/NDF ratio and NDF intake (NDFI) per kg BW on chewing activity and fecal particle size in dairy heifers. A mixed sward consisting of ryegrass...... of 315, 436, 414 and 503 g/kg DM, respectively. Forages were fed as sole feed to four Jersey heifers of 435±30 kg BW in a 4×4 Latin square experiment. Feeding level was 90% of individual ad libitum intake, divided equally across two daily meals offered at 0800 and 1530 h. Chewing activity was estimated...... from recorded jaw movements (JM) oscillations continuously logged for 96 h and summarized per 24 h as mean effective rumination time and eating time. Eating behavior was further observed during four 20-min test meals. Weight proportion of large feces particles (>1.0 mm) and geometric mean fecal...

  8. Two-stage digestion of renewable raw materials. Applying bioleaching for utilizing grass silage; Zweiphasige Vergaerung nachwachsender Rohstoffe. Einsatz des Bioleaching-Verfahrens zur Verwertung von Grassilage

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zielonka, S.; Lemmer, A.; Oechsner, H. [Hohenheim Univ., Stuttgart (Germany). Landesanstalt fuer Landwirtschaftliches Maschinen- und Bauwesen; Jungbluth, T. [Hohenheim Univ., Stuttgart (Germany). Inst. fuer Agrartechnik

    2007-07-01

    Currently renewable raw materials are being used in full scale biogas plants as co-substrates. Using grass silage frequently caused technical problems till now. Within the framework of this project, a process to digest grass silage as a single substrate is being developed. An intermittently operating two-stage process is used. As far as the degree of degradation and methane yields are concerned, good and promising results have been achieved. (orig.)

  9. Losses and nutritional value of elephant grass silage with inclusion levels of cottonseed meal - doi: 10.4025/actascianimsci.v35i2.13736

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mauro Pereira de Figueiredo

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available The experiment was conducted to evaluate losses and nutritive value of elephant grass silage containing increasing levels of cottonseed meal. The experimental design was completely randomized, with five treatments: 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28% inclusion of cottonseed meal, and four replications. The material was chopped and packed in PVC silos and stored for 80 days. The pH and dry matter (DM, crude protein, lignin and ether extract of the silages increased linearly with the addition of cottonseed meal, while the levels of acid detergent insoluble nitrogen, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, cellulose and hemicellulose decreased linearly. The addition of 28% cottonseed meal reduced the in situ disappearance of DM (48h to values lower than those of silage without additives. The concentration of ammonia nitrogen and the losses from gases and effluent were reduced. The inclusion of 28% cottonseed meal in elephant grass silage containing 18.4% DM improved the fermentation characteristics of silage more efficiently by reducing the moisture content and effluent losses, starting at the 7% level of inclusion.

  10. Nutritional evaluation of elephant-grass silages with different levels of by-products from the cashew juice industry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Cristina Holanda Ferreira

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT This study was conducted to evaluate the intake, apparent digestibility (AD, and degradability in situ of elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum silages containing 0, 35.0, 70.0, 105.0, and 140.0 g kg-1 by-product from dried cashew apple (DCBP (as fed basis. A completely randomized design with four replicates was adopted. For the study of degradability in situ, one adult male cattle was used in a completely randomized design with split plots. Intake and AD of dry matter (DM, crude protein (CP, neutral detergent fiber (NDF, acid detergent fiber (ADF, hemicellulose, and cellulose were evaluated, and the digestible energy (DE and nitrogen balance (NB of the silages were determined. The degradability in situ of DM, CP, and NDF was also determined. Addition of DCBP provided an increase in the intakes of DM, CP, NDF, and ADF. No effects of the levels of addition of DCBP were observed on the coefficients of AD of the silages. Regarding NB, positive values were only detected in the treatment with 105.0 g kg-1 DCBP. In the analysis of the degradability in situ, the incubation periods increased the rates of disappearance of DM, CP, and NDF. However, no effect of the levels of DCBP were observed on the effective degradability of DM. The by-product from dried cashew apple can be included at up to 140.0 g kg-1 in silages of elephant grass, but the high contents of acid detergent insoluble nitrogen may compromise the use and availability of nitrogen to the animals.

  11. Verteerbaarheid en voederwaarde van diverse kwaliteiten graskuil en van CCM bij biologische zeugen = Digestibility and nutritive value of several qualities of grass silage and of CCM in organic housed gestating sows

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Peet-Schwering, van der C.M.C.; Binnendijk, G.P.; Diepen, van J.T.M.

    2010-01-01

    The chemical composition, digestibility and energy value of five qualities of grass silage and of CCM (Corn cob mix) were investigated in organic housed gestating sows. The dry matter content of the five grass silages varied between 21.3 and 24.9%. The energy value per kg dry matter varied between

  12. THE INFLUENCE OF ADDITIVES FOR QUALITATIVE PARAMETERS OF SILAGE FEEDS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F. LÁD

    2007-05-01

    Full Text Available We observed the influence of silage additives for choice qualitative parameters at clover-grass silages in working conditions. We evaluated total classification and categorization to quality classes according to fermentative process. It has been found out positive effect of the silage additives for fermentative class and for total silage quality of silages. This positive effect has been more considerable at the classification to the fermentative classes at clover-grass silages. The high content of crude fibre decreased fermentative results and total silage quality at test clovergrass silages. The greatest (deterioration influence for clasification to total quality class has crude fibre content. It is see from correlation coefficient at clover-grass silages r = 0.75 (P < 0.05. The weak dependence r = 0.37 (P < 0.05 was detected between fermentative class and acetic acid content. It was detected large dependence between fermentative class and butyric acid content r = 0.73 (P < 0.05. The silages with additives had better degree of proteolysis and higher value of lactic acid. The additive improved fermentative quality. The result of better fermentative process was reduction of crude fibre values with maintainance of energy content.

  13. Supply of nutrients and productive responses in dairy cows given diets based on restrictively fermented silage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. HUHTANEN

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this paper is to review research which has evaluated the feeding of dairy cows with diets containing large proportions of grass silage. In Finland, milk production systems evolved are based on the use of restrictively fermented silages. Higher potential yields, smaller production risks than with cereal grains, short grazing period and high digestibility of grasses grown in northern latitudes have facilitated this development. Factors affecting nutrient supply from these diets are discussed. Digestibility is determined mainly by the stage of maturity at harvesting and it is not markedly affected by the level of energy and protein supplementation. Intake of grass silage is influenced both by digestibility and fermentation characteristics. Efficiency of microbial synthesis is high in animals given diets based on restrictively fermented silage but rumen fermentation pattern is characterised by low molar proportions of propionate. Production responses to additional concentrate are relatively small, especially when the amount of concentrate exceeds 10 kg day-1. High substitution of silage dry matter (DM, negative associative effects on digestion and partitioning of energy towards body tissues account for small production responses. Protein supplementation has consistently increased milk protein yield but responses do not appear to be related to the level of milk production, silage crude protein content, amount of concentrate or stage of lactation. The new protein evaluation system provides an accurate prediction of protein yield with the typical Finnish dairy cow diets. The high slopes (ca. 0.5 between protein supply and milk protein yield within experiments suggest that protein supply is suboptimal and protein supplements are used with a high efficiency.;

  14. The effect of ammonium ferric hexacyanoferrate on reducing radiocaesium transfer from grass silage to sheep

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. PAASIKALLIO

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available A study was carried out to examine the effect of ammonium ferric hexacyanoferrate (AFCF on the transfer of radiocaesium from grass silage to the tissues of male lambs. During ensiling, a formic acid based additive and AFCF were sprayed on grass contaminated with 134Cs and the mixture was allowed to incubate for 45 days. A dose of 21 mg AFCF d-1, fed to sheep offered contaminated silage for fourteen days, reduced 134Cs transfer to muscle by 45% compared to that of control sheep. An equivalent dose of AFCF administered in a capsule reduced transfer by only 3%. In another experiment, AFCF intake of 50, 100 and 150 mg d-1 for ten days reduced 134Cs transfer to sheep muscle by 75, 82 and 86%, respectively. In control lambs, of average live weight 38 and 47 kg, the feed to muscle 134Cs transfer coefficient averaged 0.15 d kg-1, but equilibrium between tissue and feed 134Cs had probably not been reached due to the short feeding period. Increasing doses of AFCF from 0 to 150 mg d-1 increased the faecal/urinary 134Cs ratio from 2 to 42.;

  15. Chemical composition and fermentation characteristics of elephant grass silage with biodiesel industry co-products

    OpenAIRE

    Cleef,Eric Haydt Castello Branco van; Silva Filho,José Cleto da; Neiva Júnior,Arnaldo Prata; Patiño Pardo,René Maurício; Rêgo,Aníbal Coutinho do; Gonçalves,Josemir de Souza

    2012-01-01

    The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of three concentrations (3, 6, and 9%) of forage turnip (Raphanus sativus) and physic nut (Jatropha curcas) cakes on dry matter, crude protein, ether extract, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, lignin, acid detergent insoluble nitrogen neutral detergent insoluble nitrogen contents, in vitro dry matter digestibility, pH values and concentrations of N-NH3 in elephant grass silages. It was used an entirely randomized design in...

  16. Round-Bale Silage Harvesting and Processing Effects on Overwintering Ability, Dry Matter Yield, Fermentation Quality, and Palatability of Dwarf Napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Satoru Fukagawa

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Round-bale silage harvesting and processing methods were assessed to evaluate overwintering ability and dry matter (DM yield, fermentation quality and palatability of overwintered dwarf Napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach in the two years following establishment in Nagasaki, Japan, in May 2013 using rooted tillers with a density of 2 plants/m2. In 2014, harvesting methods under no-wilting treatment were compared for flail-type harvesting with a round-baler (Flail/baler plot and mower conditioning with a round-baler (Mower/baler plot, which is common for beef-calf–producing farmers in the region. In 2015, the effect of ensilage with wilting was investigated only in the Mower/baler plot. Dwarf Napiergrass was cut twice, in early August (summer and late November (late autumn, each year. The winter survival rate was greater than 96% in May both years. The DM yield in the Mower/baler plot did not differ significantly for the first summer cutting or the annual total from the Flail/baler plot, but did show inferior yield for the second cutting. The fermentation quality of the second-cut plants, estimated using the V2-score, was higher in the Flail/baler plot than in the Mower/baler plot, possibly because of higher air-tightness, and the second-cut silage tended to have better fermentation quality than the first-cut silage in both harvesting plots. Wilting improved the fermentation quality of dwarf Napiergrass silage in summer, but not in autumn. The palatability of the silage, as estimated by alternative and voluntary intake trials using Japanese Black beef cattle, did not differ significantly between plots. The results suggest that dwarf Napiergrass can be better harvested using a mower conditioner with processing by a round-baler, an approach common to beef-calf–producing farmers, than with the flail/baler system, without reducing the persistence, yield, or palatability of the silage. Moreover, wilting treatment improved the fermentation

  17. Effects of forage neutral detergent fibre and time after feeding on medial and ventral rumen pH and volatile fatty acids concentration in heifers fed highly digestible grass/clover silages

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schulze, A. K. S.; Storm, A. C.; Weisbjerg, M. R.

    2017-01-01

    (NDF) content and time after feeding on the medial to ventral VFA and pH gradient as well as rumen motility in the rumen of heifers fed grass/clover silages. Four silages were harvested at different growth stages with NDF contents of 31–45% of DM and in vitro organic matter digestibilities of 75......–82% and fed to four rumen-fistulated Jersey heifers at 90% of ad libitum level in a Latin square design, with half the ration fed at 0800 hours and 1530 hours. Rumen fluid was sampled hourly from 0730 hours to 1530 hours in the medial and ventral rumen, and analysed for pH and concentrations of VFA, L......-lactic acid, and ammonia to assess ruminal chemical gradient. Reticular contractions were continuously recorded by a pressure transducer. Time relative to feeding affected rumen parameters as pH was generally lower and VFA content greater in medial compared with ventral rumen fluid. Greater NDF content...

  18. Effects of forage neutral detergent fibre and time after feeding on medial and ventral rumen pH and volatile fatty acids concentration in heifers fed highly digestible grass/clover silages

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schulze, A.K.S.; Storm, Adam Christian; Weisbjerg, Martin Riis

    2016-01-01

    (NDF) content and time after feeding on the medial to ventral VFA and pH gradient as well as rumen motility in the rumen of heifers fed grass/clover silages. Four silages were harvested at different growth stages with NDF contents of 31–45% of DM and in vitro organic matter digestibilities of 75......–82% and fed to four rumen-fistulated Jersey heifers at 90% of ad libitum level in a Latin square design, with half the ration fed at 0800 hours and 1530 hours. Rumen fluid was sampled hourly from 0730 hours to 1530 hours in the medial and ventral rumen, and analysed for pH and concentrations of VFA, L......-lactic acid, and ammonia to assess ruminal chemical gradient. Reticular contractions were continuously recorded by a pressure transducer. Time relative to feeding affected rumen parameters as pH was generally lower and VFA content greater in medial compared with ventral rumen fluid. Greater NDF content...

  19. Prepartum concentrate supplementation of a diet based on medium-quality grass silage: Effects on performance, health, fertility, metabolic function, and immune function of low body condition score cows.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Little, M W; O'Connell, N E; Welsh, M D; Barley, J; Meade, K G; Ferris, C P

    2016-09-01

    When cows with a "higher" body condition score (BCS) are oversupplied with energy during the dry period, postpartum energy balance is normally reduced, which can have a detrimental effect on immune competence and increase the infectious disease risk. However, within grassland-based systems higher yielding cows frequently have a low BCS at drying off. The effects on performance, health, and metabolic and immune functions of providing additional energy to cows with low BCS during the dry period is less certain. To address this uncertainty, 53 multiparous Holstein-Friesian cows (mean BCS of 2.5; 1-5 scale) were allocated to 1 of 2 treatments at dry-off: silage only or silage plus concentrates. Cows on the silage-only treatment were offered ad libitum access to medium-quality grass silage. Cows on the silage-plus-concentrate treatment were offered ad libitum access to a mixed ration comprising the same grass silage plus concentrates [in a 75:25 dry matter (DM) ratio], which provided a mean concentrate DM intake of 3.0kg/cow per day. Postpartum, cows were offered a common mixed ration comprising grass silage and concentrates (in a 40:60 DM ratio) for a 70-d period. Offering concentrates during the dry period increased DM intake, tended to increase energy balance, and increased body weight (BW) and BCS gain prepartum. Offering concentrates during the dry period increased BW and BCS loss postpartum and tended to increase milk fat percentage and serum nonesterified fatty acid concentration, but it did not affect postpartum DM intake, energy balance, and milk yield. Although the percentage of phagocytosis-positive neutrophils did not differ, neutrophils from cows on the silage-plus-concentrate treatment had higher phagocytic fluorescence intensity at 1 and 2 wk postpartum and higher phagocytic index at 1 wk postpartum. Serum haptoglobin concentrations and IFN-γ production by pokeweed mitogen stimulated whole blood culture were unaffected by treatment, although haptoglobin

  20. Using Gamma Radiation for the Improvement of Silage Inoculant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wongwicharn, Aporn; Ljinakakr, Nongpanga; Piadang, Patharakorn

    2006-09-01

    A total of 117 acid producing baceria were isolated from grass and silage samples. Almost all isolates, 115 isolates posses homfermentative fermentation. All isolates produced lactic acid in a range of 0.36-2.05%. From their growth and their ability in producing lactic acid, two isolates, a coccus (T3-2-02) and a rod (T3-0-01) were selected for a mixed wild type strains for silage inoculant. After irradiation the wild type strains with gama ray, 51 and 58 isolates of high acid producer were selected from T3-2-02 and T3-0-01 strains, respectively. After testing the growht characteristics and the acid productivity, a coccus strain, MC08 and a rod stain, MR4 were choosen as a mixed irradiated starter culture strains for grass silage fermentation using a 50 dats old Pangola grass (Digitaria eriantha). The experiment was divided into 6 treatments. Treatmet I was the control. Treatmment 2, 4% molasses was added ro the grass. Treatment 3, a mixed wild type strains (T3-2-02+ T3-0-01) was inoculated into the grass. Treatment 4, a mixed irradiated strains (MC08+ MR04) was used. Treatment 5, A mixed wild tpye strains was used and supplemented with 4% molasses. Treatnebt 6, A mixed irradiated strain was assed and supplemented with 4% molasses. The results showed that a qualified silage can be obtained within a week from either the treatment inoculated with starter culture together with4% molasses (T5 and T6) or the treatment supplemented with 4% molasses alone (T2). further more, Silage of the treatments that using starter culture supplemented with 4% molasses gave volatile acid in a requred quantity. Silage of the treatments that inoculated either with a wild type pr a mixed irradiated starter culture posses bether quality than the control treatment. Further more silage that used irradiated starter culture showed a faster ffermentation and higher lactic acid production tha silage that uses wild type starter culture.

  1. Kinetics of transit and degradation of the fiber from guinea grass silages enriched with waste from soybean pre-cleaning

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    Filipe Ton Fialho

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The objective was to study the kinetics of transit and degradation of the fiber from guinea grass and the waste from soybean pre-cleaning (WSPC, ensiled with different proportions of mass (0, 100, 150, and 200 g WSPC/kg total mass. Four crossbred (Gyr × Holstein, fistulated cattle with an average body mass of 400±50 kg were organized in a 4 × 4 Latin square experimental design. The fiber utilized in the study of the transit kinetics was stained with chromium mordant, whereas the in situ technique was adopted for the degradation kinetics. The level of inclusion of WSPC only affected the true digestibility and the mean retention time. The addition of waste from soybean pre-cleaning to the silage of guinea grass is beneficial, in terms of kinetics of digestion and passage, at up to levels close to 100 g/kg, because after this quantity the fiber digestion and passage in and through the reticulo-rumen are impaired and there may be alterations in the ruminal environment that will affect the use of silage by animals.

  2. Subprodutos industriais na ensilagem de capim-elefante para cabras leiteiras: consumo, digestibilidade de nutrientes e produção de leite Industrial by-products in elephant grass silage for dairy goats: intake, nutrient digestibility and milk yield

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    Jobel Beserra de Oliveira

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available O experimento foi conduzido para avaliar o consumo, a digestibilidade aparente e a produção do leite em cabras alimentadas com silagens de capim-elefante contendo subprodutos industriais. Utilizaram-se oito cabras da raça Saanen, distribuídas em dois quadrados latinos 4 × 4, com 4 períodos de 14 dias (10 dias de adaptação e 4 dias para coleta de dados. Os tratamentos foram: silagem de capim-elefante + concentrado; silagem de capim-elefante com 15% de farelo de mandioca + concentrado; silagem de capim-elefante com 15% de casca de café + concentrado; silagem de capim-elefante com 15% farelo de cacau + concentrado. Os maiores consumos de matéria seca (MS, matéria orgânica (MO, carboidratos totais (CT, carboidratos não-fibrosos (CNF e nutrientes digestíveis totais foram observados entre os animais alimentados com a silagem contendo farelo de mandioca. As silagens com farelo de mandioca ou casca de café promoveram maior consumo de extrato etéreo. Os maiores valores de digestibilidade da MS, MO, EE e CT foram obtidos na dieta contendo silagem de capim-elefante com farelo de mandioca. O valor de digestibilidade dos CNF foi semelhante entre as dietas contendo silagem de capim-elefante com farelo de mandioca, casca de café e farelo de cacau. A digestibilidade de fibra em detergente neutro e de fibra em detergente ácido foi maior para a silagem sem aditivo, com farelo de mandioca ou farelo de cacau. Entre os subprodutos avaliados, o farelo de mandioca é o que promove maiores consumos, digestibilidades dos nutrientes e produção de leite em cabras alimentadas com silagem de capim-elefante.The experiment was carried out to evaluate the intake, apparent digestibility and the milk yield of goats fed elephant grass silages containing industrial by-products. Eight Saanen breed goats were used, distributed in two 4 × 4 Latin squares, with four 14-day periods (ten days of adaptation and four days for data collection. The treatments were

  3. Feed intake, gastrointestinal system and body composition in reindeer calves fed early harvested first cut timothy silage (Phleum pratense

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    Harri J. Norberg

    1998-02-01

    Full Text Available Early harvested first cut (EFC timothy silage was fed to five reindeer calves (Rangifer tarandus tarandus L. taken from their natural summer pasture and brought to Tromsø for feeding trial. The calves were housed indoors in metabolism cages and fed EFC timothy silage ad lib. during the trial, which lasted from late November 1994 until the end of February 1995, when animals subsequently were slaughtered. Daily feed intake, gastrointestinal (GI anatomy, body weight and body composition of the animals were examined. Timothy silage {Phleum praténse was harvested 21 June, 1994 in Tromsø, prewilted and stored as round bales containing 97% leaves. The EFC silage contained 42.1% dry matter (DM, and 18.1% crude protein, 20.7% cellulose, 16.9% hemicellulose and 28.0% water soluble carbohydrates (WSC of DM. Mean feed intake (DM 24 hours after the trial started (day 1 was 9-4 g/kg body mass (BM (S.D.+ 3-9, while the mean daily DM intake during days 15-74 comprised 24.2 g/kg BM (S.D.+ 6.1. All animals except one gained body weight during the trial. The median (range BM at start and at slaughter was 48.5 kg (34.5¬58.0 kg and 50.0 kg (42.0-53.5 kg, respectively. Median (range carcass weight % of BM was 58.0% (51.2-58.7% and muscle index value 0.0132 (0.0106-0.0176. The median reticulo-rumen (RR content wet weight (WW was 4601 g (range 2697-5000 g comprising 9.3% of the BM, and 85.1% of the total gastrointestinal wet weight content. The median (range gastrointestinal tract weight was 14.1% of BM (10.7-16.4%. Based on feed intake during the trial and body composition at slaughtet we conclude that first cut timothy silage is suitable as emergency feed to reindeer, as long as it is harvested in early growth stage with high proportion of leaves.

  4. Green grasses as light harvesters in dye sensitized solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shanmugam, Vinoth; Manoharan, Subbaiah; Sharafali, A.; Anandan, Sambandam; Murugan, Ramaswamy

    2015-01-01

    Chlorophylls, the major pigments presented in plants are responsible for the process of photosynthesis. The working principle of dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) is analogous to natural photosynthesis in light-harvesting and charge separation. In a similar way, natural dyes extracted from three types of grasses viz. Hierochloe Odorata (HO), Torulinium Odoratum (TO) and Dactyloctenium Aegyptium (DA) were used as light harvesters in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) were used to characterize the dyes. The electron transport mechanism and internal resistance of the DSSCs were investigated by the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The performance of the cells fabricated with the grass extract shows comparable efficiencies with the reported natural dyes. Among the three types of grasses, the DSSC fabricated with the dye extracted from Hierochloe Odorata (HO) exhibited the maximum efficiency. LC-MS investigations indicated that the dominant pigment present in HO dye was pheophytin a (Pheo a).

  5. Using brown midrib 6 dwarf forage sorghum silage and fall-grown oat silage in lactating dairy cow rations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harper, M T; Oh, J; Giallongo, F; Lopes, J C; Roth, G W; Hristov, A N

    2017-07-01

    Double cropping and increasing crop diversity could improve dairy farm economic and environmental sustainability. In this experiment, corn silage was partially replaced with 2 alternative forages, brown midrib-6 brachytic dwarf forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) or fall-grown oat (Avena sativa) silage, in the diet of lactating dairy cows. We investigated the effect on dry matter (DM) intake, milk yield (MY), milk components and fatty acid profile, apparent total-tract nutrient digestibility, N utilization, enteric methane emissions, and income over feed cost. We analyzed the in situ DM and neutral detergent fiber disappearance of the alternative forages versus corn silage and alfalfa haylage. Sorghum was grown in the summer and harvested in the milk stage. Oats were grown in the fall and harvested in the boot stage. Compared with corn silage, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber concentrations were higher in the alternative forages. Lignin content was highest for sorghum silage and similar for corn silage and oat silage. The alternative forages had less than 1% starch compared with the approximately 35% starch in the corn silage. Ruminal in situ DM effective degradability was similar, although statistically different, for corn silage and oat silage, but lower for sorghum silage. Diets with the alternative forages were fed in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design experiment with three 28-d periods and 12 Holstein cows. The control diet contained 44% (DM basis) corn silage. In the other 2 diets, sorghum or oat silages were included at 10% of dietary DM, replacing corn silage. Sorghum silage inclusion decreased DM intake, MY, and milk protein content but increased milk fat and maintained energy-corrected MY similar to the control. Oat silage had no effect on DM intake, MY, or milk components compared to the control. The oat silage diet increased apparent total-tract digestibility of dietary nutrients, except starch, whereas the sorghum diet slightly

  6. Biogas and Methane Yield from Rye Grass

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    Tomáš Vítěz

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Biogas production in the Czech Republic has expanded substantially, including marginal regions for maize cultivation. Therefore, there are increasingly sought materials that could partially replace maize silage, as a basic feedstock, while secure both biogas production and its quality.Two samples of rye grass (Lolium multiflorum var. westerwoldicum silage with different solids content 21% and 15% were measured for biogas and methane yield. Rye grass silage with solid content of 15% reached an average specific biogas yield 0.431 m3·kg−1 of organic dry matter and an average specific methane yield 0.249 m3·kg−1 of organic dry matter. Rye grass silage with solid content 21% reached an average specific biogas yield 0.654 m3·kg−1 of organic dry matter and an average specific methane yield 0.399 m3·kg−1 of organic dry matter.

  7. Desempenho animal e viabilidade econômica do uso da silagem de capim-Elefante em substituição a silagem de milho para vacas em lactação = Animal performance and economic return from replacing corn silage by elephant grass silage in Holstein cow diets

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    Clóves Cabreira Jobim

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available O trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o desempenho produtivo de vacas da raça Holandesa quanto à produção e composição do leite, assim como a eficiência econômica do uso de silagem de milho ou silagens de capim-elefante confeccionadas com inoculantes bacteriano e enzimo-bacteriano. Foram utilizadas nove vacas multíparas no períodointermediário de lactação, e o delineamento experimental foi o quadrado latino (3 x 3; três silagens. Foram realizadas análises químico-bromatológicas, e a digestibilidade da MS e FDN das silagens. As análises químico-bromatológicas mostraram valores superiores para asilagem de milho. Entretanto, os resultados não mostraram diferenças (p>0,05 na ingestão de matéria seca, produção e composição do leite entre as silagens. O resultado da análise econômica mostrou-se superior para as silagens de capim-elefante, fato decorrente de seumenor custo de produção aliado ao bom resultado de desempenho. Tal fato pode ter sido favorecido pelo uso dos inoculantes e sua ação sobre a parede celular das silagens de capimelefante, pois a digestibilidade das rações totais foram semelhantes para as três silagens.The objectives of this study were to evaluate Holstein cow performance, considering milk yield and composition, and economic efficiency from replacing corn silage by elephant-grass silages treated with bacterial and enzymebacterial inoculants. Nine multiparous cows, in the middle of lactation were used. Theexperimental design was a Latin square (3 x 3; three silages. Chemical and bromatologic analysis and DM and NDF digestibility were conducted for all the silages. Chemical and bromatologic analysis showed higher values for corn silage. However, there was no difference(P > 0.05 for dry matter intake, milk yield and composition among the silages. Economic analysis showed higher return using elephant-grass silages, fact resulting from lower production costs and milk yield. This could be the result

  8. Green grasses as light harvesters in dye sensitized solar cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shanmugam, Vinoth; Manoharan, Subbaiah; Sharafali, A; Anandan, Sambandam; Murugan, Ramaswamy

    2015-01-25

    Chlorophylls, the major pigments presented in plants are responsible for the process of photosynthesis. The working principle of dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) is analogous to natural photosynthesis in light-harvesting and charge separation. In a similar way, natural dyes extracted from three types of grasses viz. Hierochloe Odorata (HO), Torulinium Odoratum (TO) and Dactyloctenium Aegyptium (DA) were used as light harvesters in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) were used to characterize the dyes. The electron transport mechanism and internal resistance of the DSSCs were investigated by the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The performance of the cells fabricated with the grass extract shows comparable efficiencies with the reported natural dyes. Among the three types of grasses, the DSSC fabricated with the dye extracted from Hierochloe Odorata (HO) exhibited the maximum efficiency. LC-MS investigations indicated that the dominant pigment present in HO dye was pheophytin a (Pheo a). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. EFFECT OF GRASS TAIWAN (Pennisetum purpureum AND RAMON (Brosimum alicastrum SILAGE SUPPLEMENTATION ON CHANGE OF BODY WEIGHT AND BLOOD VARIABLES IN COLLARED PECCARY (Pecarí tajacu IN CAPTIVITY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. Borges

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available In order to evaluate the weight changes, level of hematocrit and serum total protein to supplement the diet of collared peccaries (Pecari tajacu with a silage mixture of grass Taiwan (Pennisetum purpureum and Ramon (Brosimum alicastrum a voluntary consumption test was performed for five weeks. Using eleven non-pregnant adult females, with mean age of 4.5 years and weighing 19.15 kg (± 0.5 kg, two groups were formed: one of five animals which offered squash (Cucurbita pepo and corn (Zea mays, and another of six animals on a diet of squash, corn and silage at 50%. Were taken blood samples and record weight every seven days. T-student test were used to compare means of two independent samples.  There were no differences between the means of the weights and blood proteins levels of individuals. The use of a silage mixture of grass and fodder cutting is a viable option to supplement the diet of nonpregnant adult females.

  10. The cost of feeding bred dairy heifers on native warm-season grasses and harvested feedstuffs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lowe, J K; Boyer, C N; Griffith, A P; Waller, J C; Bates, G E; Keyser, P D; Larson, J A; Holcomb, E

    2016-01-01

    Heifer rearing is one of the largest production expenses for dairy cattle operations, which is one reason milking operations outsource heifer rearing to custom developers. The cost of harvested feedstuffs is a major expense in heifer rearing. A possible way to lower feed costs is to graze dairy heifers, but little research exists on this topic in the mid-south United States. The objectives of this research were to determine the cost of feeding bred dairy heifers grazing native warm-season grasses (NWSG), with and without legumes, and compare the cost of grazing with the cost of rearing heifers using 3 traditional rations. The 3 rations were corn silage with soybean meal, corn silage with dry distillers grain, and a wet distillers grain-based ration. Bred Holstein heifers between 15- and 20-mo-old continuously grazed switchgrass (SG), SG with red clover (SG+RC), a big bluestem and Indiangrass mixture (BBIG), and BBIG with red clover (BBIG+RC) in Tennessee during the summer months. Total grazing days were calculated for each NWSG to determine the average cost/animal per grazing day. The average daily gain (ADG) was calculated for each NWSG to develop 3 harvested feed rations that would result in the same ADG over the same number of grazing day as each NWSG treatment. The average cost/animal per grazing day was lowest for SG ($0.48/animal/grazing d) and highest for BBIG+RC ($1.10/animal/grazing d). For both BBIG and SG, legumes increased the average cost/animal per grazing day because grazing days did not increase enough to account for the additional cost of the legumes. No difference was observed in ADG for heifers grazing BBIG (0.85 kg/d) and BBIG+RC (0.94 kg/d), and no difference was observed in ADG for heifers grazing SG (0.71 kg/d) and SG+RC (0.70 kg/d). However, the ADG for heifers grazing SG and SG+RC was lower than the ADG for heifers grazing either BBIG or BBIG+RC. The average cost/animal per grazing day was lower for all NWSG treatments than the average cost

  11. Review of the integrated process for the production of grass biomethane.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nizami, Abdul-Sattar; Korres, Nicholas E; Murphy, Jerry D

    2009-11-15

    Production of grass biomethane is an integrated process which involves numerous stages with numerous permutations. The grass grown can be of numerous species, and it can involve numerous cuts. The lignocellulosic content of grass increases with maturity of grass; the first cut offers more methane potential than the later cuts. Water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) are higher (and as such methane potential is higher) for grass cut in the afternoon as opposed to that cut in the morning. The method of ensiling has a significant effect on the dry solids content of the grass silage. Pit or clamp silage in southern Germany and Austria has a solids content of about 40%; warm dry summers allow wilting of the grass before ensiling. In temperate oceanic climates like Ireland, pit silage has a solids content of about 21% while bale silage has a solids content of 32%. Biogas production is related to mass of volatile solids rather than mass of silage; typically one ton of volatile solid produces 300 m(3) of methane. The dry solids content of the silage has a significant impact on the biodigester configuration. Silage with a high solids content would lend itself to a two-stage process; a leach bed where volatile solids are converted to a leachate high in chemical oxygen demand (COD), followed by an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket where the COD can be converted efficiently to CH(4). Alternative configurations include wet continuous processes such as the ubiquitous continuously stirred tank reactor; this necessitates significant dilution of the feedstock to effect a solids content of 12%. Various pretreatment methods may be employed especially if the hydrolytic step is separated from the methanogenic step. Size reduction, thermal, and enzymatic methodologies are used. Good digester design is to seek to emulate the cow, thus rumen fluid offers great potential for hydrolysis.

  12. Co-Digestion of Sugar Beet Silage Increases Biogas Yield from Fibrous Substrates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Einfalt, Daniel; Kazda, Marian

    2016-01-01

    This study tested the hypothesis that the easily degradable carbohydrates of the sugar beet silage (S) will improve the anaerobic digestion of grass silage (G) more profoundly compared to co-digestion of sugar beet silage with maize silage (M). M : S and G : S mixtures were tested in two continuous laboratory-scale AD experiments at volatile solid ratios of 1 : 0, 6 : 1, 3 : 1, and 1 : 3 at organic loading rates of 1.5 kgVS m−3 day−1. While the sugar beet effects in mixtures with maize silage were negligible, co-digestion with grass silage showed a beneficial performance. There, the specific methane production rate was 0.27 lN kg−1VS h−1at G : S ratio of 6 : 1 compared to G : S 1 : 0 with 0.14 lN kg−1VS h−1. In comparison to G : S 1 : 0, about 44% and 62% higher biogas yields were obtained at G : S 6 : 1 and 3 : 1, respectively. Also, the highest methane concentration was found in G : S at ratio of 1 : 3. Synergistic increase of methane yield was found in co-digestion in both experiments, but higher effect was realized in G : S, independently of the amount of sugar beet silage. The findings of this study emphasize the improvement of AD of grass silage by even low addition of sugar beet silage. PMID:27807538

  13. A survey of silage management practices on California dairies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heguy, J M; Meyer, D; Silva-Del-Río, N

    2016-02-01

    The aim of the present study was to gather baseline information on corn silage-management practices to develop an outreach curriculum for dairy producers and growers. In spring 2013, dairy producers in the San Joaquin Valley (California) were surveyed on their silage-management practices. Response rate was 14.5% (n=160) and herd size averaged 1,512 milking cows. Harvest date was set solely by the dairy producer (53.4%) or with the assistance of the crop manager, custom chopper, or nutritionist (23.3%). On some dairies (23.3%), the dairy producer delegated the harvest date decision. Most dairies (75.0%) estimated crop dry matter before harvest, and the preferred method was milk line evaluation. Dairy producers were mostly unfamiliar with harvest rate but the number [1 (35.9%), 2 (50.3%), or 3 to 5 (13.8%)] and size [6-row (17.7%), 8-row (67.3%), or 10-row (15.0%)] of choppers working simultaneously was reported. Most dairies used a single packing tractor (68.8%) and weighed every load of fresh chopped corn delivered to the silage pit (62%). During harvest, dry matter (66.9%), particle length (80.4%), and kernel processing (92.5%) were monitored. Most dairies completed filling their largest silage structure in less than 3 d (48.5%) or in 4 to 7 d (30.9%). Silage covering was completed no later than 7 2h after structure completion in all dairies, and was often completed within 24 h (68.8%). Packed forage was covered as filled in 19.6% of dairies. Temporary covers were used on some dairies (51.0%), with filling durations of 1 to 60 d. When temporary covers were not used, structures were filled in no more than 15 d. After structure closure, silage feedout started in 1 to 3 wk (44.4%), 4 to 5 wk (31.4%), or 8 or more wk (24.2%). Future considerations included increasing the silage storage area (55.9%), increasing the number of packing tractors (37.0%), planting brown mid-rib varieties (34.4%), buying a defacer to remove silage (33.1%), and creating drive-over piles (32

  14. Methane emission and community composition patterns of rumen bacteria and methanogens in Holstein dairy cows as affected by silage type and dietary fat

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Poulsen, Morten; Højberg, Ole; Canibe, Nuria

    ) to investigate effects of silages with different methanogenic potential (early grass, late grass, and maize) combined with a CH4-reducing feed additive (crushed rapeseed) on bacterial and methanogenic communities in the rumen. Bacterial and methanogenic community patterns were evaluated by T-RFLP analysis of 16S...... rRNA and methyl co-enzyme M reductase (mcrA) genes, respectively. Methanogen abundances were evaluated by qPCR using two mcrA-targeting primer sets. Silage type significantly affected CH4 emissions and rumen acetate:propionate ratios, being highest for late grass and lowest for maize. Dietary fat...... significantly reduced the gross energy lost as CH4 regardless of silage type. Silage type significantly affected the bacterial community composition pattern; the grass silages favored potential hemicellulose- and cellulose-degrading bacteria, while the maize silage mainly favored potentially starch...

  15. Características de carcaça e qualidade da carne de novilhas alimentadas com silagem de capim-marandu Carcass characteristics and meat quality of heifers fed marandu grass silage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gustavo Almeida Mendes

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar as características de carcaça e da carne de novilhas ¾ Zebu x Holandês submetidas a dieta com substituição da silagem de sorgo por silagem de capim-marandu. Utilizou-se o delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado. Os tratamentos consistiram da substituição da fração volumosa da dieta de 100, 70 e 30% de silagem de sorgo por, respectivamente, 100, 70 e 30% de silagem de capim-marandu. Foi adicionado concentrado na proporção de 1,2% de peso corporal, e as dietas foram isoproteicas. A substituição da silagem de sorgo pela silagem de capim-marandu aumentou a perda de água por cozimento até o ponto máximo de 49,98% de substituição, elevou a força de cisalhamento e a capacidade de retenção de água da carne, mas não influenciou os pesos e os rendimentos das carcaças, os percentuais de cortes, as medidas de carcaça, a área de olho de lombo, o pH das carcaças, a espessura de gordura e as características de cor de músculo e gordura. A substituição da silagem de sorgo por silagem de capim-marandu diminui o ganho de peso de corpo vazio e reduz a maciez da carne de novilhas ¾ Zebu x Holandês, mas não afeta as características quantitativas da carcaça.The objective of this work was to evaluate the carcass characteristics and meat quality of ¾ Zebu x Holstein heifers subjected to a diet with the substitution of sorghum silage by marandu grass silage. A completely randomized experimental design was used. Treatments consisted of replacing the bulky fraction of the diet of 100, 70, and 30% of sorghum silage by, respectively, 100, 70, and 30% of marandu grass silage. Concentrate was added in the proportion of 1.2% of live weight, and diets were isoproteic. The substitution of sorghum silage by marandu grass silage increased water loss by cooking to the maximum point of 49.98% of substitution, elevated average shear force and water holding capacity of meat, but did not influence

  16. Anaerobic Mono- and Co-digestion of Mechanically Pretreated Meadow Grass for Biogas Production

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tsapekos, Panagiotis; Kougias, Panagiotis; Angelidaki, Irini

    2015-01-01

    ), was investigated. The grass silage was mechanically pretreated with different methods to increase its biodegradability. It was found that the early cut of non-treated meadow grass silage led to higher methane production [294 mL of CH4/g of volatile solids (VS)] compared to the corresponding non-treated meadow...... grass silage from the late cut (282 mL of CH4/g of VS). Moreover, it was found that the application of two mesh grating plates, as the pretreatment method, greatly enhanced the methane production in early and late cut silage in a range of 15 and 17%, respectively, compared to the non-treated grass...... ratios in terms of organic matter. The results showed that the optimum silage concentration in the co-digestion mixture with manure, for the highest methane yield, was strongly dependent upon the chemical composition of the manure. More specifically, the ammonia concentration of manure and the C/N ratio...

  17. The effect of silage cutting height on the nutritive value of a normal corn silage hybrid compared with brown midrib corn silage fed to lactating cows.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kung, L; Moulder, B M; Mulrooney, C M; Teller, R S; Schmidt, R J

    2008-04-01

    A brown midrib (BMR) hybrid and a silage-specific non-BMR (7511FQ) hybrid were harvested at a normal cut height leaving 10 to 15 cm of stalk in the field. The non-BMR hybrid was also cut at a greater height leaving 45 to 50 cm of stalk. Cutting high increased the concentrations of dry matter (+4%), crude protein (+5%), net energy for lactation (+3%), and starch (+7%), but decreased the concentrations of acid detergent fiber (-9%), neutral detergent fiber (-8%), and acid detergent lignin (-13%) for 7511FQ. As expected, the BMR corn silage was 30% lower in lignin concentration than 7511FQ. After 30 h of in vitro ruminal fermentation, the digestibility of neutral detergent fiber for normal cut 7511FQ, the same hybrid cut high, and the normal cut BMR hybrid were 51.7, 51.4, and 63.5%, respectively. Twenty-seven multiparous lactating cows were fed a total mixed ration composed of the respective silages (45% of dry matter) with alfalfa haylage (5%), alfalfa hay (5%), and concentrate (45%) (to make the TMR isocaloric and isonitrogenous) in a study with a 3 x 3 Latin square design with 21-d periods. Milk production was greater for cows fed the BMR hybrid (48.8 kg/d) compared with those fed the normal cut 7511FQ (46.8 kg/d) or cut high (47.7 kg/d). Dry matter intake was not affected by treatment. Feed efficiency for cows fed the BMR silage (1.83) was greater than for those fed high-cut 7511FQ (1.75), but was not different from cows fed the normal cut 7511FQ (1.77). Cows fed the BMR silage had milk with greater concentrations of lactose but lower milk urea nitrogen than cows on other treatments. Harvesting a silage-specific, non-BMR corn hybrid at a high harvest height improved its nutritive content, but the improvement in feeding value was not equivalent to that found when cows were fed BMR corn silage.

  18. Effect of silage type and energy concentration on conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in milk fat from dairy cows

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, T.S.; Sejrsen, K.; Andersen, H.R

    2004-01-01

    40 lactating cows were fed either clovergrass or maize silage and a low or high dietary energy concentration in a 2x2 factorial design. The maize silage diets rich in starch and linoleic acid resulted in a higher content of c9t11 and t10c12 CLA in milk fat than the grass silage diets. A high energy...... concentration plus maize silage led to a pronounced shift in the biohydrogenation pathway of linoleic acid, the highest t10c12 CLA content and lowest milk fat percentage. Energy concentration had no effect on milk fat CLA content or milk fat percentage in grass silage fed cows....

  19. Mathematical modelling of digesta passage rate, mean retention time and in vivo apparent digestibility of two different lengths of hay and big-bale grass silage in ponies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore-Colyer, M J S; Morrow, H J; Longland, A C

    2003-07-01

    Welsh-cross pony geldings (about 300 kg live weight) were used in a 4x4 Latin square experiment to determine the rate of passage and apparent digestibility of unchopped big-bale grass silage (BBL), chopped big-bale grass silage (BBS), unchopped grass hay (HL) and chopped grass hay (HS) offered at approximately 15 g/kg live weight per d. On day 1 of collection weeks, ponies were fed 85 g ytterbium chloride hexahydrate-marked feed 1.5 h after the morning meal. Total faecal collections commenced 8 h later and continued for 168 h. Apparent digestibilities of feed DM, organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP, Nx6.25), acid-detergent fibre (ADF) and neutral-detergent fibre (NDF) were also determined. Faecal excretion data were subjected to the models of Pond et al. (1988) and digesta mean retention time (MRT) calculated from these models and using the algebraic method of Thielmans et al. (1978). Silage had significantly (Peffect. All the models of Pond et al. (1988) accurately described (R(2)>0.8) the pattern of faecal marker excretion. MRT of BBL (29.0 h)>BBS(27 h)>HS and HL (26 h). Compartmental analysis using the G3 model of Pond et al. (1988) showed BBL and HS diets had longer MRT in the time-dependent compartment, whereas BBS and HL had longer MRT in the time-independent compartment. Results from this experiment indicate that BBL and BBS are readily accepted and digested by ponies. While Yb is a successful external marker for determining total tract MRT and for modelling faecal excretion curves in horses, the results did not allow any definite conclusions to be drawn on digesta MRT within the different compartments of the equid gut.

  20. Blood constituents of holstein cows fed with corn or elephant-grass silages / Constituintes sangüíneos de vacas da raça holandesa alimentadas com silagens de milho ou de capim-elefante

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valter Harry Bumbieris Júnior

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of corn (Zea mays L. silage and elephant-grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum silage on the nutrition of cows during lactation, over some of the blood constituents (glucose, triglycerides and urea. The treatments were three silages (corn silage, elephant-grass silage with bacterial inoculating, elephant-grass silage with enzyme-bacterial inoculating. Nine Holstein cows, with a medium weight of 520 kg, were distributed in experimental delineation of simultaneous triple Latin square. The blood glucose rates were considered normal, independents of the silage used. Concerning the triglicerides levels, it was verified that they are below normal to the different silages. One of the reasons would be the low fat level on the diet. The blood levels of urea observed on the three treatments are considered normal. There was not significant difference among the different kinds of silage in relation to the blood levels of urea, glucose and triglycerides.O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos do fornecimento de silagem de milho (Zea mays L. e silagem de capim-elefante (Pennisetum purpureum Schum na alimentação de vacas em lactação, sobre alguns dos constituintes sangüíneos (glicose, triglicerídeos e uréia. Os tratamentos foram três silagens (silagem de milho, silagem de capim-elefante com inoculante bacteriano, silagem de capim-elefante com inoculante enzimo-bacteriano. Foram utilizadas nove vacas da raça holandesa, com peso médio de 520 kg, distribuídas em delineamento experimental de triplo quadrado latino simultâneo. As taxas de glicose sangüínea das vacas foram consideradas normais, independente do volumoso utilizado. Em relação aos níveis de triglicerídeos, verificou-se que estão abaixo do normal para os diferentes volumosos. Uma das razões seria o baixo nível de gordura na dieta. Os níveis sangüíneos de uréia observados nos três tratamentos são considerados normais

  1. Evaluation of silage diets offered to reindeer calves intended for slaughter. II. Feeding of silage and concentrate from January to March

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Nilsson

    1996-01-01

    Full Text Available An experiment involving 56 male reindeer calves, with a mean initial live weight of 39 kg (SD=4.6, was undertaken to evaluate the effect of the concentrate:silage ratio on the performance during feeding to slaughter. Forty four of the calves were divided in four groups, two groups each being allotted to diets with low, 60% (LC, or high, 80% (HC proportions of a commercial pelleted feed. The remaining twelve calves were slaughtered at the start of the experiment. The experimenral period lasted from January to March. The proportions of concentrate to silage were based on the dry matter (DM content. The silage, 44% DM, was made from the primary growth of a predominantly grass sward preserved as plastic-wrapped big bales. Animal health was good throughour the experimenr. Small amounts of lichens were mixed into the diets during the first rwo weeks of feeding and may have contributed to the lack of adapta-tionai problems. The mean daily intakes of DM and metabolisable energy were higher (P<0.01 for calves offered the HC-diet. Despite the higher feed intakes, the increased proportion of concentrate in the diet did not significantly alter live weight gains or carcass weight gains. However, the greater fat deposition (P<0.05 and better carcass gradings indicated a better condition of the animals at slaughtet when less silage was fed. This experiment was the the final part of a three year study of silage based diets for reindeer intended for slaughter and the general conclusion is that the best role of grass silage of this quality is as a limited part of the ration. The silage may, however, play an important role during the adaptation period and further detailed studies are needed to evaluate the applicability of silage as a part of the diet to reindeer.

  2. Forage fiber effects on particle size reduction, ruminal stratification, and selective retention in heifers fed highly digestible grass/clover silages

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schulze, Anne-Katrine Skovsted; Weisbjerg, Martin Riis; Storm, Adam Christian

    2014-01-01

    The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of NDF content in highly digestible grass/clover silage on particle size reduction, ruminal stratification, and selective retention in dairy heifers. The reduction in particle size from feed to feces was evaluated and related to feed intake...... measured. Intake of NDF increased linearly from 2.3 to 2.8 kg/d with greater NDF content of forages (P = 0.01), but silages were exposed to similar eating time (P = 0.55) and rumination time per kg NDF (P = 0.35). No linear effect of NDF content was found on proportion of LP in ingested feed boluses (P = 0.......31), medial rumen digesta (P = 0.95), ventral rumen digesta (P = 0.84), and feces (P = 0.09). Greater proportions of DM (P ruminal digesta compared with ventral rumen, and differences in DM proportion increased with greater NDF content (P = 0...

  3. Impact of harvesting time on ultimate methane yield of switchgrass grown in eastern Canada

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gilbert, Y.; Masse, D. [Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Sherbrooke, PQ (Canada). Dairy and Swine Research and Development Centre; Savoie, P.; Belanger, G.; Parent, G. [Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Quebec City, PQ (Canada). Soils and Crops Research and Development Centre; Babineau, D.L. [Groupe EBI, Berthierville, PQ (Canada)

    2010-07-01

    European research in green energy production from crops has resulted in the development of full scale bioreactors that use energy crops as feedstock. Switchgrass has been touted as one of the most promising crops for energy production among several perennial grass species grown under moderate to hot climates. However, few studies have been conducted in colder climate conditions. This study examined the mesophilic methane yield of switchgrass grown under the cooler growing conditions that exist in northeastern North America. In 2007, switchgrass was harvested in late July, August and September and conserved as silage. The regrowth of plots harvested in late July was also harvested in late September as a two-cut strategy. A 30 L small-scale laboratory digester was used to anaerobically digest the switchgrass silage samples. Specific methane yield decreased considerably with advancing plant development, but was similar between the first harvest in late July and the regrowth in late September. Nearly 25 per cent more methane could be produced by hectare for the two-cut strategy compared to harvesting once in late August. It was concluded that additional studies are needed to determine the effect of cutting times and strategies on the long term yield of switchgrass and to establish the production cost of this renewable energy.

  4. Post-harvest treatments in smooth-stalked meadow grass (Poa pratensis L.) - effect on carbohydrates and tiller development

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boelt, Birte

    2007-01-01

    Temperate grass species require a period of short days/low temperature to respond to flower induction stimuli. The same environmental conditions stimulate the increase in carbohydrate concentration in aboveground biomass and the accumulation of reserve carbohydrates in the basal plant parts....... The present investigation was initiated to investigate the effect of post-harvest treatments on dry matter production in autumn, carbohydrate content, the number of reproductive tillers and seed yield in a turf-type cultivar ‘Conni' of smooth-stalked meadow grass. The results show that post-harvest treatments...... harvest and all residues removed. The results from plant samples in autumn indicate that decreasing aboveground biomass production leads to a higher carbohydrate concentration which may stimulate the reproductive development in smooth-stalked meadow grass....

  5. Effect of harvest time of red and white clover silage on chewing activity and particle size distribution in boli, rumen content and faeces in cows.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kornfelt, L F; Nørgaard, P; Weisbjerg, M R

    2013-06-01

    The study examined the effects of harvest time of red and white clover silage on eating and ruminating activity and particle size distribution in feed boli, rumen content and faeces in cows. The clover crops were harvested at two stages of growth and ensiled in bales. Red clover crops had 36% and 45% NDF in dry matter (DM) at early (ER) and late (LR) harvest, respectively, and the white clover crops had 19% and 29% NDF in DM at the early (EW) and late (LW) harvest, respectively. The silages were fed restrictively (80% of ad libitum intake) twice daily to four rumen cannulated non-lactating Jersey cows (588 ± 52 kg) in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Jaw movements (JM) were recorded for 96 h continuously. Swallowed boli, rumen mat, rumen fluid and faeces samples were collected, washed in nylon bags (0.01 mm pore size) and freeze-dried before dry sieving through 4.750, 2.360, 1.000, 0.500, 0.212 and 0.106 mm into seven fractions. The length (PL) and width (PW) values of rumen and faeces particles within each fraction were measured by use of image analysis. The eating activity (min/kg DM intake; P rumen mat (P rumen fluid (P rumen mat and faeces, but only one peak (mode 1) for PL values. There was no difference in the mean and mode 1 PW and PL value in rumen mat between the four treatments. The mean PL, mode PL, mode 2 PW and mean PW in faeces were highest for LR (P rumen mat and faeces particles are most likely related to the leaves and the stems/petioles. In conclusion, the mean total chewing activity per kg DM was lowest for the white clover silage and increased for both silages due to later harvest time. The mean particle size in boli was smallest for LR, whereas the mean PL and PW in faeces were highest for the LR.

  6. Chemical composition and methane yield of reed canary grass as influenced by harvesting time and harvest frequency

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kandel, Tanka Prasad; Sutaryo, Sutaryo; Møller, Henrik Bjarne

    2013-01-01

    This study examined the influence of harvest time on biomass yield, dry matter partitioning, biochemical composition and biological methane potential of reed canary grass harvested twice a month in one-cut (OC) management. The regrowth of biomass harvested in summer was also harvested in autumn...... as a two-cut management with (TC-F) or without (TC-U) fertilization after summer harvest. The specific methane yields decreased significantly with crop maturity that ranged from 384 to 315 and from 412 to 283 NL (normal litre) (kg VS)-1 for leaf and stem, respectively. Approximately 45% more methane...... was produced by the TC-F management (5430 Nm3 ha-1) as by the OC management (3735 Nm3 ha-1). Specific methane yield was moderately correlated with the concentrations of fibre components in the biomass. Larger quantity of biogas produced at the beginning of the biogas assay from early harvested biomass...

  7. Effect of harvest time and physical form of alfalfa silage on chewing time and particle size distribution in boli, rumen content and faeces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kornfelt, L F; Weisbjerg, M R; Nørgaard, P

    2013-02-01

    The study examined the effects of physical form and harvest time of alfalfa silage on eating and ruminating activity and particle size distribution in feed boli, rumen content and faeces in dry cows. The alfalfa crop was harvested at two stages of growth (early: NDF 37%, late: NDF 44% in dry matter (DM)), and from each harvest, a chopped (theoretical cutting length: 19 mm) and an unchopped crop was ensiled in bales. The silages were fed restrictively to four rumen cannulated non-lactating Jersey cows (391 ± 26 kg) in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. The cows were fed restrictively 80% of their ad libitum intake twice daily. Chewing activity was recorded for 96 h continuously. Swallowed boli, rumen content, rumen fluid and faeces samples were collected, washed in nylon bags (0.01 mm pore size) and freeze-dried before dry sieving through 4.750, 2.360, 1.000, 0.500 and 0.212 mm pore sizes into six fractions. The length (PL) and width (PW) of particles within each fraction was measured by the use of image analysis. The eating activity (min/kg dry matter intake (P rumen content, rumen fluid and faeces was affected by harvest time (P rumen content and faeces were identified. Chopping of the silage decreased the mean PL and PW, the most frequent PL (mode) and 95% percentile PL and PW values in boli. In the rumen content, chopping increased the mean PW (P rumen content and faeces than in boli (P rumen contents (P rumen content and faeces particles are most likely related to the leaf and the stem residues.

  8. Silagem de capim-elefante aditivada com produtos alternativos=Elephant grass silage with added alternative products

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    India Joelma Gatass Monteiro

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Objetivou-se avaliar o padrão de fermentação e a composição bromatológica da silagem de capim-elefante utilizando diferentes aditivos. Utilizou-se o delineamento inteiramente casualizado com seis tratamentos (capim-elefante sem aditivo; com 100 kg de farelo de arroz t-1 de massa verde (MV; com 100 kg de casca de soja t-1 MV; com 100 kg de fubá de milho t-1 MV; com 200 kg de cana-de-açúcar picada t-1 MV; com inoculante bacteriano e quatro repetições. Utilizaram-se silos de PVC, adotando densidade de 600 kg de massa verde m-3. Com a exceção do inoculante bacteriano, todos os aditivos proporcionaram aumento nos teores de matéria seca (27,95 a 31,65% e carboidratos solúveis (15,20 a 17,14% na forragem a ser ensilada. Os aditivos promoveram adequado padrão de fermentação face aos valores de pH (3,70 a 3,96 e de nitrogênio amoniacal (3,67 a 4,44% do N-total verificados na silagem. O aditivo farelo de arroz proporcionou a obtenção de silagens com teores mais elevados de proteína bruta (6,41% e nutrientes digestíveis totais (61,91% em relação ao tratamento sem aditivo.The objective was to evaluate the fermentation pattern and chemical composition of elephant grass silage using different additives. The experimental design was completely randomized with six treatments (elephant grass no additive; with 100 kg of rice bran ton-1 of green mass (GM; with 100 kg of soybean hulls ton-1 GM; with 100 kg of corn meal ton-1 GM; with 200 kg of sugar cane ton-1 GM; with inoculants and four replications. PVC silos were used, adopting a density of 600 kg of green mass m-3. With the exception of inoculant, all additives used resulted in increased dry matter content (27.95 to 31.65% and soluble carbohydrate contents (15.20 to 17.14% in the forage being ensiled. The additives promoted an adequate fermentation pattern for pH values (3.70 to 3.96 and ammonia nitrogen (3.67 to 4.44% of total N observed in the silage. The rice bran additive yielded

  9. Investigation of mircroorganisms colonising activated zeolites during anaerobic biogas production from grass silage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weiss, S; Zankel, A; Lebuhn, M; Petrak, S; Somitsch, W; Guebitz, G M

    2011-03-01

    The colonisation of activated zeolites (i.e. clinoptilolites) as carriers for microorganisms involved in the biogas process was investigated. Zeolite particle sizes of 1.0-2.5mm were introduced to anaerobic laboratory batch-cultures and to continuously operated bioreactors during biogas production from grass silage. Incubation over 5-84 days led to the colonisation of zeolite surfaces in small batch-cultures (500 ml) and even in larger scaled and flow-through disturbed bioreactors (28 l). Morphological insights were obtained by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis based on amplification of bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA fragments demonstrated structurally distinct populations preferring zeolite as operational environment. via sequence analysis conspicuous bands from SSCP patterns were identified. Populations immobilised on zeolite (e.g. Ruminofilibacter xylanolyticum) showed pronounced hydrolytic enzyme activity (xylanase) shortly after re-incubation in sterilised sludge on model substrate. In addition, the presence of methanogenic archaea on zeolite particles was demonstrated. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Screening of Lactic Acid Bacteria from Rumen Liquor and King Grass Silage as well as Their Antibacterial Activities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Sofyan

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Probiotic is a live microbial culture which has positive effect on animal by improving the natural balance of microflora in the digestive tract. This experiment aimed to screen and identify indigenous lactic acid bacteria (LAB from rumen liquor and king grass (Pennisetum hybrid silage as a probiotic candidate and to evaluate their resistance in low pH, and inhibitory activities against pathogenic bacteria. The LAB isolate was characterized by a clear zone formed on MRSA medium + CaCO3 0.2% (w/v and further identified by morphological and biochemical assays. The selected isolates were evaluated for their viability in low pH, pathogenic bacterial inhibition, and lactic acid production. The experimental arrangement was a factorial block design (4 x 2 consisted of four isolates and two levels of pH value (pH 2 and 3, each treatment in 3 equal replicates. The result showed that four isolates (two isolates from the rumen liquor of fistulated cattle and two isolates from silage were identified as lactic acid bacteria. The four isolates showed inhibition activity against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus and performed viability at low pH during 2 h treatment. The highest lactic acid production was obtained from isolates Sil.3 (21.42% and followed by CR2 (19.88%, CR1 (15.40% and Sil.9 (15.08%. Biochemical identification by standard of analytical profile index (API 50 CHL kit showed that the selected isolates CR1 was Lactobacillus paracasei ssp. paracasei 3 (91.5%, L. paracasei ssp. paracasei 3 (76.5%, Sil.3 was Lactobacillus brevis (95.1%, and Sil.9 was Lactobacillus collinoides (92.5%. In conclusion, probiotic candidates isolated from rumen liquor are confirmed as L. paracasei ssp. paracasei (CR1 and CR2, while two other isolates from king grass silage are identified as L. brevis (Sil.3 and L. collinoides (Sil.9. L. brevis (Sil.3 and L. paracasei ssp. paracasei (CR1 has higher inhibition against pathogenic bacteria (E. coli, S

  11. Comparison between grass-silages of different dry matter content fed to reindeer during winter

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Nilsson

    1996-01-01

    Full Text Available A study was made of whether the dry matter content of silage influenced performance when 17-month-old male reindeer were fed solely silage outdoor during winter. Two kinds of round-baled silages with different wilting times were offered to the animals; low dry matter (LDM silage with a mean of 39% DM, or high dry matter (HDM silage with a mean of 53% DM. The 115 reindeer were allotted to slaughter at the start of the experiment in October or to be fed until slaughter in January or March. During the first three weeks of the experiment small amounts of lichens were mixed with the silages and the reindeer adapted to the feeding without problems. The daily intake of DM did not differ significantly between reindeer fed the LDM or the HDM silage despite a highly significant difference in daily silage intake. This resulted in small but significantly higher gains in live weight for animals fed the LDM silage, caused by increased weight of the rumen content. All groups of reindeer either retained or lost carcass weight during the experiment, and no improvements or differences were obtained between the kinds of silages in carcass assessment or gains in fat in the abdominal cavity. Animals slaughtered in January had a lower carcass weight and dressing percentage than reindeer slaughtered in October and March. Environmental conditions during the experiment were good but nonetheless mobbing and illness still occurred. The present results concur with those of earlier studies suggesting that it seems to be the bulk of the ration rather than the dry matter content of the silage that limits the intake.

  12. Chemical composition and methane yield of reed canary grass as influenced by harvesting time and harvest frequency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kandel, Tanka P; Sutaryo, Sutaryo; Møller, Henrik B; Jørgensen, Uffe; Lærke, Poul E

    2013-02-01

    This study examined the influence of harvest time on biomass yield, dry matter partitioning, biochemical composition and biological methane potential of reed canary grass harvested twice a month in one-cut (OC) management. The regrowth of biomass harvested in summer was also harvested in autumn as a two-cut management with (TC-F) or without (TC-U) fertilization after summer harvest. The specific methane yields decreased significantly with crop maturity that ranged from 384 to 315 and from 412 to 283 NL (normal litre) (kgVS)(-1) for leaf and stem, respectively. Approximately 45% more methane was produced by the TC-F management (5430Nm(3)ha(-1)) as by the OC management (3735Nm(3)ha(-1)). Specific methane yield was moderately correlated with the concentrations of fibre components in the biomass. Larger quantity of biogas produced at the beginning of the biogas assay from early harvested biomass was to some extent off-set by lower concentration of methane. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Effects of physical form and stage of maturity at harvest of whole-crop barley silage on intake, chewing activity, diet selection and faecal particle size of dairy steers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rustas, B.-O.; Nørgaard, Peder; Jalali, Alireza

    2010-01-01

    This study examined the effects of physical form and stage of maturity at harvest of whole-crop barley silage (WCBS) on feed intake, eating and rumination activity, diet selection and faecal particle size in dairy steers. Whole-crop barley was harvested and ensiled in round bales. Eight dairy ste...

  14. Transfer of Chernobyl radiocaesium (134Cs and 137Cs) from grass silage to milk in dairy cows

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Voors, P.I.; Weers, A.W. van

    1991-01-01

    The transfer of Chernobyl radiocaesium through the silage-cow-milk pathway has been investigated under normal farming conditions. A period in which grass silage with a relatively high level of radiocaesium was fed was preceded and followed by period of low-level contaminated feeds. An average transfer coefficient from feed to milk, F m , of 0.25% d liter -1 has been derived for radiocaesium. A simple two-compartmental model has been applied to predict the radiocaesium concentration in milk from the intake with feed. An estimate of three model parameters, F (fractional digestibility of radiocaesium in feed and the fraction secreted in both urine and milk), m and u (transfer rates from the body fluids to milk and urine) was made on the basis of a sampling and measurement programme on the urine, faeces and milk of two cows during a 48 h period. With the derived F-value of 0.13 and a u/m-ratio of 51 liter d -1 , the model appeared to predict a 1.5-fold lower concentration of radiocaesium milk than was actually measured. This discrepancy was consistent with the observed rather low total excretion of radiocaesium. With an F-value of 0.19, acceptable agreement between predicted and measured radiocaesium concentrations in milk was reached. (author)

  15. Effects of delayed wrapping of baled silage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Use of baled silage allows greater flexibility for harvest management when weather does not allow drying and harvesting forage as dry hay. However, timely wrapping on the day of baling can be difficult if significant numbers of bales need to be wrapped, or if a mechanical breakdown occurs. Researc...

  16. Mechanical pretreatment at harvesting increases the bioenergy output from marginal land grasses

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tsapekos, Panagiotis; Kougias, Panagiotis; Egelund, H.

    2017-01-01

    Meadow grass has recently gained increased attention as a substrate for full-scale biogas reactors. However, to increase its biodegradability, pretreatment is needed. In the present work, different harvesting machines were compared in order to assess their effect on biogas production. Specifically...... the methane yield of meadow grass by 20% compared to a classical Disc-mower. The positive effect was also validated by three kinetic model equations. The modified Gompertz model was the most capable of determining the kinetics of anaerobic digestion process, pointing out also the superiority of Excoriator...

  17. Performance and metabolite profile of dairy cows fed tropical grasses and concentrates containing crude protein with low or high degradability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raphael dos Santos Gomes

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Ten Holstein-Zebu crossbred cows distributed into two simultaneous Latin squares (5 × 5 as a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement formed by chopped sugarcane or elephant grass silage, both with high or low protein degradability supplements and a corn silage as a control treatment, were compared using orthogonal contrasts. The studied variables were the performance, plasma concentrations of urea-N, glucose, and creatinine, urine-N and milk urea-N, and the nychthemeral variation in NH3-N in the rumen fluid of dairy cows. Nutrient intake, milk production, and milk composition were affected by the treatments. The total mixed ration containing elephant grass silage combined with rumen undegradable protein (RUP provided balanced amounts of carbon and nitrogen in the rumen. This effect may explain the 18% increase in milk yield compared with the other treatments. The diurnal pattern of ruminal NH3-N was interpreted with a sinusoid model. In general, cows fed elephant grass silage exhibited higher concentrations of blood plasma and milk urea-N than animals fed sugarcane. The cows that consumed elephant grass silage with rumen degradable protein concentrate showed a higher milk urea-N compared with animals that consumed elephant grass silage with the RUP concentrate. The use of diets based on corn silage leads to a better use of nitrogen compounds because these diets resulted in lower levels of urea-N in the plasma, urine, and milk at the same level of milk production compared with diets containing elephant grass silage or chopped sugarcane as roughages. In sugarcane-based diets, even greater nitrogen losses in the urine are observed, despite the presence of readily fermentable carbohydrates in the diet.

  18. Effect of harvest time and physical form of alfalfa silage on chewing time and particle size distribution in boli, rumen content and faeces

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kornfelt, L. F.; Weisbjerg, Martin Riis; Norgaard, P.

    2013-01-01

    The study examined the effects of physical form and harvest time of alfalfa silage on eating and ruminating activity and particle size distribution in feed boli, rumen content and faeces in dry cows. The alfalfa crop was harvested at two stages of growth (early: NDF 37 late: NDF 44% in dry matter.......01), physical form (P time (P distribution function...... fractions. The length (PL) and width (PW) of particles within each fraction was measured by the use of image analysis. The eating activity (min/kg dry matter intake (P time. The mean ruminating time (min/kg DM) was affected by harvest time (P

  19. Effect of maturity and conservation of grass/clover on digestibility and rumen pH in heifers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Koch, A.S.; Nørgaard, P.; Weisbjerg, Martin Riis

    2013-01-01

    The study aimed to evaluate effects of maturity and conservation of primary growth grass/clover on apparent digestibility and rumen pH. Two batches of mixed ryegrass, red and white clover harvested in 2009 on May 9 and 25 were conserved as either silage or hay. The forages early silage (ES) and hay...... (EH), and late silage (LS) and hay (LH) had DM contents of 45, 84, 25 and 83%, and NDF contents of 32, 44, 42 and 50% of DM, respectively. Forages were fed as sole feed to four Jersey heifers of 435±30 kg BW in a 4×4 Latin square experiment. Feeding level was 90% of individual ad libitum intake......, divided in two daily meals at 0800 and 1530 h. Potentially digestible NDF (DNDF) was determined after 288 h in situ. Apparent digestibility of OM and NDF was estimated using Cr3O2 as marker. Rumen fluid pH in the medial and ventral rumen was measured with 1 h intervals from 0730 to 1530 h. Data...

  20. Bagaço de mandioca na ensilagem do capim-elefante: qualidade das silagens e digestibilidade dos nutrientes Cassava bagasse in elephant grass ensilage: quality of the silage and digestibility of the nutrients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F.F. Silva

    2007-06-01

    silage with four different levels of cassava bagasse plus balanced concentrate, with four repetitions per treatment. Silages quality, diet nutrients intake and nutrients digestibility of the silages and total diets were evaluated. Cassava bagasse increased the dry matter (DM content, of the silages preserving them with a pH varying from 3.85 to 4.07 and N-NH3/NT ratio from 6.2 to 7.85. Daily dry matter and crude protein (CP mean intakes did not differ among the treatments (P>0.05. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF and acid detergent fiber (ADF mean intakes showed a decreasing linear behavior (P0.05 for DM (DMD, NDF (NDFD and ADF digestibility (ADFD. The total digestible nutrients (TDN of the silages were similar in all the treatments. The CP (CPD, ether extract (EED and non-fiber carbohydrates digestibility (NFCD of the silages decreased linearly (P0.05 in DMD, CPD, NDFD, ADFD, EED, NFCD and TDN among the experimental diets. The 5% cassava bagasse addition to its elephant grass silage was satisfactory to preservation resulting in good digestibility of the elephant grass silage.

  1. Silage review: Recent advances and future uses of silage additives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muck, R E; Nadeau, E M G; McAllister, T A; Contreras-Govea, F E; Santos, M C; Kung, L

    2018-05-01

    to apply a direct-fed microbial strain at ensiling, have it survive ensiling, and multiply during feed out. Chemical additives traditionally have fallen in 2 groups. Formic acid causes direct acidification, suppressing clostridia and other undesired bacteria and improving protein preservation during ensiling. On the other hand, sorbic, benzoic, propionic, and acetic acids improve silage aerobic stability at feed out through direct inhibition of yeasts and molds. Current research has focused on various combinations of these chemicals to improve both aerobic stability and animal productivity. Enzyme additives have been added to forage primarily to breakdown plant cell walls at ensiling to improve silage fermentation by providing sugars for the LAB and to enhance the nutritive value of silage by increasing the digestibility of cell walls. Cellulase or hemicellulase mixtures have been more successful at the former than the latter. A new approach focused on Lb. buchneri producing ferulic acid esterase has also had mixed success in improving the efficiency of silage digestion. Another new enzyme approach is the application of proteases to corn silage to improve starch digestibility, but more research is needed to determine the feasibility. Future silage additives are expected to directly inhibit clostridia and other detrimental microorganisms, mitigate high mycotoxin levels on harvested forages during ensiling, enhance aerobic stability, improve cell wall digestibility, increase the efficiency of utilization of silage nitrogen by cattle, and increase the availability of starch to cattle. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Desempenho animal e viabilidade econômica do uso da silagem de capim-Elefante em substituição a silagem de milho para vacas em lactação - DOI: 10.4025/actascianimsci.v28i2.849 Animal performance and economic return from replacing corn silage by elephant grass silage in Holstein cow diets - DOI: 10.4025/actascianimsci.v28i2.849

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antônio Ferriane Branco

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available O trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o desempenho produtivo de vacas da raça Holandesa quanto à produção e composição do leite, assim como a eficiência econômica do uso de silagem de milho ou silagens de capim-elefante confeccionadas com inoculantes bacteriano e enzimo-bacteriano. Foram utilizadas nove vacas multíparas no período intermediário de lactação, e o delineamento experimental foi o quadrado latino (3 x 3; três silagens. Foram realizadas análises químico-bromatológicas, e a digestibilidade da MS e FDN das silagens. As análises químico-bromatológicas mostraram valores superiores para a silagem de milho. Entretanto, os resultados não mostraram diferenças (p>0,05 na ingestão de matéria seca, produção e composição do leite entre as silagens. O resultado da análise econômica mostrou-se superior para as silagens de capim-elefante, fato decorrente de seu menor custo de produção aliado ao bom resultado de desempenho. Tal fato pode ter sido favorecido pelo uso dos inoculantes e sua ação sobre a parede celular das silagens de capim-elefante, pois a digestibilidade das rações totais foram semelhantes para as três silagensThe objectives of this study were to evaluate Holstein cow performance, considering milk yield and composition, and economic efficiency from replacing corn silage by elephant-grass silages treated with bacterial and enzyme-bacterial inoculants. Nine multiparous cows, in the middle of lactation were used. The experimental design was a Latin square (3 x 3; three silages. Chemical and bromatologic analysis and DM and NDF digestibility were conducted for all the silages. Chemical and bromatologic analysis showed higher values for corn silage. However, there was no difference (P > 0.05 for dry matter intake, milk yield and composition among the silages. Economic analysis showed higher return using elephant-grass silages, fact resulting from lower production costs and milk yield. This could be the

  3. Effects of yeast culture supplement on digestion of nutrients and rumen fermentation in cattle fed on grass silage barley diet

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pekka Huhtanen

    1991-12-01

    Full Text Available The effects of including yeast culture (Saccharomyces cerevisiae plus growth medium; 5 x 106 organisms/g on the digestion of dietary constituents in the rumen and total digestive tract were studied in a pair of monozygote twin bulls. The animals were fitted with cannulae in the rumen and in the proximal duodenum. A diet of grass silage, barley and rapeseed meal (445, 445 and 90 g/kg total dry matter (DM was fed, with and without addition of 10 g per day of yeast culture (YC, in two treatment sequences. The addition of YC had no effect on the mean values of rumen pH, ammonia N concentration or molar proportions of volatile fatty acids. Also, the postprandial changes in rumen fermentation pattern were similar when the diet did and did not contain the YC supplement. The peak concentration of lactic acid 1 h after feeding tended to be higher in cattle receiving the YC diet (13.9 v 6.0 mmol/l. Apparent digestibility of organic matter (OM (mean 0.780 and the proportion of OM digestion occurring in the rumen (mean 0.603 were not affected by YC. Likewise, there was no effect on rumen or total digestion of cell wall carbohydrates, and the results for the degradation of hay DM in the rumen and for particle-associated carboxymethylcellulase and xylanase activities indicated that YC had no effect on the rumen environment that could affect fibre digestion. Supplemental yeast did not affect the rate of microbial N synthesis (28.0 and 28.6 g/kg OM apparently digested in the rumen. The results indicate that the addition of YC to the diet is not likely to improve the efficiency of digestion and fermentation in the rumen of cattle given a diet based on grass silage and barley.

  4. Estimating grass-clover ratio variations caused by traffic intensities using image analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Rasmus Nyholm; Sørensen, Claus Grøn; Green, Ole

    Grass and especially clover have a negative yield response as a function of  traffic intensity.  Conventional grass-clover production for silage have high traffic intensity due to fertilizing with slurry, cutting the grass, rolling the grass into swaths, and collecting and chopping the grass...... to fulfill the aim [1]http://www.ruralni.gov.uk/index/publications/press_articles/dairy-2/role-of-clover.htm...

  5. Effect of anionic salts in concentrate mixture and magnesium intake on some blood and urine minerals and acid-base balance of dry pregnant cows on grass silage based feeding

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. TAURIAINEN

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Twenty Friesian cows were randomly assigned to one of four prepartum diets in a 2 x 2 factorially designed experiment to determine the effect of anionic salts contained in a concentrate mixture and magnesium (Mg intake on some blood and urine minerals in cows fed a grass silage based diet. Four diets provided either 16 g or 33 g total dietary Mg/day, and had either a low or high cation-anion difference. Dietary cation-anion balance (DCAB of the diets, calculated as milliequivalents [(Na+ + K+ - (Cl- + S2-], was +31 mEq/kg dry matter (DM in the low DCAB group and +340 mEq/kg DM in the high DCAB group. DCAB was formulated using NH4Cl, (NH42SO4 and MgCl2 as anionic salts. Cows received grass silage (5.2 kg DM, hay (1.0 kg DM and concentrate mixture (1.5 kg DM until calving. Blood and urine samples were collected 4, 3, 2 and 1 week before the expected calving date, at calving, the day after calving and 1 week following calving. Cows fed the low DCAB diet had a lower urinary pH (P

  6. Effects of toasting blue lupins, soybeans or barley as supplement for high-yielding organic dairy cows fed grass-clover silage ad libitum

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mogensen, Lisbeth; Lund, Peter; Kristensen, Troels

    2008-01-01

    . The supplement under investigation was: lupins in experiment 1, barley in experiment 2 and soybeans in experiment 3. The same forage mixture of grass-clover silage (84% of DM), grass pellets (11% of DM) and straw (5% of DM) was fed ad libitum in all the experiments. Toasting decreased effective rumen protein...... degradability determined in situ for all three supplements. Compared to untreated lupins toasting of lupins tended (P = 0.10) to increase milk yield, whereas toasting of soybeans did not affect milk yield. Toasting of lupins decreased (P = 0.03) milk protein content (32.2 versus 32.7 g/kg), whereas toasting...... of soybeans did not affect milk protein content. ECM yield was significantly higher (P = 0.002) for cows fed toasted soybeans than for cows fed untreated soybeans (28.1 versus 26.4 kg ECM) whereas there was no significant effect on ECM yield from toasting lupins or barley. It can be concluded...

  7. Simulating the environmental performance of post-harvest management measures to comply with the EU Nitrates Directive.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Waele, J; D'Haene, K; Salomez, J; Hofman, G; De Neve, S

    2017-02-01

    Nitrate (NO 3 - ) leaching from farmland remains the predominant source of nitrogen (N) loads to European ground- and surface water. As soil mineral N content at harvest is often high and may increase by mineralisation from crop residues and soil organic matter, it is critical to understand which post-harvest management measures can be taken to restrict the average NO 3 - concentration in ground- and surface waters below the norm of 50 mg l -1 . Nitrate leaching was simulated with the EU-rotate_N model on a silty and a sandy soil following the five main arable crops cultivated in Flanders: cut grassland, silage maize, potatoes, sugar beets and winter wheat, in scenarios of optimum fertilisation with and without post-harvest measures. We compared the average NO 3 - concentration in the leaching water at a depth of 90 cm in these scenarios after dividing it by a factor of 2.1 to include natural attenuation processes occurring during transport towards ground- and surface water. For cut grassland, the average attenuated NO 3 - concentration remained below the norm on both soils. In order to comply with the Nitrates Directive, post-harvest measures seemed to be necessary on sandy soils for the four other crops and on silty soils for silage maize and for potatoes. Successful measures appeared to be the early sowing of winter crops after harvesting winter wheat, the undersowing of grass in silage maize and the removal of sugar beet leaves. Potatoes remained a problematic crop as N uptake by winter crops was insufficient to prevent excessive NO 3 - leaching. For each crop, maximum levels of soil mineral N content at harvest were proposed, both with and without additional measures, which could be used in future nutrient legislation. The approach taken here could be upscaled from the field level to the subcatchment level to see how different crops could be arranged within a subcatchment to permit the cultivation of problem crops without adversely affecting the water

  8. Modelling mono-digestion of grass silage in a 2-stage CSTR anaerobic digester using ADM1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thamsiriroj, T; Murphy, J D

    2011-01-01

    This paper examines 174 days of experimental data and modelling of mono-digestion of grass silage in a two stage wet process with recirculation of liquor; the two vessels have an effective volume of 312 L each. The organic loading rate is initiated at 0.5 kg VS m(-3) d(-1) (first 74 days) and subsequently increased to 1 kg VS m(-3) d(-1). The experimental data was used to generate a mathematical model (ADM1) which was calibrated over the first 74 days of operation. Good accuracy with experimental data was found for the subsequent 100 days. Results of the model would suggest starting the process without recirculation and thus building up the solids content of the liquor. As the level of VFA increases, recirculation should be employed to control VFA. Recirculation also controls solids content and pH. Methane production was estimated at 88% of maximum theoretical production. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Effects of cutting height and maturity on the nutritive value of corn silage for lactating cows.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neylon, J M; Kung, L

    2003-06-01

    We studied the effect of increasing the cutting height of whole-plant corn at the time of harvest from 12.7 (NC) to 45.7 (HC) cm on yield and nutritive value of silage for dairy cows. Three leafy corn silage hybrids were harvested at NC and HC at about 34% dry matter (E) and 41% DM (L) and ensiled in laboratory silos. Increasing the height of cutting lowered yields of harvested DM/ha. In addition, the concentrations of DM and starch were higher but the concentrations of lactic acid, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber were lower in HC than in NC. The concentration of acid detergent lignin was also lower in HC, but only in corn harvested at E. In vitro digestion (30 h) of NDF was greater in HC (50.7%) than NC (48.3%). Calculated yield of milk per tonne of forage DM was greater for HC than for NC at E but not at L. In a lactation experiment, increasing the height of cutting of another leafy corn silage hybrid, TMF29400, in general also resulted in similar changes in nutrient composition as just described. When fed to lactating dairy cows, HC corn silage resulted in tendencies for greater NDF digestion in the total tract, higher milk production and improved feed efficiency, but there were no differences in 3.5% fat corrected milk between treatments. Results of this study suggest that increasing the cutting height of whole plant corn at harvest can improve the nutritive value of corn silage for lactating dairy cows.

  10. Fracionamento de carboidratos e proteínas de silagens de capim-elefante com casca de café, farelo de cacau ou farelo de mandioca Fractioning of carbohydrates and protein of elephant grass silages with coffee hulls, cocoa meal and cassava meal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aureliano José Vieira Pires

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available Este experimento foi conduzido para avaliar as frações que compõem os carboidratos e as proteínas da silagem de capim-elefante com 15% casca de café, farelo de cacau ou farelo de mandioca. A adição dos co-produtos no momento da ensilagem foi realizada na base da matéria natural (peso/peso, com dez repetições por tipo de silagem. O maior teor de carboidratos totais foi observado na silagem com farelo de mandioca e o menor, na silagem com farelo de cacau, seguida das silagens controle e com casca de café. Maiores valores de carboidratos não-fibrosos (A+B1 também foram verificados para as silagens com farelo de mandioca. Os menores valores de fração indigestível (C, %CT foram observados para a silagem com farelo de mandioca, enquanto as silagens com casca de café e farelo de cacau apresentaram os maiores valores desta fração. A silagem com farelo de cacau apresentou os maiores valores de proteína bruta e foi seguida das silagens com casca de café, controle e com farelo de mandioca. A presença dos aditivos influenciou as frações protéicas da silagem de capim-elefante: os maiores valores de fração A (%PB foram determinados nas silagens controle e com farelo de mandioca. Apesar do maior valor protéico, as silagens com farelo de cacau e casca de café apresentaram os maiores valores de fração indigestível de proteína (C, %PB. A adição de farelo de cacau e casca de café ao capim-elefante no momento da ensilagem aumenta as frações indigestíveis de carboidratos e de proteína da silagem. O farelo de mandioca ensilado com capim-elefante é um bom aditivo para a produção de silagem.This experiment was carried out to evaluate the fractions that compose carbohydrates and protein from elephant grass silage with 15% of coffee hulls, cocoa meal or cassava meal. The addition of residues at the ensilage moment was performed in natural matter basis (weight/weight, with ten replicates per treatment. The addition of residues at

  11. Intercropping Urochloa brizantha and sorghum inoculated with Azospirillum brasilense for silage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Allan Hisashi Nakao

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Livestock performance in the Brazilian Cerrado has been limited by the low availability of good quality fodder, especially during periods of low rainfall. The aim of this study was to evaluate growth and dry matter production in two cultivars of sorghum, inoculated or not with diazotrophic bacteria, and as a monocrop or intercropped with palisade grass under a system of crop-livestock integration. The experiments were carried out in the field in the Cerrado region during the autumn-winter period of 2015 and 2016, on the experimental farm of the Faculty of Engineering at Ilha Solteira, UNESP, in Selvíria, in the State of Mato Groso do Sul, Brazil (MS. A randomised complete block experimental design was used in a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial scheme with four replications. The treatments corresponded to two agricultural years (2015 and 2016; the cultivation of dual-purpose grain sorghum, alone or intercropped with palisade grass; with or without inoculation of the sorghum seeds with the bacterium Azospirillum brasilense. The dry matter production of the plant components and plant growth were evaluated for the preparation of silage. Inoculation of sorghum seeds with the bacterium Azospirillum brasilense increases the production of plant dry matter for silage, irrespective of the cultivar or intercrop. Dual-purpose grain sorghum intercropped with palisade grass is a viable agronomic system for producing plant matter for silage during the autumn season.

  12. How much gas can we get from grass?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nizami, A.S.; Orozco, A.; Groom, E.; Dieterich, B.; Murphy, J.D.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► We highlight the various results for biomethane potential that may be obtained from the same grass silage. ► The results indicated that methane potential varied from 350 to 493 L CH 4 kg −1 VS added for three different BMP procedures. ► We compare two distinct digestion systems using the same grass. ► A two stage wet system achieved 451 L CH 4 kg −1 VS added over a 50 day retention period. ► A two phase system achieved 341 L CH 4 kg −1 VS added at a 30 day retention time. -- Abstract: Grass biomethane has been shown to be a sustainable gaseous transport biofuel, with a good energy balance, and significant potential for economic viability. Of issue for the designer is the variation in characteristics of the grass depending on location of source, time of cut and species. Further confusion arises from the biomethane potential tests (BMP) which have a tendency to give varying results. This paper has dual ambitions. One of these is to highlight the various results for biomethane potential that may be obtained from the same grass silage. The results indicated that methane potential from the same grass silage varied from 350 to 493 L CH 4 kg −1 VS added for three different BMP procedures. The second ambition is to attempt to compare two distinct digestion systems again using the same grass: a two stage continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR); and a sequentially fed leach bed reactor connected to an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (SLBR–UASB). The two engineered systems were designed, fabricated, commissioned and operated at small pilot scale until stable optimal operating conditions were reached. The CSTR system achieved 451 L CH 4 kg −1 VS added over a 50 day retention period. The SLBR–UASB achieved 341 L CH 4 kg −1 VS added at a 30 day retention time.

  13. Degradação ruminal de silagem de capim-elefante com adição de vagem de algaroba triturada Ruminal degradation of elephant grass silage with mesquite pods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aníbal Coutinho do Rêgo

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Esta pesquisa foi realizada visando-se avaliar a degradação ruminal da matéria seca (MS, proteína bruta (PB e fibra em detergente neutro (FDN de silagens de capim-elefante colhido aos 70; 90 e 110 dias após rebrota, com inclusão de 0; 5; 10 e 15% de vagem de algaroba triturada, com base na matéria natural, em delineamento inteiramente casualizado arranjado em parcelas subdivididas. Amostras de cada silagem foram incubadas no rúmen de duas vacas Jersey por 3; 6; 12; 24; 48; 72 e 96 h, sendo os saquinhos referentes ao tempo zero apenas lavados em água para determinação da fração solúvel. Não houve interação (P > 0,05 tempo de incubação x inclusão de vagem de algaroba x idade de corte para degradabilidade da MS, embora tenha ocorrido interação destes fatores para degradabilidade da PB e FDN. A maior degradabilidade efetiva (DE da MS (42,54% foi observada para 15% de inclusão de vagem de algaroba. A DE da PB foi maior (69,04% para silagem de capim-elefante com 70 dias de idade com 15% de vagem de algaroba. A inclusão de vagem de algaroba triturada à silagem de capim-elefante melhora a degradabilidade da MS, PB e FDN, enquanto o avanço da idade após rebrota resulta em redução destes parâmetros.This research was carried out to evaluate the ruminal degradation of dry matter (DM, crude protein (CP and neutral detergent fiber (NDF of silages of elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum cutting in 70; 90 and 110 days after regrowth with inclusion of 0; 5; 10 and 15% of mesquite (Prosopis juliflora meal, based on natural matter in a completely randomized design, in split plot arrangement. Samples of silages were incubated in the rumen of two Jersey cows for 3; 6; 12; 24; 48; 72 and 96 h, and the bags at time "zero" were only washed with water to determine the soluble fraction. There was not interaction (P > 0.05 incubation time × inclusion of mesquite pods × cutting age of the grass for DM degradability, there was only

  14. Digestion and ruminal fermentation of cocoa pod silage based ration enriched by gliricidia and calliandra leaves on goats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Puastuti W

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available In term of availability, cacao pod is potential for ruminant feed. According to its nutrients content, cacao pod can be used as feed fiber source. Protein sources materials must be added when cacao pod was ensilaged due to low protein content of this material. The aim of this study was to investigate digestibility value and end products of rumen fermentation of goat fed grass or cacao pod based ration. Randomized block design and 20 heads of lambs (16.95±2.36 kg to evaluated 5 type of rations: R (50% grass + 50% concentrate; S (50% cacao pod silage + 50% concentrate; SG (50% cacao pod-gliricidia silage + 50% concentrate; SK (50% cacao pod-calliandra silage + 50% concentrate dan SC (50% cacao pod-mixture of gliricidia-calliandra silage + 50% concentrate. Feeding trial was conducted for over 15 weeks. Measurements were taken on feed digestibility and rumen-fermentation end-products after 3 weeks of treatments. Results shows that nutrients digestibility was different significantly among the groups of treatments (P<0.05. Digestibillity of organic matter, NDF and energy of R ration was those of higher significantly (P<0.05 than those of other groups. N-ammonia of rumen from goat feed R ration was higher (P<0.05 than other groups. Total VFA and each component were different among the groups (P<0.05, however the value was similar among the groups of cacao pod silage rations. It is concluded that cacao pod silaged based rations enriched by Gliricidia and Calliandra leaves did not produce similar digestibility value and end products of rumen fermentation with grass based ration.

  15. Alpha-tocopherol and β-carotene in legume-grass mixtures as influenced by wilting, ensiling and type of silage additive

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lindqvist, H; Nadeau, E; Jensen, Søren Krogh

    2012-01-01

    Effects of wilting, ensiling and type of additive on α-tocopherol and β-carotene contents in legume–grass mixtures were examined. Swards of birdsfoot trefoil + timothy (Bft + Ti), red clover + timothy (Rc + Ti) and red clover + meadow fescue (Rc + Mf) were harvested as a first regrowth in August...

  16. Harvesting Effects on Species Composition and Distribution of Cover Attributes in Mixed Native Warm-Season Grass Stands

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vitalis W. Temu

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Managing grasslands for forage and ground-nesting bird habitat requires appropriate defoliation strategies. Subsequent early-summer species composition in mixed stands of native warm-season grasses (Indiangrass (IG, Sorghastrum nutans, big bluestem (BB, Andropogon gerardii and little bluestem (LB, Schizachyrium scoparium responding to harvest intervals (treatments, 30, 40, 60, 90 or 120 d and durations (years in production was assessed. Over three years, phased May harvestings were initiated on sets of randomized plots, ≥90 cm apart, in five replications (blocks to produce one-, two- and three-year-old stands. Two weeks after harvest, the frequencies of occurrence of plant species, litter and bare ground, diagonally across each plot (line intercept, were compared. Harvest intervals did not influence proportions of dominant plant species, occurrence of major plant types or litter, but increased that of bare ground patches. Harvest duration increased the occurrence of herbaceous forbs and bare ground patches, decreased that of tall-growing forbs and litter, but without affecting that of perennial grasses, following a year with more September rainfall. Data suggest that one- or two-year full-season forage harvesting may not compromise subsequent breeding habitat for bobwhites and other ground-nesting birds in similar stands. It may take longer than a year’s rest for similar stands to recover from such changes in species composition.

  17. Nutritional evaluation of elephant-grass silages with byproduct of annato Avaliação nutricional de silagens de capim-elefante contendo subproduto do urucum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Margareth Maria Teles Rêgo

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available The objective of the present study was to evaluate the nutritional value of elephant-grass silages containing annato byproduct. Twenty intact rams were distributed in a complete randomized block design with five diets (0; 4; 8; 12 and 16% annato byproduct in the silage and four replications and used to estimate the intake, apparent nutrient digestibility, content of total digestible nutrients and nitrogen balance. The addition of annato byproduct raised the intakes of dry matter (DM, organic matter (OM, crude protein (CP, neutral detergent fiber (NDF, acid detergent fiber (ADF, ether extract (EE, total carbohydrates (TC, non-fibrous carbohydrates (NFC and total digestible nutrients (TDN, in body weight (%BW and in metabolic weight (g kg-1BW0.75. The digestibilities of DM (55.95%, OM (58.19%, CP (45.34%, NDF (52.79%, ADF (45.79%, EE (34.96% and NFC (99.86% were not influenced by the addition of annato byproduct. The inclusion of annato byproduct in elephant-grass silage increased digestibility of total carbohydrates, the TDN content and the nitrogen balance. The aditions of annato byproduct at levels up to 16% of the elephant grass silage natural matter improves nutrient intake and nitrogen balance.Objetivou-se avaliar o valor nutritivo de silagens de capim-elefante contendo subproduto do processamento do urucum. Vinte ovinos machos, não-castrados, foram distribuídos em delineamento inteiramente casualizado com cinco dietas (0; 4; 8; 12 e 16% de subproduto de urucum na silagem e quatro repetições, e utilizados para estimar o consumo, a digestibilidade aparente de nutrientes, o teor de nutrientes digestíveis totais e o balanço de nitrogênio. A adição de subproduto de urucum elevou os consumos de matéria seca (MS, matéria orgânica (MO, proteína bruta (PB, fibra em detergente neutro (FDN, fibra em detergente ácido (FDA, extrato etéreo (EE, carboidratos não-fibrosos (CNF, carboidratos totais e nutrientes digestíveis totais (NDT

  18. Enteric methane production, digestibility and rumen fermentation in dairy cows fed different forages with and without rapeseed fat supplementation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brask, Maike; Lund, Peter; Hellwing, Anne Louise Frydendahl

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this experiment was to study the effect of forage species (grass or maize) and the maturity stage of grass on enteric methane (CH4) production, nutrient digestibility and rumen fermentation, and to study possible interactions with cracked rapeseed as fat source. Six lactating......, ruminal, duodenal and ileal cannulated Holstein dairy cows (206 days in milk, milk yield 25.1 kg) were submitted to an incomplete Latin square design (6 × 4) with six diets and four periods. Two grass silages (early first cut, 361 g aNDFom/kg DM and late first cut, 515 g aNDFom/kg DM) and one maize silage...... grass silage had a higher total tract OM and aNDFom digestibility than late cut grass silage. The present study demonstrates that choice of forage species and harvest time affects CH4 emission from dairy cows, while the CH4 reducing ability of fat does not interact with forage characteristics...

  19. Effects of feeding forage soybean silage on milk production, nutrient digestion, and ruminal fermentation of lactating dairy cows

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vargas-Bello-Pérez, E.; Mustafa, A. F.; Seguin, P.

    2008-01-01

    The objective of this study was to determine the feeding value of forage soybean silage (SS) for dairy cows relative to a fourth-cut alfalfa silage (AS). Forage soybean was harvested at full pod stage. Two iso-nitrogenous diets were formulated with a 48:52 foragerconcentrate ratio. Soybean silage...

  20. FERMENTATION PROCESS CHARACTERISTICS OF DIFFERENT MAIZE SILAGE HYBRIDS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel Bíro

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to detect the fermentation process differences in different hybrid maize silage. We conserved in laboratory conditions hybrids of whole maize plants with different length of the vegetative period (FAO number. Maize hybrids for silage were harvested in the vegetation stage of the milk-wax maturity of corn and the content of dry matter was from 377.7 to 422.8 g.kg-1. The highest content of dry matter was typical for silages made from the hybrids with FAO number 310 (400.0 g.kg-1 and FAO 300a (400.4 g.kg-1. The content of desirable lactic acid ranged from 23.7 g.kg-1 of dry matter (FAO 350 to 58.9 g.kg-1 of dry matter (FAO 420. We detected the occurrence of undesirable butyric acid in silages from hybrids FAO 250, 300b, 310 and 380. The highest content of total alcohols we found in silages made from hybrid with FAO number 240 (25.2 g.kg-1 of dry matter. Ammonia contents were in tested silages from 0.153 (FAO 270 to 0.223 g.kg-1 of dry matter (FAO 240. The lowest value of silage titration acidity we analyzed in silage made from hybrid FAO 420 (3.66. We observed in maize silages with different length of plant maturity tested in the experiment differences in content of lactic acid, total alcohols, titration acidity, pH and content of fermentation products.

  1. Lactobacillus plantarum MTD/1, Its Impact on Silage and In vitro Rumen Fermentation

    Science.gov (United States)

    The objective of this study was to quantify the impact of Lactobacillus plantarum MTD/1 on silage and in vitro rumen fermentation on alfalfa and corn silage. Four trials were conducted in alfalfa in second (35 and 32% DM) and third harvest (38 and 31% DM), and two in forage corn, hybrids Mycogen 797...

  2. Effect of silage maize hybrid (dry down vs. stay green) on dairy cow performance

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zom, R.L.G.; Schooten, van H.A.; Laar, van H.

    2008-01-01

    A randomized block design experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of two contrasting silage maize hybrids (DD: dry down vs. SG: stay green) harvested at 33% dry matter (DM) on in situ degradation and dairy cow performance. Thirty-eight Red-HF cows were assigned to two silage treatments and

  3. Effects of restriction of silage fermentation with formic acid on milk production

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. JAAKKOLA

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of silage fermentation quality and type of supplementation on milk production. Thirty two Finnish Ayrshire dairy cows were used in a cyclic change-over experiment with four 21-day experimental periods and 4 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Silage fermentation was modified with formic acid (FA, which was applied at the rates equivalent to 0 (FA0, 2 (FA2, 4 (FA4 or 6 (FA6 litres t-1 grass of pure formic acid (as 100% FA. Dietary treatments consisted of four silages, a protein supplementation (no supplement or rapeseed meal 1.8 kg d-1 and a glucogenic substrate (no supplement or propylene glycol 225 g d-1. Increasing the application rate of FA restricted silage fermentation curvilinearly, as evidenced by higher concentrations of ammonia N and butyric acid in FA4 than FA2 silage. Similarly the use of FA resulted in curvilinear changes in the silage dry matter intake and milk yield. The highest milk and protein yields were achieved with FA6, while the milk yield with FA2 was higher than with FA4. Interactions were observed between silage type and supplementation. Rapeseed meal increased milk yield irrespective of the extent of silage fermentation, but the magnitude of response was variable. Propylene glycol was most beneficial with restrictively fermented silages FA4 and FA6. In conclusion, restriction of silage fermentation with a high rate of formic acid is beneficial in milk production. Interactions between silage composition and concentrate types suggest that the responses to supplementary feeding depend on silage fermentation characteristics.;

  4. Preliminary analysis on mowing and harvesting grass along riverbanks for the supply of anaerobic digestion plants in north-eastern Italy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Davide Boscaro

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The increasing demand of vegetal biomass for biogas production is causing competition with food production. To reduce this problem and to provide new opportunities it is necessary to take into consideration different kinds of vegetable biomass that are more sustainable. Grass from the maintenance of non-cultivated areas such as riverbanks has not yet been fully studied as a potential biomass for biogas production. Although grass has lower methane potential, it could be interesting because it does not compete with food production. However, there is a lack of appropriate technologies and working system adapted to these areas. In this paper, different systems that could be available for the mowing and harvesting of grass along riverbanks have been preliminarily assessed through the evaluation of the field capacity, labour requirement, economic and energy aspects. The splitting of the cutting and harvesting phases into operations with different machinery seems to be the best system for handling this biomass. However, these solutions have to take into consideration the presence of obstacles or accessibility problems in the harvesting areas that could limit the operational feasibility and subsequent correct sizing.

  5. Silage review: Foodborne pathogens in silage and their mitigation by silage additives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Queiroz, O C M; Ogunade, I M; Weinberg, Z; Adesogan, A T

    2018-05-01

    Silage is one of the main ingredients in dairy cattle diets and it is an important source of nutrients, particularly energy and digestible fiber. Unlike properly made and managed silage, poorly made or contaminated silage can also be a source of pathogenic bacteria that may decrease dairy cow performance, reduce the safety and quality dairy products, and compromise animal and human health. Some of the pathogenic bacteria that are frequently or occasionally associated with silage are enterobacteria, Listeria, Bacillus spp., Clostridium spp., and Salmonella. The symptoms caused by these bacteria in dairy cows vary from mild diarrhea and reduced feed intake by Clostridium spp. to death and abortion by Listeria. Contamination of food products with pathogenic bacteria can cause losses of millions of dollars due to recalls of unsafe foods and decreases in the shelf life of dairy products. The presence of pathogenic bacteria in silage is usually due to contamination or poor management during the fermentation, aerobic exposure, or feed-out stages. Silage additives and inoculants can improve the safety of silage as well as the fermentation, nutrient recovery, quality, and shelf life. This review summarizes the literature on the main foodborne pathogens that occasionally infest silage and how additives can improve silage safety. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Effects of stage of maturity at harvest, wilting and LAB inoculant on aerobic stability of wheat silages

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Weinberg, Z.G.; Khanal, Prabhat; Chen, Y.

    2010-01-01

    of maturity were ensiled in mini-silos, either directly after cutting (DC) or after wilting (W). After 2-7 months of storage, silages were subjected to a 7-day aerobic stability test during which changes in chemical composition, dry matter (DM) and neutral detergent fiber (aNDF) digestibility, and temperature......, as well as DM losses and CO production, were measured. Silages from wheat cultivar BH were relatively dry (DM between 287 and 430 g/kg) and were mostly stable upon aerobic exposure. The flowering wheat of cultivar Galil was moister (DM of 199 g/kg), and the DC silages were stable upon aerobic exposure...... spoilage indicators. The inoculant enhanced CO production in the silages prepared from the DC wheat of the flowering and milk stages, as compared with the respective non-inoculated control silages which contained high concentrations of VFA. However, in the wilted silages which contained less VFA, both...

  7. Growth and Survival of Genetically Manipulated Lactobacillus plantarum in Silage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharp, R; O'donnell, A G; Gilbert, H G; Hazlewood, G P

    1992-08-01

    The growth and persistence of two genetically manipulated forms of Lactobacillus plantarum NCDO (National Collection of Dairy Organisms) 1193 have been monitored in grass silage. Both recombinants contained pSA3, a shuttle vector for gram-positive organisms that encodes erythromycin resistance. In one of the recombinants, pSA3 was integrated onto the chromosome, whereas in the other, a pSA3 derivative designated pM25, which contains a Clostridium thermocellum cellulase gene cloned into pSA3, was maintained as an extrachromosomal element. This extrachromosomal element is a plasmid. Rifampin-resistant mutants were selected for the recombinants and the parent strain. When applied to minisilos at a rate of 10 CFU/g of grass, both the recombinants and the parent strain proliferated to dominate the epiphytic microflora and induced an increase in the decline in pH compared with that of the noninoculated silos. The presence of extra genetic material did not appear to disadvantage the bacterium in comparison with the parent strain. The selective recovery of both strains by using rifampin and erythromycin was confirmed by Southern hybridization. Interestingly, the free plasmid (pM25) appeared more stable in silage than was expected from studies in MRS broth. The plasmid was retained by 85% of the rifampin-resistant L. plantarum colonies isolated from a day 30 silo. These data answer an important question by showing that genetically manipulated recombinants of L. plantarum can proliferate and compete with epiphytic lactic acid bacteria in silage.

  8. Pineapple waste-silages as basal feed for growing Boer X Kacang cross goats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simon P Ginting

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available The study was aimed: 1 to evaluate the effects of using different additives on the quality of pineapple waste-silage (SLN, and 2 to investigate the responses of goats fed with PAS as a basal feed. Pineapple processing wastes include skins and the pulp left after cannery wastes are pressed to extract the juice. Six additive treatments were used in the processing of pressed pineapple wastes, namely 1 urea (5% DM, 2 Urea (2% DM and cassava meal (3% DM, 3 molasses (5% DM, 4 urea (2.5% DM and molasses (2.5% DM, 5 fermented-juice lactic acid bacteria (5% DM, and 6 without additives. Fermentation periode were set at 9, 12, 15, 18 and 21 days. The best SLN obtained from those treatments was then used in feeding trials. Twenty male Boer x Kacang crosses with an initial body weight averaging 13.2 ± 1.9 kg were used in this experiment. The animals were allocated to one of the following feed treatments, in DM: A Grasses (75% + SLN (25%, B SLN (75% + Concentrates (25%, C SLN (50% +Concentrate (50%, and D SLN (25% + Concentrates (75%. Using molasses as additive material at 5% and 15 days of fermentation period gave the best chemical and physical characteristics of the SLN. Its crude fiber content decreased and it showed the lowest pH (4.7 The silage showed temperature at 280C, and its taste was sour, and no fungi contamination. The DM and OM intakes and DM, OM and N digestibility were not different (P>0.05 between the animals fed 75% Grass/25% CON and 75% SLN/25% CON. When the proportion of concentrates in the rations was increased, the feed intake and digestibility were increase significantly (P<0.05. ADG (71.3 vs 68.8 g and feed efficiency (11.2 vs 13.4 was similar between the 75% Grass/25% CON and 75% SLN 25% CON groups. ADG increased significantly (P<0.05 when the proportion of concentrates in ration was increased to 50% (82.6 g or to 75% (89.1 g. N retention was positive in all treatments, and it was increased significantly (P<0.05 as the proportion of

  9. The Effect of Kenaf (Hibiscus Cannabinus) on the Performance of Dairy Cattle fed on Kenaf and Napier grass (Pennisetum Purpereum)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang'ara, J.N.N.; Kariuki, I.W.; KIruiro, E.M.; Ngugi, F.K.; Mwangi, J.N.

    1999-01-01

    Studies at PRC-Embu in 1996, indicated Kenaf to be a fast growing crop under low moisture condition. As a forage, it yielded between 2300-11300 kg ha -1 DM in AEZ LM3 and LM4, respectively. It could thus, supplement the Napier grass as a fodder for dairy cattle in the marginal and low potential areas which have perennial shortage of quality forage for dairy cattle. Trials were thus conducted to evaluate the effect supplementing Kenaf silage to Napier grass on growth and milk production of dairy cattle. First atrial using dairy calves was set to determine the effect of Kenaf silage fed at three different levels namely 0%, 50% and 100%. A second was also set using lactating dairy cattle fed with Napier at three levels of Kenaf silage viz. 50%, 25% and 0%. Results indicated that, the dry matter intake of Kenaf silage alone (3.28 kg day -1 ) was lower than a combination of Kenaf silage and Napier (3.93 kg day -1 ) and that of Napier alone (4.08 kg day -1 ). also a combination of 50:50 Napier and Kenaf silage gave a better animal performance than either Napier or Kenaf silage alone. It was concluded that, Kenaf silage is a good supplement for Napier in Marginal and low potential dairy zones of Kenaf silage

  10. The effect of supplementation of grass silage with rapeseed meal or Gasol-treated barley on the performance of growing cattle

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pekka Huhtanen

    1985-05-01

    Full Text Available Grass silage was offered ad libitum to 16 Ayrshire cattle in a 2 x 2 factorial experiment lasting 196 days. The silage was supplemented with barley preserved with 0.85 % of propionic acid (PAB or 1.28 % Gasol solution (GB 45 g DM/kg W0.75. Four of the animals in PAB and GB groups received no protein supplement(NPS and four of the animals in both groups received extracted rapeseed meal as protein supplement(RSM. RSM was fed according to UDP (undegradable feed protein requirements. The average age of the animals at the beginning of the experiment was 86 days and the average liveweight 106 kg. The average daily gains were 1066 and 1070 g/d for PAB and GB groups and 1012 and 1124 g/d (P < 0.01 for NPS and RSM groups. In feed intake and feed conversion there were no significant differences between the groups. Supplementation of silage barley diet with RSM increased the digestibility of organic matter from 71.1 to 73.5 % (P < 0.05, of crude protein from 62.8 to 67.4 % (P < 0.05 and of crude fibre from 57.2 to 60.2 % (P < 0.05. Both barleys were well preserved and there was no deterioration during the storage. The degradation rates of DM, crude protein and starch determined by nylon bag method were lower in GB than in PAB. Crude protein disappearances in 9 hours were 46.6 % for GB and 76.4 % for PAB. The utilization of absorbed protein calculated by factorial method averaged 0.566 ± 0.01 in the four different groups. Plasma urea N level was higher (P < 0.05 in the RSM than in the NPS group. The proportion of acetic acid in the rumen VFA was lower (P < 0.05 and that of propionic acid higher (P < 0.01 in the RSM than in the NPS group. PAB resulted in a higher (P < 0.05 proportion of propionic acid in rumen VFA than did GB.

  11. Fermentation Quality and Additives: A Case of Rice Straw Silage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yusuff Oladosu

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Rice cultivation generates large amount of crop residues of which only 20% are utilized for industrial and domestic purposes. In most developing countries especially southeast Asia, rice straw is used as part of feeding ingredients for the ruminants. However, due to its low protein content and high level of lignin and silica, there is limitation to its digestibility and nutritional value. To utilize this crop residue judiciously, there is a need for improvement of its nutritive value to promote its utilization through ensiling. Understanding the fundamental principle of ensiling is a prerequisite for successful silage product. Prominent factors influencing quality of silage product include water soluble carbohydrates, natural microbial population, and harvesting conditions of the forage. Additives are used to control the fermentation processes to enhance nutrient recovery and improve silage stability. This review emphasizes some practical aspects of silage processing and the use of additives for improvement of fermentation quality of rice straw.

  12. Fermentation Quality and Additives: A Case of Rice Straw Silage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oladosu, Yusuff; Rafii, Mohd Y; Abdullah, Norhani; Magaji, Usman; Hussin, Ghazali; Ramli, Asfaliza; Miah, Gous

    2016-01-01

    Rice cultivation generates large amount of crop residues of which only 20% are utilized for industrial and domestic purposes. In most developing countries especially southeast Asia, rice straw is used as part of feeding ingredients for the ruminants. However, due to its low protein content and high level of lignin and silica, there is limitation to its digestibility and nutritional value. To utilize this crop residue judiciously, there is a need for improvement of its nutritive value to promote its utilization through ensiling. Understanding the fundamental principle of ensiling is a prerequisite for successful silage product. Prominent factors influencing quality of silage product include water soluble carbohydrates, natural microbial population, and harvesting conditions of the forage. Additives are used to control the fermentation processes to enhance nutrient recovery and improve silage stability. This review emphasizes some practical aspects of silage processing and the use of additives for improvement of fermentation quality of rice straw.

  13. Dietary effect of silage type and combination with camelina seed on ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The present study sought to quantify the differences between maize-based (MS) and grass-silage-based (GS) diets in terms of their effect on the milk yield, milk fatty acid composition and antioxidant capacity in dairy ewes, and to test the hypothesis that it is possible to improve yield, fatty acid (FA) composition and ...

  14. Intake, digestibility, ruminal parameters, and microbial protein synthesis in crossbred steers fed diets based on Brachiaria grass silage and sorghum silage Consumo, digestibilidade, parâmetros ruminais e síntese de proteína microbiana em novilhos cruzados alimentados com dietas a base de silagem de braquiária e silagem de sorgo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F.H.M. Chizzotti

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available A trial was carried out with four Holstein x Nellore crossbred steers (225±22kg of BW fitted with ruminal and abomasal cannulaes in a 4 x 4 Latin Square design to evaluate the intake and the total and partial apparent digestibilities of nutrients, ruminal parameters, and microbial synthesis. Diets consisted of 60% silage and 40% concentrate formulated to be isonitrogenous (12.5% of crude protein, dry matter basis. Treatments consisted of different proportions of Brachiaria brizantha grass silage and sorghum silage: 100:0; 67:33; 33:67, and 0:100%, respectively, on dry matter basis. The intake of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, ether extract, non-fiber carbohydrates, and total digestible nutrients linearly increased (P0.05 by the treatments. The use of 67% of sorghum silage and 33% of grass silage increased intake and digestibility of nutrients without affecting ruminal pH, ruminal NH3-N, and microbial efficiency.Realizou-se um estudo com quatro novilhos cruzados Holandês x Nelore (225±22kg de peso vivo, canulados no rúmen e abomaso, distribuídos em quadrado latino 4 x 4 para avaliar o efeito de diferentes proporções de silagem de Braquiária brizantha e silagem de sorgo sobre o consumo e a digestibilidade dos nutrientes no trato digestório total e parcial, sobre os parâmetros ruminais e sobre a eficiência microbiana. As dietas continham 60% de volumoso e 40% de concentrado e foram formuladas para serem isonitrogenadas (12,5% de proteína bruta na matéria seca. Os tratamentos consistiram em diferentes proporções de silagens de Brachiaria brizantha e de sorgo: 100:0; 67:33; 33:67 e 0:100%, respectivamente (% da matéria seca. O consumo de matéria seca, matéria orgânica, proteína bruta, extrato etéreo, carboidratos não-fibrosos e nutrientes digestíveis totais aumentou linearmente (P0,05. O uso de 67% de silagem de sorgo com 33% de silagem de braquiária aumentou o consumo e a digestibilidade dos nutrientes sem afetar

  15. Bale Location Effects on Nutritive Value and Fermentation Characteristics of Annual Ryegrass Bale Stored in In-line Wrapping Silage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. J. Han

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available In southeastern regions of the US, herbage systems are primarily based on grazing or hay feeding with low nutritive value warm-season perennial grasses. Nutritious herbage such as annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam. may be more suitable for preserving as baleage for winter feeding even with more intensive production inputs. Emerging in-line wrapped baleage storage systems featuring rapid wrapping and low polyethylene film requirements need to be tested for consistency of storing nutritive value of a range of annual ryegrass herbage. A ryegrass storage trial was conducted with 24-h wilted ‘Marshall’ annual ryegrass harvested at booting, heading and anthesis stages using three replicated in-line wrapped tubes containing ten round bales per tube. After a six-month storage period, nutritive value changes and fermentation end products differed significantly by harvest stage but not by bale location. Although wilted annual ryegrass exhibited a restricted fermentation across harvest stages characterized by high pH and low fermentation end product concentrations, butyric acid concentrations were less than 1 g/kg dry matter, and lactic acid was the major organic acid in the bales. Mold coverage and bale aroma did not differ substantially with harvest stage or bale location. Booting and heading stage-harvested ryegrass baleage were superior in nutritive value to anthesis stage-harvested herbage. Based on the investigated nutritive value and fermentation characteristics, individual bale location within in-line tubes did not significantly affect preservation quality of ryegrass round bale silages.

  16. Effects of Molasses and Storage Period on the Chemical, Microbial ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The study was conducted to determine the effects of molasses and storage periods on the chemical composition, microbial and fermentation characteristics of silage produced from guinea grass and cassava leaves mixture. Guinea grass was harvested at 2 months regrowth from an established pasture and cassava tops ...

  17. Effect of enzyme addition to forage at ensiling on silage chemical composition and NDF degradation characteristics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dehghani, Mohammad Reza; Weisbjerg, Martin Riis; Hvelplund, Torben

    2012-01-01

    , and two varieties of maize stover, lucerne and grass clover were used to study NDF degradation characteristics in experiment 2. Forages were treated with enzymes (500 mg crude protein of the enzyme products/kg DM) and ensiled for 60 days in vacuum-sealed bags. Samples of forage (before ensiling......) and silage were analysed for chemical composition and silages were analysed for pH and fermentation products. The in vitro NDF degradation characteristics of four forages treated with selected enzymes were measured by incubation for up to 96 h with rumen fluid. Enzymes with glucanase, β......-glucanase and pectinase activity increased lactic acid and decreased butyric acid, ammonia and pH compared with control silage, and increased glucose concentration in lucerne silage. NDF concentration generally decreased due to enzyme treatment with glucanase, β-glucanase and xylanase activity and in vitro organic matter...

  18. Effects of cover crops on the nitrogen fluxes in a silage maize production system

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schröder, J.J.; Dijk, van W.; Groot, de W.J.M.

    1996-01-01

    Rye and grass cover crops can potentially intercept residual soil mineral nitrogen (SMN), reduce overwinter leaching, transfer SMN to next growing seasons and reduce the fertilizer need of subsequent crops. These aspects were studied for 6 years in continuous silage maize cv. LG 2080 production

  19. THE EFFECTS OF INOCULANT LACTIC ACID BACTERIA ON THE FERMENTATION AND AEROBIC STABILITY OF SUNFLOWER SILAGE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fisun Koc

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available This study was carried out to determine the effects of actic acid bacterial inoculant on the fermentation and aerobic stability of sunflower silages. Sunflower was harvested at the milk stage. Inoculant-1174 (Pioneer®,USA was used as homofermentative lactic acid bacterial inoculant. Inoculant was applied 6.00 log10 cfu/g silage levels. Silages with no additive served as controls. After treatment, the chopped sunflower was ensiled in the PVC type laboratory silos. Three silos for each group were sampled for chemical and microbiological analysis on days 2, 4, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 56 after ensiling. At the end of the ensiling period, all silages were subjected to an aerobic stability test for 14 days. Neither inoculant improved the fermentation parameters of sunflower silages. At the end of the ensiling period, inoculant increased lactic acid bacteria (LAB and decreased yeast and mould numbers of silages. Inoculant treatment did not affect aerobic stability of silages.

  20. Ethanol emission from loose corn silage and exposed silage particles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hafner, Sasha D.; Montes, Felipe; Rotz, C. Alan; Mitloehner, Frank

    2010-11-01

    Silage on dairy farms has been identified as a major source of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. However, rates of VOC emission from silage are not accurately known. In this work, we measured ethanol (a dominant silage VOC) emission from loose corn silage and exposed corn silage particles using wind tunnel systems. Flux of ethanol was highest immediately after exposing loose silage samples to moving air (as high as 220 g m -2 h -1) and declined by as much as 76-fold over 12 h as ethanol was depleted from samples. Emission rate and cumulative 12 h emission increased with temperature, silage permeability, exposed surface area, and air velocity over silage samples. These responses suggest that VOC emission from silage on farms is sensitive to climate and management practices. Ethanol emission rates from loose silage were generally higher than previous estimates of total VOC emission rates from silage and mixed feed. For 15 cm deep loose samples, mean cumulative emission was as high as 170 g m -2 (80% of initial ethanol mass) after 12 h of exposure to an air velocity of 5 m s -1. Emission rates measured with an emission isolation flux chamber were lower than rates measured in a wind tunnel and in an open setting. Results show that the US EPA emission isolation flux chamber method is not appropriate for estimating VOC emission rates from silage in the field.

  1. Nutritional and fermentation parameters of Xaraés grass silage produced with bacterial additive

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erickson Tiago Pinheiro da Silva

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available The use of bacterial additives in forage silages with low content of dry matter prevents undesirable fermentation and reduces losses by gases (PG and effluents (PE during the ensiling process. This study aimed to evaluate the fermentation parameters, chemical composition and in vitro digestibility of silage of Urochloa brizantha cv. Xaraés produced with bacterial additive. The inoculant contained the following strains: Propionibacterium acidipropionici + Lactobacillus plantarum; Lactobacillus buchnari; Propionibacterium acipropionici + commercial enzymes and Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus pentosaccus, at 0, 25, 50, 75, 100, and 125% of the recommended level for sugarcane (2 g ton-1. The experiment was a completely randomized design with four replications, and six levels of inoculant (0, 25, 50, 75, 100, and 125%. There was a quadratic relationship between the inoculant addition and the levels of pH, PE, DMIVD, NDF, ADF and LIG of the silage. PG and MM increased linearly with the addition of inoculant. The N-NH3, DM, CP, CEL, HEM and EE were not affected by the inoculant. Bacterial additive at 50% provided increased DMIVD. Appropriate values were found for pH and NH3.

  2. Microbiological and chemical profiles of elephant grass inoculated with and without Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus acidilactici.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, Assar Ali; Xianjun, Yuan; Zhihao, Dong; Junfeng, Li; Sao, Tao

    2018-03-01

    The study was conducted to evaluate the microbiological and chemical profiles of elephant grass inoculated with and without different wild strains of lactic acid bacteria. Silage was prepared of four treatments and one control with three replicates as control (EKC, adding 2 ml/kg sterilizing water), Lactobacillus plantarum (USA commercial bacteria) (EKP), Lactobacillus plantarum (EKA), Pediococcus acidilactici (EKB), and Pediococcus acidilactici (SKD) isolated from King grass. Silage were prepared using polyethylene terephthalate bottles, and incubated at room temperature for different ensiling days. The pH and acetic acid (AA) were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced and lactic acid (LA), butyric acid (BA), and ethanol were significantly increased (P < 0.05) at 3, 5, 7, and 14 days in treatment groups as compared to control. Water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) and NH 3 -N concentration was not affected at days 3, 5, and 7, but significantly (P < 0.05) reduced at 14 days in treatment groups as compared to control. The LA, BA, and ethanol were significantly (P < 0.05) increased and AA, WSC NH 3 -N, and yeast were significantly (P < 0.05) decreased at 30 days of ensiling in treatment groups as compared to control. It is recommended that the inoculation of LAB could improve the fermentation quality of elephant grass silage and further effort is needed to evaluate these effects on silage produced on farm scale and on animal production performance.

  3. Characteristics of on-demand biogas production by using sugar beet silage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Sharif; Kazda, Marian

    2017-08-01

    On-demand electricity generation can be achieved by just-in-time biogas production instantly utilized in co-generation units. For this goal, easily degradable substrates like sugar beet silage have a high potential. Potential for on-demand biogas production from co-digestion of sugar beet silage (SS) with grass silage (GS) was evaluated in two experiments at organic loading rates (OLRs) of 1.5 kgVS m -3 day -1 and 2.5 kgVS m -3 day -1 , respectively. Each experiment was fed with intermittent feeding system at 8 hrs interval at the same feedstock ratios (volatile solids based) of GS:SS-1:0, 3:1 and 1:3, respectively. Modelling by Gaussian equation was performed in order to understand the effects of SS on biogas production. Addition of sugar beet silage led to maximum biogas production within a short time, but it differed significantly depending on feedstock ratios and OLRs, respectively. At OLR 1.5 kgVS m -3 day -1 , during mono fermentation of grass silage maximum biogas production rate of 0.27 l N hr -1 was reached at 2.74 hrs. Production rate did not change at feedstock ratio of GS:SS-3:1 but increased to 0.64 l N hr -1 at GS:SS-1:3 within a shorter time span (1.58 hrs). On the contrary, at OLR of 2.5 kgVS m -3 day -1 time span between feedstock input and maximum biogas production did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) among the reactors. Biogas production rates were 0.60 l N hr -1 within 2.27 hrs and 0.82 l N hr -1 within 2.30 hrs at GS:SS-3:1 and GS:SS-1:3, respectively. Surprisingly, there was no time lag between maximum biogas and methane production rates, irrespectively of OLR. This implies that once the whole microbial community is adapted to intermittent substrate input, the metabolic products are instantly utilized through the all steps of anaerobic substrate degradation. Applying this finding opens new perspectives for on-demand biogas energy production. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinun or Kikuyuocloa clandestina silage fermented with three additives.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos Boschini-Figueroa

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The objective of the study was to evaluate the characteristics of kikuyu grass silage with high humidity and the bromatologic quality when adding three different additives. These were added at three levels: molasses: 0, 2, and 4%, ground corn and citrus pulp: 5, 7 and 9% on a dry basis on the whole forage, fresh chopped and compacted in plastic bags. The experiment was conducted in 2010 at the El Pizote dairy farm, located in San Ramón, Tres Ríos, Cartago, Costa Rica. The experimental period lasted 77 days. Averages of 14.10%, 13.75%, 13.71% DM, 8.20%, 7.38%, 7.36% CP, 77.48%, 79.51%, 79.07% NDF, 39.22%, 40.12%, 39.68 % of FAD, 38.26%, 39.39%, 39.39% hemicellulose, 32.79%, 33.47%, 33.26% cellulose, 6.43%, 6.66%, 6.42% lignin, 2.23%, 1.89%, 2.04% EE and 11.53%, 11,74% , 11, 65% of total ash for silage with molasses, ground corn and citrus pulp respectively were obtained. Differences (p<0.05 were found in the amount of effluent according to the additive and the addition level. High humidity of kikuyu grass can cause that the effluents produce since the beginning until obtaining the maximum accumulation inside the bag, after 60 to 80 días of silage. That is why the bag has to be checked periodically and, if possible, drain the liquid effluents generated to avoid the process of deterioration.

  5. Effect of monensin on in vitro fermentation of silages and microbial protein synthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wischer, Gerald; Boguhn, Jeannette; Steingaß, Herbert; Schollenberger, Margit; Hartung, Karin; Rodehutscord, Markus

    2013-06-01

    The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of monensin on silage fermentation and microbial net protein synthesis. In Experiment 1, monensin (0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, or 10 µg) was added to syringes that contained 120 mg of grass silage (GS), grass silage and concentrate (GS + C), or maize silage (MS), resulting in concentrations of 4.2, 8.3, 16.7, 33.3, 50.0 and 83.3 mg monensin/kg feed. Samples were incubated for 24 h to determine the monensin concentration that resulted in the maximum reduction in methane production without effects on the total gas production. In Experiment 2, GS and GS + C were incubated in a rumen simulation technique (Rusitec) to assess the monensin effects (133 and 266 mg/kg feed) on the production of total gas, methane and volatile fatty acids (VFA), degradation of nutrients and microbial net protein synthesis. In Experiment 1, methane production was reduced without significant effects on the total gas production; the reductions were 17% (GS), 10% (GS + C) and 13% (MS) with 16.7 (GS), 50.0 (GS + C) and 33.3 (MS) mg monensin/kg feed. Monensin reduced the total gas and methane production in GS and GS + C in Experiment 2. Propionate production was enhanced by monensin, accompanied by a decrease in acetate production. Along with a reduction in crude protein (CP) degradation, monensin reduced the ammonia nitrogen concentration in the effluent of both treatments. While the protein produced by liquid-associated microbes increased with monensin, protein production by solid-associated microbes was reduced. Total microbial net protein synthesis increased in the presence of monensin. Monensin influenced the production of total gas, methane and VFA from the silages without an effect on the degradation of organic matter (OM). Different microbial fractions were affected differently by monensin supplementation. If monensin is used as a tool to reduce methane emission, the supplementation level must be carefully chosen to avoid negative effects on

  6. Potential development of compressed bio-methane gas production from pig farms and elephant grass silage for transportation in Thailand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dussadee, Natthawud; Reansuwan, Kamoldara; Ramaraj, Rameshprabu

    2014-03-01

    This research project evaluated biogas production using anaerobic co-digestion of pig manure and elephant grass silage in large scale to delivered transportation directly for cars. Anaerobic co-digestion was estimated in three full-scale continuously stirred tank reactors (CSTRs) at 40°C. In the form of compressed bio-methane gas (CBG) production was 14,400m(3)/day (CH4 60-70%) amount of CBG was 9600m(3)/day. The procedure was enhanced by using molecular sieve, activated carbon for removal of moisture and CO2 membrane H2S and CO2 respectively. The results were demonstrated the amount of CO2, H2S gas was reduced along with CH4 was improved up to 90% by volume and compressed to 250bar tank pressure gauge to the fuel for cars. The CBG production, methane gas improvement and performance were evaluated before entering the delivered systems according to the energy standards. The production of CBG is advantageous to strengthen the Thailand biogas market. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Effect of silage type and concentrate level on conjugated linoleic acids, trans-C18 : 1 isomers and fat content in milk from dairy cows

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Torben Skov; Straarup, Ellen Marie; Jungersen, Mogens Vestergaard

    2006-01-01

    to one of four diets in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments and a six week experimental period. Treatments were total mixed rations with maize (M) or grass (G) silage differing in polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) profile and starch content, combined with a high (H) or a low (L) level......:1 and reduced cis9, trans11-CLA and trans11-C18:1 when maize but not grass silage was provided. The results suggest that high levels of concentrate (grain) do not significantly alter the pattern of PUFA biohydrogenation in the rumen, the concentration of CLA and trans-C18:1 isomers in milk or cause milk fat...

  8. Effect of camelina oil or live yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) on ruminal methane production, rumen fermentation, and milk fatty acid composition in lactating cows fed grass silage diets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bayat, A R; Kairenius, P; Stefański, T; Leskinen, H; Comtet-Marre, S; Forano, E; Chaucheyras-Durand, F; Shingfield, K J

    2015-05-01

    The potential of dietary supplements of 2 live yeast strains (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) or camelina oil to lower ruminal methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) production and the associated effects on animal performance, rumen fermentation, rumen microbial populations, nutrient metabolism, and milk fatty acid (FA) composition of cows fed grass silage-based diets were examined. Four Finnish Ayrshire cows (53±7 d in milk) fitted with rumen cannula were used in a 4×4 Latin square with four 42-d periods. Cows received a basal total mixed ration (control treatment) with a 50:50 forage-to-concentrate ratio [on a dry matter (DM) basis] containing grass silage, the same basal total mixed ration supplemented with 1 of 2 live yeasts, A or B, administered directly in the rumen at 10(10) cfu/d (treatments A and B), or supplements of 60g of camelina oil/kg of diet DM that replaced concentrate ingredients in the basal total mixed ration (treatment CO). Relative to the control, treatments A and B had no effects on DM intake, rumen fermentation, ruminal gas production, or apparent total-tract nutrient digestibility. In contrast, treatment CO lowered DM intake and ruminal CH4 and CO2 production, responses associated with numerical nonsignificant decreases in total-tract organic matter digestibility, but no alterations in rumen fermentation characteristics or changes in the total numbers of rumen bacteria, methanogens, protozoa, and fungi. Compared with the control, treatment CO decreased the yields of milk, milk fat, lactose, and protein. Relative to treatment B, treatment CO improved nitrogen utilization due to a lower crude protein intake. Treatment A had no influence on milk FA composition, whereas treatment B increased cis-9 10:1 and decreased 11-cyclohexyl 11:0 and 24:0 concentrations. Treatment CO decreased milk fat 8:0 to 16:0 and total saturated FA, and increased 18:0, 18:1, 18:2, conjugated linoleic acid, 18:3n-3, and trans FA concentrations. Decreases in ruminal CH4

  9. GT Biplot Analysis for Silage Potential, Nutritive Value, Gas and Methane Production of Stay-Green Grain Sorghum Shoots

    OpenAIRE

    Kaplan, Mahmut; Arslan, Mustafa; Kale, Hasan; Kara, Kanber; Kokten, Kagan

    2017-01-01

    Abstract This study was conducted to investigate the possible silage of stay-green sorghum genotypes using GT biplot analysis. Following the grain harvest, 41 sorghum genotypes were chopped to make silage. Biochemical analyses were performed after 60 d of silage. The results revealed that green herbage yields varied between 13.40-65.96 t ha−1, pH between 3.92-4.25, dry matter ratios between 24.26-35.83%, crude protein ratios between 3.44-7.03%, acid detergent fiber (ADF) ratios between 27.46-...

  10. Sustainability of corn stover harvest strategies in Pennsylvania

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pennsylvania has a long history of harvesting corn stover after grain harvest for animal bedding and feed or as a component of mushroom compost, or as silage for dairy cattle feed. With the shallow soils and rolling topography, soil erosion and carbon losses have been minimized through extensive use...

  11. Effects of different fertilizers on quantity and quality of silage corn

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Di Francia

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Different fertilizers, ammonia sulfate and urea (MIN, Fertil 12.5 (ORG and Azoslow (ORG-MIN were compared in a silage corn crop. Total biomass yield was above 55.0 t ha-1 for all fertilizers. Azoslow showed the highest dry matter content (40.8%. No differences among the fertilizers were found in protein content (4.9% on average at waxy ripening, with the control showing the lowest value (3.9%. There were also no differences in silage quality among the fertilizers. The N budget was estimated in order to quantify the residual nitrogen amounts at harvest and the efficiency of fertilizers.

  12. How Do Grass Species, Season and Ensiling Influence Mycotoxin Content in Forage?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adam Nawrath

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by fungal species that have harmful effects on mammals. The aim of this study was to assess the content of mycotoxins in fresh-cut material of selected forage grass species both during and at the end of the growing season. We further assessed mycotoxin content in subsequently produced first-cutting silages with respect to the species used in this study: Lolium perenne (cv. Kentaur, Festulolium pabulare (cv. Felina, Festulolium braunii (cv. Perseus, and mixtures of these species with Festuca rubra (cv. Gondolin or Poa pratensis (Slezanka. The mycotoxins deoxynivalenol, zearalenone and T-2 toxin were mainly detected in the fresh-cut grass material, while fumonisin and aflatoxin contents were below the detection limits. July and October were the most risky periods for mycotoxins to occur. During the cold temperatures in November and December, the occurrence of mycotoxins in fresh-cut material declined. Although June was a period with low incidence of mycotoxins in green silage, contents of deoxynivalenol and zearalenone in silages from the first cutting exceeded by several times those determined in their biomass collected directly from the field. Moreover, we observed that use of preservatives or inoculants did not prevent mycotoxin production.

  13. Effects of Different Cutting Height on Nutritional Quality of Whole Crop Barley Silage and Feed Value on Hanwoo Heifers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Dong Hyeon; Amanullah, Sardar M; Lee, Hyuk Jun; Joo, Young Ho; Han, Ouk Kyu; Adesogan, Adegbola T; Kim, Sam Churl

    2016-09-01

    The present study evaluated the effects of different cutting height on nutritive value, fermentation quality, in vitro and in vivo digestibility of whole crop barley silage. Whole crop barley forage (Yuyeon hybrid) was harvested at height of 5, 10, and 15 cm from the ground level. Each cutting height was rolled to make round bale and ensiled for 100 days. After 100 days of ensiling, pH of silage was lower (pcutting height. The content of lactate and lactate to acetate ratio were increased (pcutting height, whereas the acetate content was higher (pcutting height. Aerobic stability was greater (pcutting height. Three total mixed rations (TMR) were formulated with silages from the three different cutting heights (TMR5, TMR10, and TMR15) incorporated as forage at 70:30 ratio with concentrate (dry matter [DM] basis). In vitro dry matter digestibility was higher (pcutting height. The digestibility of DM and neutral detergent fiber were highest (pcutting height, at least up to 10 to 15 cm, of whole crop barley forage at harvest (Yuyeon) may be beneficial for making silage for TMR formulation and increasing digestibility of DM and NDF.

  14. Effect of seed inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense and nitrogen fertilization rates on maize plant yield and silage quality

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernando Reimann Skonieski

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to determine the effect of Azospirillum brasilense inoculation and different nitrogen (N rates applied as topdressing on the productivity of a maize crop and the nutritional value of maize silage. Two experiments were conducted in the 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 harvests. Treatments were distributed in a randomized block design in a factorial arrangement, which consisted of two maize hybrids (AS 1572 and Defender coupled with nitrogen rates (0, 60, 120, 240, and 480 kg ha-1, inoculated or uninoculated with A. brasilense. Inoculated seeds were treated with the A. brasilense strains Ab-V5 and Ab-V6. Inoculation with A. brasilense showed interaction with the hybrids, agricultural years, and nitrogen rates for the maize plant yield. In the 2012/2013 agricultural year, inoculation increased the AS 1572 hybrid silage yield by 6.16% and, in the 2013/2014 harvest, A. brasilense inoculation produced an increase of 16.15% for the Defender hybrid. Nitrogen fertilization applied at 0, 60, and 120 kg ha-1 N benefited the plants inoculated with A. brasilense. The statistical equations revealed that N rates between 0 and 184 kg ha-1 in A. brasilense inoculated plants raised the plant productivity for silage when compared with the control plants. Regarding the nutritional value of the silage, inoculation with A. brasilense increased the ether extract levels and total digestible nutrients and reduced the amount of acid detergent fiber. For all this, positive results with inoculation for silage yield are dependent on nitrogen fertilization rate. Inoculation with A. brasilense can promote changes in the maize silage quality, but with obtained results it is not possible to definitely conclude upon nutritive value of maize silage.

  15. Growth and Survival of Genetically Manipulated Lactobacillus plantarum in Silage

    OpenAIRE

    Sharp, R.; O'Donnell, A. G.; Gilbert, H. G.; Hazlewood, G. P.

    1992-01-01

    The growth and persistence of two genetically manipulated forms of Lactobacillus plantarum NCDO (National Collection of Dairy Organisms) 1193 have been monitored in grass silage. Both recombinants contained pSA3, a shuttle vector for gram-positive organisms that encodes erythromycin resistance. In one of the recombinants, pSA3 was integrated onto the chromosome, whereas in the other, a pSA3 derivative designated pM25, which contains a Clostridium thermocellum cellulase gene cloned into pSA3, ...

  16. Sustainability of corn stover harvest strategies in Pennsylvania

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paul R. Adler; Benjamin M. Rau; Gregory W. Roth

    2015-01-01

    Pennsylvania farmers have a long history of harvesting corn (Zea mays L.) stover after grain harvest for animal bedding and feed or as a component of mushroom compost, or as silage for dairy cattle feed. With the shallow soils and rolling topography, soil erosion and carbon losses have been minimized through extensive use of cover crops, no-till, and...

  17. Bacterial and fungal communities of wilted Italian ryegrass silage inoculated with and without Lactobacillus rhamnosus or Lactobacillus buchneri.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Y; Nishino, N

    2011-04-01

    To understand the effects of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculation on fermentation products, aerobic stability and microbial communities of silage. Wilted Italian ryegrass was stored in laboratory silos with and without inoculation of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus buchneri. The silos were opened after 14, 56 and 120 days and then subjected to aerobic deterioration for 7 days. Intensive alcoholic fermentation was found in untreated silage; the sum of ethanol and 2,3-butanediol content at day 14 was about 7 times higher than that of lactic and volatile fatty acids. Alcoholic fermentation was suppressed by L. rhamnosus and L. buchneri inoculation and lactic acid and acetic acid became the dominant fermentation products, respectively. Silages were deteriorated in untreated and L. rhamnosus-inoculated silages, whereas no spoilage was found in L. buchneri-inoculated silage. Enterobacteria such as Erwinia persicina, Pantoea agglomerans and Rahnella aquatilis were detected in untreated silage, whereas some of these bacteria disappeared or became faint with L. rhamnosus treatment. When silage was deteriorated, Lactobacillus brevis and Bacillus pumilus were observed in untreated and L. rhamnosus-inoculated communities, respectively. The inoculated LAB species was detectable in addition to untreated bacterial communities. Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia anomala were the main fungi in untreated and L. rhamnosus-inoculated silages; however, P. anomala was not visibly seen in L. buchneri-inoculated silage either at silo opening or after exposure to air. Inoculation with L. rhamnosus can suppress alcoholic fermentation of wilted grass silage with elimination of enterobacteria at the beginning of fermentation. Addition of L. buchneri may improve aerobic stability, with distinct inhibitory effect observed on P. anomala after silo opening. Bacterial and fungal community analyses help us to understand how inoculated LAB can function to improve the fermentation and

  18. Growth rate, carcass characteristics and meat quality of growing lambs fed buckwheat or maize silage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gurhan Keles

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Objective This study evaluated inclusion of buckwheat silage to the diet of growing lambs in terms of meat quality as compared to maize silage. Methods Buckwheat, rich in total phenols (TP, 33 g/kg dry matter [DM], was harvested at the end of the milk stage and ensiled in 40 kg plastic bags after wilting (294 g/kg silage DM. A total of 18 growing lambs (21.6±1.2 were individually fed isonitrogenous and isoenergetic total mixed rations (TMR for 75 d that either contained buckwheat or maize silage at DM proportions of 0.50. At the end of feeding trail all lambs were slaughtered to assess carcass characteristics and meat quality. Results Buckwheat silage increased (p0.05 on live weight gain and feed efficiency. Carcass weight, dressing percentage, meat pH, water holding capacity, cooking loss, shear force (kg/cm2, and total viable bacteria count of meat did not differ (p>0.05 between the treatments. However, TP content of meat increased (p<0.001 by feeding buckwheat TMR. Feeding buckwheat TMR also decreased (p<0.05 the b* values of meat. Conclusion The results provide that buckwheat silage is palatable and could successfully include TMR of growing lambs with no adverse effects on performance, carcass and meat quality. Additionally, feeding buckwheat silage to lambs offers increased TP in meat.

  19. Estabilidade aeróbia de silagens de capim-mombaça tratadas com Lactobacillus buchneri Aerobic stability of mombaça grass silages treated with Lactobacillus buchneri

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carla Luiza da Silva Ávila

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available Objetivou-se avaliar o efeito da adição de duas cepas de Lactobacillus buchneri sobre a estabilidade aeróbia de silagens de capim-mombaça. O experimento foi conduzido em delineamento inteiramente casualizado com três repetições, em esquema de parcelas subdivididas no tempo, de modo que os tratamentos (silagens sem inoculantes e com inoculante experimental e comercial foram aleatorizados nas parcelas e os tempos de avaliação aeróbia das silagens (0, 2, 8 ou 10 dias após a abertura dos silos nas subparcelas. Após 90 dias de armazenamento, os silos foram abertos e amostras de aproximadamente 2,5 kg foram retiradas para avaliação da estabilidade aeróbia com base na temperatura de cada amostra. As mudanças químicas e microbiológicas foram avaliadas. Após abertura dos silos, verificou-se aumento nas populações de bactérias do ácido lático, leveduras e fungos filamentosos. Houve aumento nos valores de pH resultante da redução da concentração dos ácidos orgnicos e de aumentos dos teores de matéria seca e proteína bruta. A adição de L. buchneri às silagens melhorou sua estabilidade, enquanto a silagem sem inoculante apresentou estabilidade de 55 horas. As silagens inoculadas não ultrapassaram essa temperatura limite em um período de 10 dias. A melhoria da estabilidade foi ocasionada pela associação de altas concentrações de cido acético ao ácido propiônico e pela menor concentração de ácido lático no momento de abertura, o que inibiu a proliferação de fungos filamentosos e leveduras após abertura dos silos.This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the addition of two L. buchneri strains on the aerobic stability of the Mombaça grass silages. The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design with three replicates in split-plot in time scheme, so that the treatments (silages without inoculant and with experimental or commercial inoculants were randomized on plot and in times of aerobic

  20. Mechanical dewatering of silage; Mechanische Entwaesserung von Silage

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Scholz, Volkhard; Daries, Werner [Leibniz-Institut fuer Agrartechnik Potsdam-Bornim e.V. (ATB), Potsdam (Germany). Abteilung Technik der Aufbereitung, Lagerung und Konservierung; Rinder, Ralf [Anhydro GmbH, Kassel (Germany)

    2009-07-01

    The use of screw presses for dewatering of silage is energetically more efficient than thermal drying. Tests with two types of screw presses show that on dry matter flow rates of more than 1.0 tDM/h the specific energy consumption is less than 30 kWh/tDM. The water content of the silage is decreased by 5 to 20 % and the share of undesired ingredients by 2 to 30 %. Besides press design and plant species, in particular moisture content, chip size and density of silage are essentially for the dewatering success. (orig.)

  1. Dairy cow responses to graded levels of rapeseed and soya bean expeller supplementation on a red clover/grass silage-based diet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rinne, M; Kuoppala, K; Ahvenjärvi, S; Vanhatalo, A

    2015-12-01

    The effects of rapeseed and soya bean expeller (SBE) supplementation on digestion and milk production responses in dairy cows were investigated in an incomplete Latin square design using five cows and four 3-week periods. The experimental diets consisted of five concentrate treatments fed at a rate of 9 kg/day: a mixture of barley and oats, which was replaced with rapeseed or SBE at two levels (CP concentration (g/kg dry matter (DM)) of 130 for the control concentrate and 180 and 230 for the two protein supplemented levels). A mixture of grass and red clover silage (1:1) was fed ad libitum and it had a CP concentration of 157 g/kg DM. Supply of nutrients to the lower tract was measured using the omasal canal sampling technique, and total digestion from total faecal collection. Protein supplementation increased omasal canal amino acid (AA) flows and plasma concentrations of AA, and was also reflected as increased milk production. However, N use efficiency (NUE) decreased with increased protein supplementation. Rapeseed expeller (RSE) tended to increase silage DM intake and elicited higher milk production responses compared with SBE and also resulted in a higher NUE. The differences between the protein supplements in nitrogen metabolism were relatively small, for example, there were no differences in the efficiency of microbial protein synthesis or omasal canal flows of nitrogenous components between them, but plasma methionine concentration was lower for soya bean-fed cows at the high CP level in particular. The lower milk protein production responses to SBE than to RSE supplementation were at least partly caused by increased silage DM and by the lower methionine supply, which may further have been amplified by the use of red clover in the basal diet. Although feed intake, diet digestion, AA supply and milk production were all consistently improved by protein supplementation, there was a simultaneous decrease in NUE. In the current study, the milk protein production

  2. Evaluation of silage diets offered to reindeer calves intended for slaughter. I. Feeding of silage and barley from September to March

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Nilsson

    1996-01-01

    Full Text Available An experiment involving 75 male reindeer calves (mean initial live weight 39.6 kg, SD=3.7 intended for slaughter was undertaken to study the effect of proporrion of barley to silage in the diets on animal performance. The calves were alloted to five groups including one group slaughtered at the start of the experiment in September. The remaining groups were offered diets containing either, 30% (LB, or 60% (HB rolled barley, based on the dry matter (DM content, until slaughter in November (LB and HB or in March (HB. The silage (43% DM was made from the primary growth of a predominantly grass sward preserved as plastic-wrapped big bales. Small amounts of lichens were mixed with the rations during rhe first two weeks of the experiment and the calves adapted well to the experimental diets. However, health problems and deaths occurred on borh rarions after five weeks of feeding. Since the animals fed the LB diet lost live weight and condition the experimental feeding of these calves were interrupted at the slaughter in November. Calves fed the LB diet had significantly lower daily DM intake (P<0.01. They also had lower live weighr gain (not significant, greater losses of carcass weight and fat in the abdominal cavity relative to those offered the HB diet. During the second period of the study the remaining animals offered the HB diet showed no signs of ill-health and increased live weight, carcass weighr, and fat in the abdominal cavity. The results of the presenr experiment indicate that when silage of the investigated quality is fed to reindeer calves rhe proportion of silage should not exceed 40% of the DM.

  3. Comparison of Chemical and Degradability Characteristics of Green Forage and Silage of Sorghums Varieties with Corn Using In vitro

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Hedayatipour

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available The chemical and fermentative parameters of three fresh forages and silages of sorghum including Sweet, Pegah and Speedfeed varieties were compared with corn using in vitro method, also degradability coefficients of forages and silages were determined by in situ method. Forages were planted in the same condition and harvested in soft dough stage, then ensilaged in four replicates for each time of 30, 60 and 90 days of preservation in mini silos. Buffering capacity in green Sweet sorghum was lower than corn and Speedfeed, and acid detergent fiber and water soluble carbohydrates respectively were significantly highest and lowest in fresh forage of Speedfeed sorghum. In time of 60 days, percent of acid detergent lignin of corn silage was lower than Sweet and Speedfeed sorghum silages; similarly, residual water soluble carbohydrate was lowest in corn silage. The lactate Concentration in corn and Pegah sorghums was higher than Sweet and Speedfeed silages. In corn and Sweet sorghum silages, Contents of acetic acid and ammonium nitrogen were highest and lowest, respectively. In nylon bag experiment, Degradation rate of corn and Pegah sorghum forages were significantly higher than Sweet and Speedfeed sorghums that cause to more effective degradability with passage rate of 0.08 in this forages. Also, the slowly degradation coefficient of corn silage was higher than sorghums silages. In conclusion, Speedfeed sorghum forage is not suitable for making silage in comparison others, and corn silage had more potential of degradability.

  4. Effect of spring versus autumn grass/clover silage and rapeseed supplementation on milk production, composition and quality in Jersey cows

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Mette Krogh; Vogdanou, Stefania; Hellwing, Anne Louise Frydendahl

    2016-01-01

    of C16 : 0, riboflavin and α-tocopherol were decreased with autumn silage. The majority of C18 FAs in milk and α-tocopherol concentration increased with rapeseed whereas C11 : 0 to C16 : 0 FA were reduced. Autumn silage reduced biohydrogenation of C18 : 2n6, whereas rapeseed increased biohydrogenation...

  5. Effects of different corn silage: Alfalfa silage ratios and full fat ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Full fat extruded soybeans addition increased the ether extract in diets and content of conjugated linoleic acids in milk, but it had no effect on fat, protein and lactose content in milk. Milk fat and lactose were not affected by replacing corn silage with alfalfa silage in diets. Increasing alfalfa silage content in the diets increased ...

  6. Anaerobic co-digestion of sewage sludge with shredded grass from public green spaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hidaka, Taira; Arai, Sayuri; Okamoto, Seiichiro; Uchida, Tsutomu

    2013-02-01

    Adding greenery from public spaces to the co-digestion process with sewage sludge was evaluated by shredding experiments and laboratory-scale batch and continuous mesophilic anaerobic fermentation experiments. The ratio of the shredded grass with 20mm or less in length by a commercially available shredder was 93%. The methane production was around 0.2NL/gVS-grass in the batch experiment. The continuous experiment fed with sewage sludge and shredded grass was stably operated for 81days. The average methane production was 0.09NL/gVS-grass when the TS ratio of the sewage sludge and the grass was 10:1. This value was smaller than those of other reports using grass silage, but the grass species in this study were not managed, and the collected grass was just shredded and not ensiled before feeding to the reactor for simple operation. The addition of grass to a digester can improve the carbon/nitrogen ratio, methane production and dewaterability. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Effect van inkuilmanagement op emissie van broeikasgassen op bedrijfsniveau = Effect of ensiling management on emission of greenhouse gases at farm level

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schooten, van H.A.; Philipsen, A.P.

    2011-01-01

    This report described the losses during harvesting, storage and feed out period of grass silage. It was estimated that there was a considerable risk of extra losses due to aerobic deterioration and moderate conservation. Farmrelated computations showed that economics and emission of greenhouse gases

  8. Research note: The silage characteristics of two varieties of forage ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    At the dough stage the GS had higher neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) contents than FS (592g kg-1 and 379g kg-1 vs. 533g kg-1 and 339g kg-1 DM, respectively). In the silage harvested at milk stage, the pH of FS alone decreased most slowly, whereas at the dough stage the pH of the GS ...

  9. Ensiling as pretreatment of grass for lignocellulosic biomass conversion

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ambye-Jensen, Morten

    for subsequent enzymatic saccharification of cellulose and hemicellulose, by using the temperate grass Festulolium Hykor. The method was additionally combined with hydrothermal treatment, in order to decrease the required severity of an industrial applied pretreatment method. The first part of the project...... conditions providing the best possible pretreatment effect. The parameters were biomass composition, varied by ensiling of four seasonal cuts of grass, different dry matter (DM) content at ensiling, and an addition of different lactic acid bacteria species. First of all, the study confirmed that ensiling can...... act as a method of pretreatment and improve the enzymatic cellulose convertibility of grass. Furthermore, low DM ensiling was found to improve the effects of pretreatment due to a higher production of organic acids in the silage. The effect of applied lactic acid bacteria species was, however...

  10. Consumo e digestibilidade de silagens de capim-elefante com diferentes níveis de subproduto da agroindústria da acerola Intake and digestibilit of elefhant grass silages with the diferent levels of acerola industry by-product

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Cristina Holanda Ferreira

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Foi objetivo deste trabalho avaliar o consumo e digestibilidade da MS e nutrientes. de silagens de capim-elefante (CE contendo subproduto do processamento da acerola desidratada (SACD. Utilizaram-se 20 ovinos machos nãocastrados, distribuídos em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com cinco níveis de SACD na silagem (0; 3,5; 7; 10,5 e 14% da matéria seca e quatro repetições. Estimaram-se os consumos de matéria seca (MS, celulose, hemicelulose, proteína bruta (PB, fibra em detergente neutro (FDN, fibra em detergente ácido (FDA, bem como os consumos de matéria seca (MSD, proteína bruta (PBD, fibra em detergente neutro (FDND e energia digestível (ED. Foram avaliados também as digestibilidades da MS, PB, FDN, FDA, celulose, hemicelulose e EB, e o balanço de nitrogênio (BN. A adição de SACD, não influenciou o consumo de MS, FDN e FDA em g animal-1 dia-1 e g UTM-1 (unidade de tamanho metabólico = PV0,75, MSD, FDND em g animal-1 dia-1 e ED (0,86 Mcal dia-1. Contudo, a adição de 1% do SACD na ensilagem do capim-elefante resultou em aumento de 1,91 e 0,04 g nos consumos diários de PB e PBD, respectivamente. Com a adição do SACD, não houve alterações na digestibilidade da MS (43%, PB (36,4%, FDN (44,8% e BN (0,22 g dia-1 das silagens. Entretanto, o BN atingiu valores positivos quando foram adicionados 10,5 e 14% do SACD à dieta. O subproduto da acerola desidratado pode ser adicionado em níveis de até 14% da matéria natural na ensilagem de capim-elefante, pois não compromete nem o consumo nem a digestibilidade dos nutrientes em ovinos.The present study aimed to determine de nutritional value of mixed elephant grass silages and increasing levels of dehydrated acerola industry by-product (PAC. Five PAC levels (0; 3.5; 7.0; 10.5 and 14% were evaluated in a digestibility trial with 20 male non-castrated sheep in a randomized experimental design of five treatments (PAC levels and four replications per treatment (sheep. Intake

  11. Utilization of Cacao Pod Husk Silage as Cattle Ration Mixture at Taluditi, Pohuwatu Regency, Gorontalo Province

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hidayat, M.; Pratama, H. Y.; Martono, E.

    2018-02-01

    Cacao plantation produces cacao pod husks (CPHs) by-products during the harvest period. This research aimed to make benefits the CPH, preserved with silage technology as cattle ration mixture, investigate the adequacy of nutrient for the cattle after treated with addition of CPH silage, and investigate the quota of cattle treated with CPH silage addition. The research design was conducted by giving extension and field observation that was carried out at Taluditi on July to August 2015 during the activity of Student Community Service (KKN PPM UGM Unit Gorontalo 02). The secondary data was gathered from the Department of Agriculture and Plantation Pohuwatu Regency, and also supporting references. The number of respondents in each location was about 30 - 40 people. The research results showed that the silage preservation technology can be well received by the farmers. There was improvement of cattle ration nutrient supplemented with CPH compared to that of ration nutrient which was usually be used by the farmers or standard ration nutrient. The research also resulted in fresh CPH production 2,625.741 tons/year, CPH silage production 2,140.549 tons/year and load capacity + 575 heads/day weight 250-300 kg.

  12. Rumen degradation characteristics of ryegrass herbage and ryegrass silage are affected by interactions between stage of maturity and nitrogen fertilisation rate

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heeren, J.A.H.; Podesta, S.C.; Hatew, B.; Klop, G.; Laar, van H.; Bannink, A.; Warner, D.; Jonge, de L.H.; Dijkstra, J.

    2014-01-01

    The objective of this experiment was to evaluate interaction effects between stage of maturity and N fertilization rate on rumen degradation characteristics determined with nylon bag incubations of ryegrass herbages and ryegrass silage. Grass herbage (n = 4) was cut after 3 or 5 weeks of regrowth

  13. A properly adjusted forage harvester can save time and money

    Science.gov (United States)

    A properly adjusted forage harvester can save fuel and increase the realizable milk per ton of your silage. This article details the adjustments necessary to minimize energy while maximizing productivity and forage quality....

  14. Controlling grass weeds on hard surfaces

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rask, Anne Merete; Kristoffersen, Palle; Andreasen, Christian

    2012-01-01

    An experiment was conducted on a specially designed hard surface to study the impact of time interval between flaming treatments on the regrowth and flower production of two grass weeds. The goal of this experiment was to optimize the control of annual bluegrass and perennial ryegrass, both species...... that are very difficult to control without herbicides. Aboveground biomass from 72 plants per treatment was harvested and dry weights were recorded at regular intervals to investigate how the plants responded to flaming. Regrowth of the grasses was measured by harvesting aboveground biomass 2 wk after......, as they did not increase the reduction of aboveground biomass compared with the 7-d treatment interval. Knowledge on the regrowth of grass weeds after flaming treatments provided by this study can help improve recommendations given to road keepers and park managers for management on these weeds. Nomenclature...

  15. Mammary cell turnover and expression of lipogenic genes in response to silage induced CLA and diet energy density in lactating cows

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nørgaard, J V; Baumgard, L H; Nielsen, T Skau

    2008-01-01

    The objective of this experiment was to investigate possible effects of silage induced differences in milk conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) and diet energy density on cell turnover and production capacity in the mammary gland. Cows were given high levels of canola fat and fed either grass or maize...

  16. Ensiling and hydrothermal pretreatment of grass: Consequences for enzymatic biomass conversion and total monosaccharide yields

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ambye-Jensen, Morten; Johansen, Katja Salomon; Didion, Thomas

    2014-01-01

    Ensiling may act as a pretreatment of fresh grass biomass and increase the enzymatic conversion of structural carbohydrates to fermentable sugars. However, ensiling does not provide sufficient severity to be a standalone pretreatment method. Here, ensiling of grass is combined with hydrothermal...... treatment (HTT) with the aim of improving the enzymatic biomass convertibility and decrease the required temperature of the HTT. Results: Grass silage (Festulolium Hykor) was hydrothermally treated at temperatures of 170, 180, and 190°C for 10 minutes. Relative to HTT treated dry grass, ensiling increased...... convertibility). The effect of ensiling of grass prior to HTT improved the enzymatic conversion of cellulose for HTT at 170 and 180°C, but the increased glucose release did not make up for the loss of water soluble carbohydrates (WSC) during ensiling. Overall, sugar yields (C6 + C5) were similar for HTT of grass...

  17. Valor nutritivo da silagem de capim-elefante cultivar Napier (Pennisetum purpureum, Schum inoculada com bactérias ácido-láticas Nutritional value of elephant-grass silage (Pennisetum purpureum, Schum inoculated with lactic acid bacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Félix Ribeiro de Lima

    2001-05-01

    Full Text Available Foi objetivo do presente estudo avaliar os efeitos da inoculação microbiana da silagem de capim-elefante sobre a digestibilidade total em carneiros. Doze carneiros machos e castrados foram distribuídos em um delineamento inteiramente casualizado, e os tratamentos corresponderam à silagem de capim-elefante (média de 17,2% de MS e 7,6% de PB, controle ou inoculada com o produto Pioneer 1174 (S. faecium e L. plantarum. O experimento teve duração total de 21 dias, sendo os 5 últimos destinados à coleta de fezes e urina. A inoculação não alterou a digestibilidade total da MS (inoculado = 49,9% vs. controle = 48,4%, PB (45,9% vs. 43,6%, EE (42,9% vs. 40,8%, FB (53,6% vs. 54,2%, FDN (48,6% vs. 48,0%, FDA (48,8% vs. 49,2%, amido (60,8% vs. 66,2%, NDT (44,5% vs. 41,8% ou o consumo de MS (1,36 vs. 1,63% do PV, mas tendeu (P = 0,0845 a aumentar a digestibilidade do ENN (47,3% vs. 40,6% e a diminuir (P = 0,0571 a retenção nitrogenada (–2,61 vs. –2,17 g de N/animal/dia. Os dados presentes não permitem recomendar a inoculação do capim-elefante com bactérias ácido-láticas para produção de silagens.The effects of microbial inoculated elephant-grass silage on total digestibility in sheep were evaluated. Twelve wethers were randomly assigned to two treatments: elephant-grass silage (average 17.2% DM and 7.6% CP control and microbial inoculated with Pioneer 1174 product (S. faecium and L. plantarum. Experimental period consisted of twenty-one days, the last five for feces and urine collection. Inoculation did not influence total digestibility of DM (inoculated=49.9% vs. control=48.4%, CP (45.9% vs. 43.6%, EE (42.9% vs. 40.8%, CF (53.6% vs. 54.2%, NDF (48.6% vs. 48.0%, ADF (48.8% vs. 49.2%, starch (60.8% vs. 66.2%, TDN (44.5% vs. 41.8% or DM intake (1.36 vs. 1.63% of BW. However, there was a tendency (P = 0.0845 of increasing digestibility of NFE (47.3% vs. 40.6% and decreasing (P = 0.0571 N retention (–2.61 vs. –2.17 g of N

  18. Corn silage from corn treated with foliar fungicide and performance of Holstein cows.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haerr, K J; Lopes, N M; Pereira, M N; Fellows, G M; Cardoso, F C

    2015-12-01

    Foliar fungicide application to corn plants is used in corn aimed for corn silage in the dairy industry, but questions regarding frequency of application and its effect on corn silage quality and feed conversion when fed to dairy cows remain prevalent. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of various foliar fungicide applications to corn on dry matter intake (DMI), milk production, and milk composition when fed to dairy cows. Sixty-four Holstein cows with parity 2.5±1.5, 653±80kg of body weight, and 161±51d in milk were blocked and randomly assigned to 1 of 4 corn silage treatments (total mixed ration with 35% of the dry matter as corn silage). Treatments were as follows: control (CON), corn silage with no applications of foliar fungicide; treatment 1 (1X), corn silage from corn that received 1 application of pyraclostrobin (PYR) foliar fungicide (Headline; BASF Corp.) at corn vegetative stage 5; treatment 2 (2X), corn silage from corn that received the same application as 1X plus another application of a mixture of PYR and metconazole (Headline AMP; BASF Corp.) at corn reproductive stage 1 ("silking"); and treatment 3 (3X), corn silage from corn that received the same applications as 2X as well as a third application of PYR and metconazole at reproductive stage 3 ("milky kernel"). Corn was harvested at about 32% dry matter and 3/4 milk line stage of kernel development and ensiled for 200d. Treatments were fed to cows for 5wk, with the last week being used for statistical inferences. Week -1 was used as a covariate in the statistical analysis. Dry matter intake tended to be lower for cows fed corn silage treated with fungicide than CON (23.8, 23.0, 19.5, and 21.3kg for CON, 1X, 2X, and 3X, respectively). A linear treatment effect for DMI was observed, with DMI decreasing as foliar fungicide applications increased. Treatments CON, 1X, 2X, and 3X did not differ for milk yield (34.5, 34.5, 34.2, and 34.4kg/d, respectively); however, a trend for

  19. Performance and metabolite profile of dairy cows fed tropical grasses and concentrates containing crude protein with low or high degradability

    OpenAIRE

    Gomes, Raphael dos Santos; Oliveira, Tadeu Silva de; Pereira, José Carlos; Vieira, Ricardo Augusto Mendonça; Henrique, Douglas Sampaio; Fernandes, Alberto Magno; Leonel, Fernando de Paula

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT Ten Holstein-Zebu crossbred cows distributed into two simultaneous Latin squares (5 × 5) as a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement formed by chopped sugarcane or elephant grass silage, both with high or low protein degradability supplements and a corn silage as a control treatment, were compared using orthogonal contrasts. The studied variables were the performance, plasma concentrations of urea-N, glucose, and creatinine, urine-N and milk urea-N, and the nychthemeral variation in NH3-N in th...

  20. Silage extracts used to study the mode of action of silage inoculants in ruminants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silage microbial inoculants can enhance animal performance, but the mechanisms involved in these effects are not clear. Our hypothesis was that an extractable factor from inoculated silage enhances rumen microbial activity. One alfalfa haylage (58% DM) and two corn silages (30% and 50% DM) were made...

  1. The influence of covering methods on the nutritive value of corn silage for lactating dairy cows

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rafael Camargo do Amaral

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of covering methods on the nutritive value of corn silage and performance of dairy cows. Whole-plant corn was harvested at 340 g/kg of dry matter (DM and ensiled for 135 d in horizontal silos covered with one of the following methods: oxygen barrier film (45-µm thick + white-on-black polyethylene film (200-µm thick over the oxygen barrier film (OB+WB; white-on-black polyethylene film (200-µm thick (WB; black polyethylene film (200-µm thick (B; or recycled black polyethylene film (200-µm thick covered with a layer of 10 cm of sugarcane bagasse (RB+SB. Nutrient composition, fermentation profile, and yeast and mold counts in edible silages were similar across treatments. Silage temperature during the storage period was 24.6, 28.7, 28.4 and 33.1 °C for RB+SB, OB+WB, WB and B, respectively, and the proportion of spoiled silage ranged from 28.7 (for the RB+SB treatment to 74.2 g/kg DM (for the B treatment. Dry matter intake was similar across treatments and averaged 21.9 kg/d. Milk production was higher for cows fed corn silage covered with RB+SB (34.4 kg/d compared with those fed corn silage covered with B (30.4 kg/d, resulting in higher feed efficiency for RB+SB treatment. Silages covered with OB+WB and WB had intermediate values. In vivo digestibility of organic matter was higher for cows fed corn silage covered with RB+SB compared with those fed corn silage covered with WB and B, but were similar to those fed corn silage covered with OB+WB. The utilization of oxygen barrier films and the protection of polyethylene film with sugarcane bagasse are effective strategies to increase the recovery of digestible nutrients and, consequently, to enhance production efficiency of lactating dairy cows.

  2. Effects of green manure storage and incorporation methods on nitrogen release and N2O emissions after soil application

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Carter, Mette Sustmann; Sørensen, Peter; Petersen, Søren O.

    2014-01-01

    More efficient use of green manure-derived nitrogen (N) may improve crop yields and reduce environmental impacts in stockless organic arable farming. In this 3-month incubation study, we tested a new strategy where green manure leys are harvested and preserved until the following spring either...... as compost mixed with straw or as silage of harvested ley biomass. Grass-clover compost or silage was soil-incorporated by either simulated ploughing (green manure placed at 15 cm depth) or harrowing (green manure mixed into the upper 5-cm soil horizon) in order to assess treatment effects on net release...... total N. Possibly N2O production via denitrification was stimulated by oxygen-limited conditions near the decomposing silage. In contrast, compost incorporated by harrowing caused net N2O uptake, presumably an effect of reduced mineral N availability in this treatment. Overall, our study revealed...

  3. Enteric methane production, rumen volatile fatty acid concentrations, and milk fatty acid composition in lactating Holstein-Friesian cows fed grass silage- or corn silage-based diets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Gastelen, S; Antunes-Fernandes, E C; Hettinga, K A; Klop, G; Alferink, S J J; Hendriks, W H; Dijkstra, J

    2015-03-01

    The objective of this study was to determine the effects of replacing grass silage (GS) with corn silage (CS) in dairy cow diets on enteric methane (CH4) production, rumen volatile fatty acid concentrations, and milk fatty acid (FA) composition. A completely randomized block design experiment was conducted with 32 multiparous lactating Holstein-Friesian cows. Four dietary treatments were used, all having a roughage-to-concentrate ratio of 80:20 based on dry matter (DM). The roughage consisted of either 100% GS, 67% GS and 33% CS, 33% GS and 67% CS, or 100% CS (all DM basis). Feed intake was restricted (95% of ad libitum DM intake) to avoid confounding effects of DM intake on CH4 production. Nutrient intake, apparent digestibility, milk production and composition, nitrogen (N) and energy balance, and CH4 production were measured during a 5-d period in climate respiration chambers after adaptation to the diet for 12 d. Increasing CS proportion linearly decreased neutral detergent fiber and crude protein intake and linearly increased starch intake. Milk production and milk fat content (on average 23.4 kg/d and 4.68%, respectively) were not affected by increasing CS inclusion, whereas milk protein content increased quadratically. Rumen variables were unaffected by increasing CS inclusion, except the molar proportion of butyrate, which increased linearly. Methane production (expressed as grams per day, grams per kilogram of fat- and protein-corrected milk, and as a percent of gross energy intake) decreased quadratically with increasing CS inclusion, and decreased linearly when expressed as grams of CH4 per kilogram of DM intake. In comparison with 100% GS, CH4 production was 11 and 8% reduced for the 100% CS diet when expressed per unit of DM intake and per unit fat- and protein-corrected milk, respectively. Nitrogen efficiency increased linearly with increased inclusion of CS. The concentration of trans C18:1 FA, C18:1 cis-12, and total CLA increased quadratically, and

  4. Silage alcohols in dairy cow nutrition

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Raun, Birgitte Marie Løvendahl

    Corn silages with high propanol concentrations has been suspected to cause reduced feed intake and health problems for dairy cows in the post-pattum transition period. With the increasing use of hetero fermentative inoculants to support corn silage fermentation it is likely that silage concentrat......Corn silages with high propanol concentrations has been suspected to cause reduced feed intake and health problems for dairy cows in the post-pattum transition period. With the increasing use of hetero fermentative inoculants to support corn silage fermentation it is likely that silage...... of alcohols will lead to high alcohol concentrations in peripheral bood for a considerable period. Increased hepatic NEFA uptake in the postpartum transition period may result in even further decreased hepatic capacity for alcohol metabolism making post-partum transition cows especially vulnerable to high...... alcohol intakes. In order to evaluate the impact of alcohol fermentation in corn silages on dairy cow performance, the main purpose of this thesis was first to investigate the concentrations and composition of alcohols in typical field corn silages, and second to study how transition and lactating dairy...

  5. Fusarium and Aspergillus mycotoxins contaminating wheat silage for dairy cattle feeding in Uruguay

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agustina del Palacio

    Full Text Available Abstract Wheat is one of the most important cultivated cereals in Uruguay for human consumption; however, when harvest yields are low, wheat is usually used in ensiling for animal feeding. Ensiling is a forage preservation method that allows for storage during extended periods of time while maintaining nutritional values comparable to fresh pastures. Silage is vulnerable to contamination by spoilage molds and mycotoxins because ensilage materials are excellent substrates for fungal growth. The aim of the study was to identify the mycobiota composition and occurrence of aflatoxins and DON from wheat silage. A total of 220 samples of wheat were collected from four farms in the southwest region of Uruguay were silage practices are developed. The main fungi isolated were Fusarium (43% and Aspergillus (36%, with Fusarium graminearum sensu lato and Aspergillus section Flavi being the most prevalent species. Aflatoxin concentrations in silo bags ranged from 6.1 to 23.3 µg/kg, whereas DON levels ranged between 3000 µg/kg and 12,400 µg/kg. When evaluating aflatoxigenic capacity, 27.5% of Aspergillus section Flavi strains produced AFB1, 5% AFB2, 10% AFG1 and 17.5% AFG2. All isolates of F. graminearum sensu lato produced DON and 15-AcDON. The results from this study contribute to the knowledge of mycobiota and mycotoxins present in wheat silage.

  6. Changes in amino acid profile of alfalfa silage preserved by chemical and biological additives during fermentation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaroslava Michálková

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Changes in amino acid profile of alfalfa silage preserved with chemical or biological additives were studied in fresh and wilted silage. The chemical additive was formic acid and the biological additive consisted of Lactobacillus rhamnosus, L. plantarum, L. brevis, L. buchneri and Pediococcus pentosaceus. Second cut alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. was harvested at the bloom stage, ensiled in mini silos (15 dm3 and fermented at 20–23 °C for 12 weeks. The dry matter of the fresh silage was 228 g . kg−1 and 281.6 g . kg−1 for the wilted before ensiling. The amino acid content was estimated by using an automatic amino acid analyzer AAA (INGOS Prague. The results of the experiments indicated that amino acid breakdown was inhibited by increased dry matter and the use of chemical and biological additive. Additionally, the content of amino acids was found to change in relation to the degree of wilting and formic acid treatment yielded the lowest amino acid breakdown. The amino acid breakdown was also reduced by biological preservative especially in the silage with a higher level of dry matter content.

  7. Chemical composition and standardized ileal digestibility of protein and amino acids from blue mussel, starfish, and fish silage in pigs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nørgaard, Jens Vinther; Petersen, Jens Kjerulf; Tørring, Ditte Bruunshøj

    2015-01-01

    –162 g CP/kg and 5 g chromicoxide/kg. Endogenous losses of protein and AA were estimated by feeding an N-free diet.On a dry matter (DM) basis, mussel meal contained 605 g, mussel silage 575 g, starfish meal700 g, starfish juice 393 g, and fish silage 776 g CP/kg. The ratio of AA to CP ranged from0......Mussels cultured on lines for nine months and harvested in March were boiled to removeshells and processed into a dry meal or a silage acidified by formic acid. Starfish mealwas prepared from starfish caught in May, and a starfish juice fraction was obtained bypressing fresh starfish. Commercial...... fish silage from farmed salmon was also included in theexperiment. The standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of crude protein (CP) and amino acids(AA) was evaluated in a Latin square design with pigs (initial weight 39.3 kg) fitted with asimple T-cannula in the terminal ileum. Diets contained 131...

  8. Comparison between Urea and Goat Manure as Sources of Nitrogen for Napier Grass Grown on Terraced Hill

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rahman, M.M.

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Effects of two nitrogen (N sources on dry matter (DM yield and nutritive value of Napier grass were evaluated. The nitrogen (N fertiliser (at rate of 300 kg N ha?1 year?1 was applied by dividing the terraces of a hill under two treatments: T1 (urea and T2 (goat manure. There were three replicates of each treatment arranged within three blocks in a completely randomised design. Grass was cut at about 60?day interval. In the first to fourth harvests, grass receiving manure had higher plant height than those with urea application. Grass receiving manure had higher DM yield than urea in almost all of the cuttings. In the fourth harvest, grass receiving urea contained higher DM and organic matter (OM than manure. Similar result was found for fifth harvest where urea gave higher crude protein (CP than manure. Irrespective of harvesting frequencies, average DM, OM, CP and neutral detergent fibre contents were not significantly different between grasses fertilised with manure and urea. In conclusion, manure is recommended for economical cultivation of Napier grass on terrace of hill.

  9. Effect of maturity and hybrid on ruminal and intestinal digestion of corn silage in dry cows.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peyrat, J; Baumont, R; Le Morvan, A; Nozière, P

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of stage of maturity at harvest on extent of starch, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and protein digestion, and rumen fermentation in dry cows fed whole-plant corn silage from different hybrids. Four nonlactating Holstein cows cannulated at the rumen and proximal duodenum were fed 4 corn silages differing in hybrid (flint vs. flint-dent) and maturity stage (early vs. late) in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. From early to late maturity, starch content increased (from 234.5 to 348.5 g/kg), whereas total-tract (99.7 to 94.5%) and ruminal starch digestibility (91.3 to 86.5%) decreased significantly. The decrease in ruminal starch digestibility with increasing maturity was similar between hybrids. No effects were found of maturity, hybrid, or maturity × hybrid interaction on total-tract NDF digestibility, ruminal NDF digestibility, true digestibility of N and organic matter in the rumen, or microbial synthesis. Harvesting at later maturity led to increased ruminal ammonia, total volatile fatty acid concentrations, and acetate/propionate ratio but not pH. This study concludes that delaying date of harvest modifies the proportions of digestible starch and NDF supplied to cattle. Adjusting date of corn harvest to modulate amount of rumen-digested starch could be used as a strategy to control nutrient delivery to ruminants. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Influence of species and stage of maturity on intake and partial ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    UPuser

    Four silage diets were studied in a 2 x 2 factorial experimental design. The treatments consisted of two grass species (P. maximum or D. eriantha) and two growth stages (boot or full bloom) at harvest. Four multi- cannulated sheep fitted with ruminal, abomasal and ileal cannulas were randomly allocated to one of the four.

  11. Best practices to hasten field drying of grasses and alfalfa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rapid drying of hay and silage shortens the harvest window, enhances forage quality, and reduces the chance for rain damage. Forage generally has about 75% moisture when it is cut. This means the crop must lose 2.3 to 3 tons of water per acre (550 to 720 gal/acre) to dry to haylage at 60 to 65% mois...

  12. Nutrient composition, ruminal degradability and whole tract digestibility of whole crop maize silage from nine current varieties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gruber, Leonhard; Terler, Georg; Knaus, Wilhelm

    2018-04-01

    Since maize silage is an important forage in cattle nutrition, it is important to know its nutritive value. Much effort is put into breeding maize, and several new varieties are introduced on the market every year. This requires periodical analyses of the nutritive value of current maize varieties for the formulation of cattle rations. The aim of this study was to examine the nutritive value of whole crop maize silage (WCMS) from nine maize varieties in 3 consecutive years. For the analysis of nutrient composition and ruminal degradability of organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre (aNDFom) and non-fibre carbohydrates (NFC), varieties were harvested at three harvest dates (50%, 55% and 60% dry matter content in ear). Due to capacity limitations, the digestibility of WCMS was tested only for the middle harvest date. The CP and acid detergent fibre (ADFom) content was affected (p content was not influenced by variety. With advancing maturity, CP, aNDFom and ADFom content declined while NFC content increased. Variety influenced effective ruminal degradability (ED) of nutrients, except for CP. The ED of all examined nutrients decreased as maturity advanced from first to third harvest date. Digestibility of OM, ADFom and NFC was significantly and digestibility of aNDFom was tendentially (p = 0.064) influenced by variety. Additionally, an effect of year and a harvest date × year interaction was found for almost all examined parameters. In conclusion, variety, harvest date and year influence the nutritive value of WCMS. A comparison with earlier studies shows that current varieties have a higher fibre digestibility and a slower-ripening stover compared to older varieties.

  13. Impact of haylage harvest and storage technologies on forage microbial contamination

    OpenAIRE

    Artemyeva, O.; Duborezov, V.; Pavlyuchenkova, O.; Kotkovskaya, E.; Ralkova, V.; Peresyolkova, D.

    2014-01-01

    To develop bacteriological regulations for harvesting and storing haylage, microbial contamination of feeds has been studied using different technologies for harvesting haylage and laying fodder in trench and concrete ring silos, and rolls. It was noted that the analyzed forage samples had no pathogenic microorganisms and Enterobacteriaceae, including Salmonella. There was a lack of toxicity in all analyzed silage samples. The values for the number of mesophilic aerobic and elective anaerobic...

  14. Fusarium and Aspergillus mycotoxins contaminating wheat silage for dairy cattle feeding in Uruguay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Del Palacio, Agustina; Bettucci, Lina; Pan, Dinorah

    Wheat is one of the most important cultivated cereals in Uruguay for human consumption; however, when harvest yields are low, wheat is usually used in ensiling for animal feeding. Ensiling is a forage preservation method that allows for storage during extended periods of time while maintaining nutritional values comparable to fresh pastures. Silage is vulnerable to contamination by spoilage molds and mycotoxins because ensilage materials are excellent substrates for fungal growth. The aim of the study was to identify the mycobiota composition and occurrence of aflatoxins and DON from wheat silage. A total of 220 samples of wheat were collected from four farms in the southwest region of Uruguay were silage practices are developed. The main fungi isolated were Fusarium (43%) and Aspergillus (36%), with Fusarium graminearum sensu lato and Aspergillus section Flavi being the most prevalent species. Aflatoxin concentrations in silo bags ranged from 6.1 to 23.3μg/kg, whereas DON levels ranged between 3000μg/kg and 12,400μg/kg. When evaluating aflatoxigenic capacity, 27.5% of Aspergillus section Flavi strains produced AFB1, 5% AFB2, 10% AFG1 and 17.5% AFG2. All isolates of F. graminearum sensu lato produced DON and 15-AcDON. The results from this study contribute to the knowledge of mycobiota and mycotoxins present in wheat silage. Copyright © 2016 Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  15. Inclusion of brown midrib dwarf pearl millet silage in the diet of lactating dairy cows.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harper, M T; Melgar, A; Oh, J; Nedelkov, K; Sanchez, G; Roth, G W; Hristov, A N

    2018-06-01

    Brown midrib brachytic dwarf pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) forage harvested at the flag leaf visible stage and subsequently ensiled was investigated as a partial replacement of corn silage in the diet of high-producing dairy cows. Seventeen lactating Holstein cows were fed 2 diets in a crossover design experiment with 2 periods of 28 d each. Both diets had forage:concentrate ratios of 60:40. The control diet (CSD) was based on corn silage and alfalfa haylage, and in the treatment diet, 20% of the corn silage dry matter (corresponding to 10% of the dietary dry matter) was replaced with pearl millet silage (PMD). The effects of partial substitution of corn silage with pearl millet silage on dry matter intake, milk yield, milk components, fatty acid profile, apparent total-tract digestibility of nutrients, N utilization, and enteric methane emissions were analyzed. The pearl millet silage was higher in crude protein and neutral detergent fiber and lower in lignin and starch than the corn silage. Diet did not affect dry matter intake or energy-corrected milk yield, which averaged 46.7 ± 1.92 kg/d. The PMD treatment tended to increase milk fat concentration, had no effect on milk fat yield, and increased milk urea N. Concentrations and yields of milk protein and lactose were not affected by diet. Apparent total-tract digestibility of dry matter decreased from 66.5% in CSD to 64.5% in PMD. Similarly, organic matter and crude protein digestibility was decreased by PMD, whereas neutral- and acid-detergent fiber digestibility was increased. Total milk trans fatty acid concentration was decreased by PMD, with a particular decrease in trans-10 18:1. Urinary urea and fecal N excretion increased with PMD compared with CSD. Milk N efficiency decreased with PMD. Carbon dioxide emission was not different between the diets, but PMD increased enteric methane emission from 396 to 454 g/d and increased methane yield and intensity. Substituting corn silage with brown midrib dwarf

  16. Dairy Replacement Performance Fed Various Recipes of Pangola (Digitaria eriantha) Silage Ensiled with Irradiated Silage Innoculant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prasanpanich, Somkiert; Boon-ek, Lerchart; Piadang, Nattayana

    2006-09-01

    Various kinds of Pangola silage ensiled with molasses and 2 types of silage innoculant (wild and mutant types). There were 6 recipes consisting of Treatment 1 : Pangola silage, Treatment 2: Pangola ensiled with molasses 4 % w/w, Treatment 3 : Pangola ensiled with 106 cfu wild type innoculant /gm Pangola, Treatment 4 : Pangola ensiled with 106 cfu mutant type innoculant/gm Pangola, Treatment 5 : Pangola ensiled with 106 cfu wild type innoculant/gm Pangola and molasses 4 % w/w, Treatment 6 : Pangola ensiled with 106 cfu mutant type innoculant/gm Pangola and molasses 4 % w/w. After 21 days of fermentation, silage sample was taken for nutritive value analysis. Preference testing on all silage recipes was studied using 18 dairy yearlings, aged 10-12 months old and weighed 200-300 kg, at 6 treatments with 3 animals each for 21 days in a Complete Randomized Design. The results did show that Treatment 1 had higher dry matter intake than those consisted of silage innoculant. However, when taking body weight changes and blood metabolites into account, Treatment 4 : Pangola ensiled with 106 cfu mutant type innoculant/gm Pangola, has an advantage on the ease of making process. Then, it is concluded that Treatment 4 is the most appropriate method to improve silage quality.

  17. Bromatological characteristics and ruminal digestibility of grain corn hybrids with different vitreousness in silage maturity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Evandrei Santos Rossi

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this research was to evaluate vitreousness in commercial corn hybrids with flint and dent grains and to study the effect of this characteristic on agronomic behavior, nutritional value, and ruminal degradability of grains harvested in silage maturity. Twelve commercial corn hybrids were evaluated. They were divided in two groups (six with flint grains and six with dent grains. The experiments were conducted in two municipalities represented by Guarapuava and Laranjeiras do Sul, both in Paraná State. The harvest for the grain quality analysis was performed at ¾ of the milk line stage in the grain. The following characteristics were evaluated: grain yield, grain yield in silage maturity, vitreousness, ruminal digestibility of grain, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber and crude protein. The grains in the group of dent hybrids exhibited better degradability associated with lower vitreousness than the group of flint hybrids. The group of dent hybrids exhibited better ruminal digestibility of the grains associated with lower vitreousness versus the group of flint hybrids. There is a negative correlation between vitreousness and the digestibility of the grain; thus, vitreousness can be a criterion for selecting genotypes for forage production.

  18. Effect of grass species on NDF ruminal degradability and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    uzivatel

    Abstract. The objective of this study was to compare the ruminal degradability of neutral detergent fibre (NDF) .... Felina were evaluated in the present study. The grass was harvested from the primary growth of monocultured grasses on 19 and 26 May of 2004 and 27 May and 10 ...... Nutritional Ecology of the Ruminant.

  19. Forage Harvest and Transport Costs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Butler, J.; Downing, M.; Turhollow, A.

    1998-12-01

    An engineering-economic approach is used to calculate harvest, in-field transport, and over-the-road transport costs for hay as bales and modules, silage, and crop residues as bales and modules. Costs included are equipment depreciation interest; fuel, lube, and oil; repairs; insurance, housing, and taxes; and labor. Field preparation, pest control, fertilizer, land, and overhead are excluded from the costs calculated Equipment is constrained by power available, throughput or carrying capacity, and field speed.

  20. Fermentation quality and nutritive value of total mixed ration silages based on desert wormwood (Artemisia desertorum Spreng.) combining with early stage corn.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Guomei; Bai, Chunsheng; Sun, Juanjuan; Sun, Lin; Xue, Yanlin; Zhang, Yuanyuan; Zhao, Heping; Yu, Zhu; Liu, Sibo; Zhang, Kewei

    2017-12-01

    This study aimed to investigate the fermentation quality and nutritive value of total mixed ration (TMR) silages based on desert wormwood (DW) combined with early stage corn (ESC) as forage and determine an optimum formula. Desert wormwood and ESC were harvested, chopped, and mixed with other ingredients according to a formula, packed into laboratory silos at densities of 500-550 g/L, and stored in the dark for 60 days. The DW proportions in the forage of TMR were 1, 0.75, 0.50, 0.25 and 0, based on fresh weight. As the proportion of DW decreased, the pH also decreased (P total nitrogen in the TMR silages with DW proportions of 0.75, 0.25 and 0 in the forage was more than 10%. These results indicated that the quality of the TMR silage containing DW alone as forage was poor, TMR silages containing DW proportions of 0.75 and 0.25, and ESC alone, in the forage were not well preserved. The optimum TMR silage formula contained a DW proportion of 0.5 in the forage. © 2017 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

  1. SILAGE QUALITY OF CORN AND SORGHUM ADDED WITH FORAGE PEANUTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    WALKÍRIA GUIMARÃES CARVALHO

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Corn and sorghum are standard silage crops because of their fermentative characteristics. While corn and sorghum silages have lower crude protein (CP contents than other crops, intercropping with legumes can increase CP content. Furthermore, one way to increase CP content is the addition of legumes to silage. Consequently, the research objective was to evaluate the fermentative and bromatological characteristics of corn (Zea mays and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor silages added with forage peanuts (Arachis pintoi. The experimental design was completely randomized with four replicates. The treatments consisted of corn silage, sorghum silage, forage peanut silage, corn silage with 30% forage peanut, and sorghum silage with 30% forage peanut. The results showed that the corn and sorghum added with peanut helped to improve the silage fermentative and bromatological characteristics, proving to be an efficient technique for silage quality. The forage peanut silage had lower fermentative characteristics than the corn and sorghum silages. However, the forage peanut silage had a greater CP content, which increased the protein contents of the corn and sorghum silages when intercropped with forage peanuts.

  2. Estimating the energy requirements and CO{sub 2} emissions from production of the perennial grasses miscanthus, switchgrass and reed canary grass

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bullard, M.; Metcalfe, P.

    2001-07-01

    The perennial grasses miscanthus, reed canary and swithchgrass have attractions as energy crops in the United Kingdom: all have low demand for fertilizer and pesticide, and are harvested annually. Research on energy ratios and carbon ratios of the grasses is reported. A Microsoft Excel-based model was developed (from an ADAS database) and the input calculations and assumptions are explained. The study demonstrated the attractions of theses grasses as a source of fuel. The results agreed with those from a model developed for the SRC.

  3. Silage review: Using molecular approaches to define the microbial ecology of silage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McAllister, T A; Dunière, L; Drouin, P; Xu, S; Wang, Y; Munns, K; Zaheer, R

    2018-05-01

    Ensiling of forages was recognized as a microbial-driven process as early as the late 1800s, when it was associated with the production of "sweet" or "sour" silage. Classical microbiological plating techniques defined the epiphytic microbial populations associated with fresh forage, the pivotal role of lactic acid-producing bacteria in the ensiling process, and the contribution of clostridia, bacilli, yeast, and molds to the spoilage of silage. Many of these classical studies focused on the enumeration and characterization of a limited number of microbial species that could be readily isolated on selective media. Evidence suggested that many of the members of these microbial populations were viable but unculturable, resulting in classical studies underestimating the true microbial diversity associated with ensiling. Polymerase chain reaction-based techniques, including length heterogeneity PCR, terminal RFLP, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, and automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis, were the first molecular methods used to study silage microbial communities. Further advancements in whole comparative genomic, metagenomic, and metatranscriptomic sequencing have or are in the process of superseding these methods, enabling microbial communities during ensiling to be defined with a degree of detail that is impossible using classical microbiology. These methods have identified new microbial species in silage, as well as characterized shifts in microbial communities with forage type and composition, ensiling method, and in response to aerobic exposure. Strain- and species-specific primers have been used to track the persistence and contribution of silage inoculants to the ensiling process and the role of specific species of yeast and fungi in silage spoilage. Sampling and the methods used to isolate genetic materials for further molecular analysis can have a profound effect on results. Primer selection for PCR amplification and the presence of inhibitors

  4. Determination of the Use of Lactobacillus plantarum and Propionibacterium freudenreichii Application on Fermentation Profile and Chemical Composition of Corn Silage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Norafizah Abdul Rahman

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Corn was inoculated with Lactobacillus plantarum and Propionibacterium freudenreichii subsp. shermanii either independently or as a mixture at ensiling, in order to determine the effect of bacterial additives on corn silage quality. Grain corn was harvested at 32–37% of dry matter and ensiled in a 4 L laboratory silo. Forage was treated as follows: bacterial types: B0 (without bacteria-control, B1 (L. plantarum, B2 (P. freudenreichii subsp. shermanii, and B3 (combination of L. plantarum and P. freudenreichii subsp. shermanii. Each 2 kg of chopped forage was treated with 10 mL of bacterial culture and allowed to ferment for 27 days. The first experiment determined the most suitable wavelength for detection of bacteria (490 nm and 419 nm for B1 and B2, resp. and the preferable inoculation size (1 × 105 cfu/g. The second experiment analysed the effect of B1 and B2 applied singly or as a mixture on the fermentation characteristics and quality of corn silage. L. plantarum alone increased crude protein (CP and reduced pH rapidly. In a mixture with P. freudenreichii, the final pH was the lowest compared to other treatments. As a mixture, inclusion of bacteria resulted in silage with lower digestibility than control. Corn silage treated with L. plantarum or P. freudenreichii either alone or mixed together produced desirable silage properties; however, this was not significantly better than untreated silage.

  5. Silage review: Factors affecting dry matter and quality losses in silages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borreani, G; Tabacco, E; Schmidt, R J; Holmes, B J; Muck, R E

    2018-05-01

    An overview was made of dry matter (DM) and quality losses that occur during the ensiling process from the field through the feeding phase. The aim was to review the relevant published literature of the last 15 yr focusing on developments achieved after the publication of the book Silage Science and Technology. This review discusses the factors affecting DM and quality losses in terms of field and pre-ensiling conditions, respiration and temperature at ensiling, fermentation patterns, methods of covering and weighting the silage cover, and management of aerobic deterioration. The possibility of reducing DM and quality losses during the ensiling process requires knowledge of how to measure losses on farm and establish the status of the silage during the feed-out phase, implementing the most effective management practices to avoid air exposure during conservation and reduce silage aerobic deterioration during feeding. The paper concludes with future perspectives and recommended management practices to reduce losses and increase efficiency over the whole ensiling process in view of increasing sustainability of the livestock production chain. The Authors. Published by FASS Inc. and Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the American Dairy Science Association®. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/).

  6. Methane emissions, feed intake, performance, digestibility, and rumen fermentation of finishing beef cattle offered whole-crop wheat silages differing in grain content.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mc Geough, E J; O'Kiely, P; Hart, K J; Moloney, A P; Boland, T M; Kenny, D A

    2010-08-01

    This study aimed to quantify the methane emissions and feed intake, performance, carcass traits, digestibility, and rumen fermentation characteristics of finishing beef cattle offered diets based on whole-crop wheat (WCW) silages differing in grain content and to rank these relative to diets based on grass silage (GS) and ad libitum concentrates (ALC). In Exp. 1, a total of 90 continental crossbred steers [538 +/- 27.6 kg of BW (mean +/- SD)] were blocked by BW and assigned in a randomized complete block design to 1 of 6 treatments based on 4 WCW silages [grain-to-straw plus chaff ratios of 11:89 (WCW I), 21:79 (WCW II), 31:69 (WCW III), and 47:53 (WCW IV)], GS, and ALC. Increasing grain content in WCW silage resulted in a quadratic (P = 0.01) response in DMI, with a linear (P content of WCW silage. A quadratic (P content of WCW; however, linear decreases were observed when expressed relative to DMI (P = 0.01) and CG (P rumen fermentation parameters were determined using 4 ruminally cannulated Rotbunde-Holstein steers (413 +/- 30.1 kg of BW) randomly allocated among WCW I, the average of WCW II and III (WCW II/III), WCW IV, and GS in a 4 x 4 Latin square design. Ruminal pH and total VFA concentration did not differ across dietary treatments. Molar proportion of acetic acid decreased (P = 0.01), with propionic acid tending to increase (P = 0.06) with increasing grain content. It was concluded that increasing the grain content of WCW silage reduced methane emissions relative to DMI and CG and improved animal performance. However, the relativity of GS to WCW in terms of methane emissions was dependent on the unit of expression used. Cattle offered ALC exhibited decreased methane emissions and greater performance than those offered any of the silage-based treatments.

  7. Recuperação de matéria seca e composição química de silagens de gramíneas do gênero Cynodon submetidas a períodos de pré-emurchecimento Recovery of dry matter and chemical composition of Cynodon sp. stargrass silage under periods of pre-wilting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    João Paulo Souza Quaresma

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Objetivou-se avaliar o efeito de períodos de pré-emurchecimento das gramíneas Estrela- Africana-Branca [Cynodon plectostachyus (K. Schum. Pilg.] e Tifton 85 (Cynodon sp. sobre algumas características de suas silagens. Utilizou-se delineamento inteiramente casualizado com dez tratamentos e três repetições. Os tratamentos foram dispostos em esquema fatorial 2x5, sendo duas gramíneas (Estrela-Africana-Branca e Tifton 85 e cinco períodos de pré-emurchecimento da forragem (0, 1, 2, 3 e 4 h. As gramíneas foram cortadas aos 50 dias de rebrotação e permaneceram ensiladas por 55 dias em silos experimentais. O pré-emurchecimento promoveu aumento no teor de matéria seca da forragem cortada e da silagem das gramíneas Tifton 85 e Estrela Africana Branca. Houve diminuição nos teores de N-amoniacal (N-NH3/N-total da silagem do capim-estrela-africana-branca, a uma taxa de 1,66 unidade percentual por hora de pré-emurchecimento, mas não houve alteração nessa variável da silagem do capim-tifton 85. A silagem do capim-tifton 85 apresentou maior recuperação de matéria seca, maior teor de FDN e menor teor de proteína bruta do que a silagem do capim-estrela-africana-branca. O pH e o teor de FDA das silagens não foram influenciados pelo pré-emurchecimento.The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of periods of pre-wilting of stargrass [Cynodon plectostachyus (K. Schum. Pilg.] and Tifton 85 bermudagrass (Cynodon sp. on some characteristics of their silage. Arandomized design with ten treatments and three replications was used. The treatments were arranged in a 2x5 factorial, two grasses (stargrass and Tifton 85 and five periods of pre-wilting of forage (0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 h. The grasses were harvested at 50 days regrowth and stored for 55 days in experimental silos. The pre-wilting caused an increase in dry matter content of forage and silage of both, Tifton 85 and stargrass. There was a decrease in the levels of ammonia-N (N-NH3/N

  8. Utilization of Bioslurry on Maize Hydroponic Fodder as a Corn Silage Supplement on Nutrient Digestibility and Milk Production of Dairy Cows

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. D. Nugroho

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available The research was conducted to study the effect of addition of 7% DM maize hydroponic fodder (MHF in corn silage on digestibility and milk production of dairy cows. The experiment used a completely randomized block design with two treatments, and four replications. The treatments were dairy cows fed with grass (Pennisetum purpureum, corn silage, and concentrate (R0, and dairy cows fed with grass (P. purpureum, corn silage, concentrate, and MHF (R1. This research used eight dairy cows with initial average milk production of 13.01±2.96 L/d. MHF was produced in a hydroponic system using bioslurry as a fertilizer enriched with mineral fertilizer. Variables observed were chemical composition of bioslurry, nutrient content of ration, daily dry matter intake, nutrient digestibility, Total Digestible Nutrient (TDN, and Digestible Energy (DE. Data were analyzed with ANOVA, except for milk production using ANCOVA. Supplementation of MHF resulted a higher total dry matter intake on R1 than R0 (P<0.05, 12.99±0.063 kg/head/d, and 11.98±0.295 kg/head/d, respectively. The digestibility of nutrients were not affected by the addition of MHF. Energy consumption in R1 was also higher than R0 (P<0.05, 49.95±0.36 Mkal/kg, and 46.11±0.54 Mkal/kg, respectively. Supplementation of MHF also increased nitrogen consumption, R1 was higher than R0 (P<0.05, 318.3±2.3 g/head/d, and 295.9±3.5 g/head/d, respectively, and could maintain the persistency of milk production at the end of lactation. It can be concluded that supplementation of MHF in corn silage can increase dry matter intake, energy consumption, and nitrogen consumption, also can maintain nutrient digestibility and maintain persistency of milk production during late lactation of dairy cows.

  9. Effect of toasting field beans and of grass-clover

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mogensen, Lisbeth; Vestergaard, Jannie Steensig; Fretté, Xavier

    2010-01-01

    The effect of toasting field beans and of grass-clover: maize silage ratio on milk production, milk composition and the sensory quality of the milk was investigated in a 2   2 factorial experiment. Toasting of field beans resulted in lower milk contents of both fat (44.2 versus 46.1 g/kg, P = 0.......02) and protein (33.5 versus 34.2 g/kg, P = 0.008), whereas milk production, urea and somatic cell contents were unaffected compared with the untreated field beans. Increasing the proportion of maize silage (from 9 to 21% of DM) in the ration decreased the content of urea in milk (P = 0.002), whereas milk......-β-carotene (P = 0.04) and β-carotene (P = 0.05). Toasting of field beans compared with untreated field beans did not affect the milk content of carotenoids and had only small effects on fatty acid composition. Regarding the sensory quality, the four treatments resulted in milk being characterized...

  10. Investigation of te development of the optimal process of fermentation of grass silage by means of a two-stage process; Untersuchungen zur Entwicklung eines optimalen Verfahrens der Vergaerung von Grassilage durch zweiphasige Prozessfuehrung

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zielonka, S.; Lemmer, A.; Oechsner, H.; Jungbluth, T. [Hohenheim Univ., Stuttgart (Germany). Landesanstalt fuer Landwirtschaftliches Maschinen- und Bauwesen, Baden-Wuerttemberg

    2007-07-01

    At present, mainly biogas plants with liquid manure as basis substrate are operated in the Federal Republic of Germany. Since the introduction of the Renewable Energy Resources Act in the year 2004, regenerating raw materials dominate as co-substrate beside organic residual substances. In the context of the composite material ''Biogas Crops network '', the mono fermentation is examined of grass silage in a two-phase procedure guidance using bioleaching. Thus the turnover rate of the energy stored in the organic mass is to be increased to methane. The focus of the investigations lies on the improvement of the hydrolysis achievement. Despite the high methane formation in the hydrolysis stage, in the thermophilic hydrolysis the highest degree of degradation of oTS and the highest yields of methane are received in the overall system.

  11. The efficiency of utilization of metabolizable energy and apparent absorption of amino acids in sheep given spring- and autumn-harvested dried grass.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Macrae, J C; Smith, J S; Dewey, P J; Brewer, A C; Brown, D S; Walker, A

    1985-07-01

    Three experiments were conducted with sheep given spring-harvested dried grass (SHG) and autumn-harvested dried grass (AHG). The first was a calorimetric trial to determine the metabolizable energy (ME) content of each grass and the efficiency with which sheep utilize their extra ME intakes above the maintenance level of intake. The second examined the relative amounts of extra non-ammonia-nitrogen (NAN) and individual amino acids absorbed from the small intestine per unit extra ME intake as the level of feeding was raised from energy equilibrium (M) to approximately 1.5 M. The third was a further calorimetric trial to investigate the effect of an abomasal infusion of 30 g casein/d on the efficiency of utilization of AHG. The ME content of the SHG (11.8 MJ/kg dry matter (DM] was higher than that of AHG (10.0 MJ/kg DM). The efficiency of utilization of ME for productive purposes (i.e. above the M level of intake; kf) was higher when given SHG (kf 0.54 between M and 2 M) than when given AHG (kf 0.43 between M and 2 M). As the level of intake of each grass was raised from M to 1.5 M there was a greater increment in the amounts of NAN (P less than 0.001) and the total amino acid (P less than 0.05) absorbed from the small intestines when sheep were given the SHG (NAN absorption, SHG 5.4 g/d, AHG 1.5 g/d, SED 0.54; total amino acid absorption SHG 31.5 g/d, AHG 14.3 g/d, SED 5.24). Infusion of 30 g casein/d per abomasum of sheep given AHG at M and 1.5 M levels of intake increased (P less than 0.05) the efficiency of utilization of the herbage from kf 0.45 to kf 0.57. Consideration is given to the possibility that the higher efficiency of utilization of ME in sheep given SHG may be related to the amounts of extra glucogenic amino acids absorbed from the small intestine which provide extra reducing equivalents (NADPH) and glycerol phosphate necessary for the conversion of acetate into fatty acids.

  12. The effect of biological and chemical additives on the chemical composition and fermentation process of Dactylis glomerata silage

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alba-Mejía, J.E.; Skladanka, J.; Hilger-Delgado, A.; Klíma, M.; Knot, P.; Doležal, P.; Horky, P.

    2016-11-01

    This study was carried out to determine the chemical composition, silage quality and ensilability of ten cocksfoot cultivars using biological and chemical silage additives. The plant material was harvested from the first and second cut, cultivated at the Research Station of Fodder Crops in Vatín, Czech Republic. Wilted forage was chopped and ensiled in mini-silos with 3 replicates per treatment. The treatments were: 1) without additives, used as a control; 2) with bacterial inoculants; and 3) with chemical preservatives. The results indicated that the year factor (2012-2013) influenced significantly the chemical composition of the silage in both cuts. The use of biological inoculants reduced the content of crude fibre and acid detergent fibre; but it did not influence the content of neutral detergent fibre, in comparison with the control silage in both cuts. Furthermore, the application of biological inoculants reduced the concentration of lactic acid (LA) and acetic acid (AA) in contrast to the control silage in the first cut. Moreover, in the second cut the same values tended to be the opposite. Interestingly, ‘Amera’ was the unique variety that presented a high concentration of butyric acid (0.2%) in comparison with other varieties in the first cut. In conclusion, the biological inoculants had a favourable effect on silage fermentation. Notably, only ‘Greenly’ and ‘Starly’ varieties from the first cut; and ‘Greenly’, ‘Sw-Luxor’, and ‘Otello’ varieties from the second cut were appropriate for ensiling because their pH-values; LA and AA concentrations were ideal according to the parameters of the fermentation process. (Author)

  13. The effect of biological and chemical additives on the chemical composition and fermentation process of Dactylis glomerata silage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jhonny E. Alba-Mejía

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available This study was carried out to determine the chemical composition, silage quality and ensilability of ten cocksfoot cultivars using biological and chemical silage additives. The plant material was harvested from the first and second cut, cultivated at the Research Station of Fodder Crops in Vatín, Czech Republic. Wilted forage was chopped and ensiled in mini-silos with 3 replicates per treatment. The treatments were: 1 without additives, used as a control; 2 with bacterial inoculants; and 3 with chemical preservatives. The results indicated that the year factor (2012-2013 influenced significantly the chemical composition of the silage in both cuts. The use of biological inoculants reduced the content of crude fibre and acid detergent fibre; but it did not influence the content of neutral detergent fibre, in comparison with the control silage in both cuts. Furthermore, the application of biological inoculants reduced the concentration of lactic acid (LA and acetic acid (AA in contrast to the control silage in the first cut. Moreover, in the second cut the same values tended to be the opposite. Interestingly, ‘Amera’ was the unique variety that presented a high concentration of butyric acid (0.2% in comparison with other varieties in the first cut. In conclusion, the biological inoculants had a favourable effect on silage fermentation. Notably, only ‘Greenly’ and ‘Starly’ varieties from the first cut; and ‘Greenly’, ‘Sw-Luxor’, and ‘Otello’ varieties from the second cut were appropriate for ensiling because their pH-values; LA and AA concentrations were ideal according to the parameters of the fermentation process.

  14. Effect of cumin essential oil usage on fermentation quality, aerobic stability and in vitro digetibility of alfalfa silage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turan, Aslı; Önenç, Sibel Soycan

    2018-03-02

    This study was carried out to determine the effects of cumin essential oil on the silage fermentation, aerobic stability and in vitro digestibility of alfalfa silages. Alfalfa was harvested at early bloom (5 th cutting) stage in October and wilted for about 3 hours. The research was carried out at three groups which were the control group where no additive control was done (CON), cumin essential oil (CMN3) with 300 mg/kg and CMN5 with 500 mg/kg cumin essential oil addition. Alfalfa was ensiled in plastic bags. The packages were stored at 8±2 °C under laboratory conditions. All groups were sampled for physical, chemical and microbiological analysis 120th day after ensiling. At the end of the ensiling period, all silages were subjected to an aerobic stability test for 7 days. In addition, enzimatic solubility of organic matter (ESOM), metabolizable energy (ME) and relative feed value (RFV) of these silages were determined. pH level decreased in the cumin groups compared to CON (P<0.05), thus inhibiting proteolytic enzymes from breaking down proteins into ammonia. In addition, it increased ESOM amount, and concordantly provided an increase of ME contents. Similarly, dry matter intake (DMI) and RFV ratio increased. After opening the silage, it kept its aerobic stability for three days. Cumin essential oil improved fermentation, and affected chemical and microbiological characteristics of silages. Especially the addition of 300 mg/kg cumin provided cell wall fractionation through stimulating the activities of enzymes responsible. It also increased the number and activity of lactic acid bacteri (LAB) through providing a development of LAB.

  15. [Composition diversity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) community Al2 used for alfalfa silage].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xiao-Fen; Gao, Li-Juan; Yang, Hong-Yan; Wang, Wei-Dong; Cui, Zong-Jun

    2006-10-01

    Alfalfa is the most important forage grass that is difficult to ensile for good quality. Using silage inoculants are the important way for preservation of alfalfa silage. Through continuous restricted subcultivation, a lactic acid bacteria (LAB) community Al2 was selected from well-fermented alfalfa silage. Plate isolation and Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE), construction of 16S rDNA clone library were used to identify the composition diversity of Al2 community, with 7 strains detected, and they were all belonged to Lactobacillus. The composition ratios of the 7 strains were 55.21%, 19.79%, 14.58%, 3.13%, 3.13%, 3.13%, 1.03% according to 16S rDNA clone library. Al2-1i, Al2-2i, Al2-3i, corresponding to L. plantarum (99.9%), L. kimchii (99.4%), L. farciminis (100%) were detected by plate isolation. Among 3 isolates, Al2-1i had the highest ability of dropping pH and producing lactic acid, and the amount of lactic acid was reach to 18g/L at 24h cultivated in MRS media. The ability of dropping pH and producing lactic acid of Al2-3i was the lowest. From DGGE profiles, the dominant strains in Al2 community were L. plantarum and L. kimchii. L. plantarum was detected during the whole process, and L. kimchii was detected in the later phase.

  16. Effects of Three Different Additives and Two Different Bulk Densities on Maize Silage Characteristics, Temperature Profiles, CO2 and O2–Dynamics in Small Scale Silos during Aerobic Exposure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kerstin Helena Jungbluth

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Silage quality and aerobic stability are sometimes insufficient. If management requirements are not met, or to improve silage quality, additives are often used. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of different factors on silage during aerobic conditions. Whole-crop forage maize was harvested and 24 buckets (65 L were filled and assigned to one of four treatment groups: (1 control (no treatment; (2 chemical additive (sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, sodium acetate; (3 a mixed biological inoculant containing Lactobacillus buchneri, L. plantarum, and Pediococcus acidilacti; and (4 a mixed biological inoculant containing L. buchneri, L. plantarum, and L. rhamnosus. An untreated variation was also ensiled. Two different densities were adjusted during ensiling. After opening, the temperature was measured for seven days and O2 and CO2 concentrations were analysed. The findings show that the chemical additive very effectively prevented silage from reheating and deteriorating. Aerobic reheating of silage was also successfully inhibited through biological additives and high density.

  17. Prediction of the nutritive value of maize silage using in vitro and near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS techniques

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. Galassi

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Maize silage is by far the most used forage in the diets for dairy cows and beef cattle in a large part of the Po plain, Italy. However, its chemical composition and its nutritive value range widely according to the genotype and to the climatic and agronomic conditions, particularly with regards to the plant maturity at harvest.

  18. Utilization of kura clover-reed canarygrass silage versus alfalfa silage by lactating dairy cows.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kammes, K L; Heemink, G B H; Albrecht, K A; Combs, D K

    2008-08-01

    The mixture of kura clover (Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb.) and reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) has proven to be extremely persistent in the northern United States, but information about dairy cow performance on this mixture is lacking. Twenty lactating Holstein cows were used in a crossover design to compare dry matter (DM) intake and milk production from diets containing kura clover-reed canarygrass silage (KRS) or alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) silage (AS). Forages were cut, wilted, ensiled in horizontal plastic bags, and allowed to ferment for at least 50 d before beginning the feeding experiment. The KRS was approximately 40% kura clover and 60% reed canarygrass. Treatments were total mixed rations formulated with either 57% of total DM from 1) AS or 2) KRS. Experimental periods were 28 d, with the first 14 d for diet adaptation and the last 14 d for measurement of intake and milk production. The neutral detergent fiber (NDF) concentrations of AS and KRS were 37.3 and 47.3%, respectively. The fermentation analyses indicated that both silages underwent a restricted fermentation, producing primarily lactic acid and some acetic acid. Dry matter intake (24.2 vs. 22.8 kg) and 4% fat-corrected milk (32.8 vs. 30.9 kg) were significantly higher for cows fed AS than for cows fed KRS. Cows consumed less NDF (6.7 vs. 8.0 kg) and less digestible NDF (3.0 vs. 4.4 kg) when fed AS diets compared with KRS diets, but the pool of ruminally undegraded NDF was similar (3.7 kg) between diets. Cows produced 1.5 kg of milk/kg of DM consumed regardless of the diet, indicating that digestible NDF of KRS was utilized with similar efficiency as the cell wall constituents of AS, but the intake of cows fed KRS may have been limited by rumen fill. Milk fat concentration tended to be higher for cows fed AS, but the milk true protein concentration and yields of fat and protein did not differ by treatment. Milk urea nitrogen content was higher when cows consumed AS (16.4 mg/ d

  19. Occurrence and stability of masked fumonisins in corn silage samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Latorre, Alicia; Dagnac, Thierry; Lorenzo, Bruno Fernández; Llompart, María

    2015-12-15

    Corn plants contaminated with Fusarium verticilloides were harvested at two dates and ensiled in laboratory silos. The stability of Fumonisins B1 and B2 (FB1, FB2) was studied and the effects of inoculant use (Lactobacillus buchneri) and of the ensiling time were assessed. The occurrence of masked fumonisins was also investigated. After the extraction of the free forms (FB1, FB2), the residue was subjected to an alkaline hydrolysis resulting in the release of derivates subsequently detected by LC-HESI-MS/MS. The ensiling time has shown to be a significant factor for the evolution of free FB1 and FB2 at the 2nd harvest date. Moreover, the use of inoculant had a significant effect on the stability of hidden and total FB1 at the two harvest dates. Samples previously ensiled and exposed to aerobic conditions for 7days have shown higher fumonisin levels than those not exposed to air. Our results showed that 65% and 39% of the total FB1 and FB2 contents in silage were due to hidden fumonisins. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Trace metals bioaccumulation potentials of three indigenous grasses grown on polluted soils collected around mining areas in Pretoria, South Africa

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lion, G. N.; Olowoyo, J. O.; Modise, T. A.

    2016-01-01

    The rapid increase in the number of industries may have increased the levels of trace metals in the soil. Phyto remediation of these polluted soils using indigenous grasses is now considered an alternative method in re mediating these polluted soils. The present study investigated and compared the ability of three indigenous grasses as bioaccumulators of trace metals from polluted soils. Seeds of these grasses were introduced into pots containing polluted soil samples after the addition of organic manure. The seeds of the grasses were allowed to germinate and grow to maturity before harvesting. The harvested grasses were later separated into shoots and roots and the trace metal contents were determined using ICP –MS. From all the grasses, the concentrations of trace metals in the roots were more than those recorded in the shoot with a significant difference (P Themeda trianda > Cynodon dactylon. The study concluded that the three grasses used were all able to bioaccumulate trace metals in a similar proportion from the polluted soils. However, since livestock feed on these grasses, they should not be allowed to feed on the grasses used in this study especially when harvested from a polluted soil due to their bioaccumulative potentials. (au)

  1. Preliminary Results of Clover and Grass Coverage and Total Dry Matter Estimation in Clover-Grass Crops Using Image Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anders K. Mortensen

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The clover-grass ratio is an important factor in composing feed ratios for livestock. Cameras in the field allow the user to estimate the clover-grass ratio using image analysis; however, current methods assume the total dry matter is known. This paper presents the preliminary results of an image analysis method for non-destructively estimating the total dry matter of clover-grass. The presented method includes three steps: (1 classification of image illumination using a histogram of the difference in excess green and excess red; (2 segmentation of clover and grass using edge detection and morphology; and (3 estimation of total dry matter using grass coverage derived from the segmentation and climate parameters. The method was developed and evaluated on images captured in a clover-grass plot experiment during the spring growing season. The preliminary results are promising and show a high correlation between the image-based total dry matter estimate and the harvested dry matter ( R 2 = 0.93 with an RMSE of 210 kg ha − 1 .

  2. New uses of clover-grass mixtures in the structure of fodder crops on arable land

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiří Sláma

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The use of clover-grasses in the structure of fodder crops grown on arable soil, especially those with intergeneric hybrids as the main component part, could avert the negative current trend, i.e. further decreasing the area of perennial fodder plants or fodder crops as a whole on arable soil. They have an irreplaceable role in crop sequences and in preserving the cultural character of the countryside, above all due to the fact that they improve soil fertility and microbial life in the soil and that they have an excellent pre-produce value, and, at the same time, they are applied in various farming systems (both conventional and ecological and in various climatic conditions, and agricultural businesses are well equipped for growing, harvesting and storing them. In the Czech Republic, the area of fodder crops grown on arable soil was decreased from 1,019.9 thousand hectares to mere 396.7 thousand hectares between 1980 and 2009, which is 15.6 % of the total area of arable soil whereas perennial fodder plants only take up 8.5 %. Fodder from clover crops and clover-grass growths on arable soil are one of the main resources of voluminous fodder for dairy cows. Most of this fodder is preserved through a fermentation process (silages, hay storage; a smaller part is fed as fresh fodder, or serves for production of hay. Silages made with perennial fodder plants are the most important source of both proteins and other nutrients for ruminants, especially for high-yielding milch cows. The basis of fodder production systems are the conservative elements of the landscape area (geomorphology in combination with the progressive elements (weather conditions, plants and human labour and relict ones, the representative of which is the soil. The fodder production systems in Europe are divided into five main fodder production zones. From this point of view, the areas where short-term clover-grass mixtures are grown on arable soil could be classed with Zone 4, i

  3. Beheersgraskuil als voeder voor melkgevende koeien = Grassilage form nature conservation areas as forage for lactating dairy cows

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Duinkerken, van G.; Remmelink, G.J.; Valk, H.; Houwelingen, van K.M.; Hettinga, K.A.

    2005-01-01

    The response of lactating dairy cows on diets with varying ratio’s of common grass silage (approx. 6.2 MJ NEL/kg DM) and grass silage from nature conservation areas (approx. 4.8 MJ NEL/kg DM) was studied in a feeding trial with 36 HF dairy cows. If grass silage from nature conservation areas is

  4. Capim-elefante ensilado com casca de café, farelo de cacau ou farelo de mandioca Elephant grass ensiled with coffee hulls, cocoa meal and cassava meal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aureliano José Vieira Pires

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Este experimento foi conduzido para avaliar a composição química, a digestibilidade in vitro da matéria seca (DIVMS e as características fermentativas de silagens de capim-elefante com 15% de casca de café, farelo de cacau ou farelo de mandioca. A adição dos co-produtos no momento da ensilagem foi realizada na base da matéria natural (peso/peso, com dez repetições por tipo de silagem. As silagens com casca de café e farelo de mandioca apresentaram maiores teores de matéria seca. A silagem com farelo de mandioca apresentou os menores teores de nitrogênio total, extrato etéreo e componentes fibrosos. O maior valor de DIVMS foi observado na silagem com farelo de mandioca (74,1% e o menor, na silagem com casca de café (54,3%. As silagens controle e com farelo de cacau apresentaram valores de digestibilidade semelhantes, 61,4 e 61,2%, respectivamente. Na avaliação das características fermentativas das silagens, não houve diferença entre os teores de ácidos orgânicos, porém o pH da silagem com casca de café (4,6 foi superior ao das demais silagens (4,1. A utilização de farelo de mandioca na ensilagem de capim-elefante reduz os componentes da parede celular e aumenta a DIVMS das silagens. Tanto a casca de café como o farelo de cacau adicionados no momento da ensilagem reduzem o valor nutritivo da silagem.The experiment was carried out to evaluate the chemical composition, the in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD and the fermentative characteristics of elephant grass silage with 15% of coffee hulls, cocoa meal or cassava meal. The addition of co-products at the ensilage moment was performed in the natural matter basis (weight/weight, with ten repetitions per treatment. Silages with coffee hulls and cassava meal showed higher dry matter levels. The silage with cassava meal presented smaller total nitrogen, ether extract and fibrous components levels. The highest IVDMD value was observed for silage with cassava meal (74

  5. Assessing the total theoretical, and financially viable, resource of biomethane for injection to a natural gas network in a region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    O'Shea, Richard; Wall, David M.; Kilgallon, Ian; Browne, James D.; Murphy, Jerry D.

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • The total theoretical biomethane resource of grass silage in a region was estimated. • A theoretical biomethane resource of ca. 138 PJ was identified. • An optimisation model determined profitable biomethane facility locations. • Profitable plants produced 12 PJ of biomethane, 8.6% of the theoretical resource. • Approximately 22% of industrial gas demand could be supplied by profitable plants. - Abstract: The total theoretical biomethane resource of cattle slurry and grass silage in Ireland was estimated using the most up to date spatially explicit data available. The cattle slurry resource (9.6 PJ) was predominantly found in southern and north-eastern regions while the grass silage resource (128.4 PJ) was more concentrated in western regions. The total biomethane resource of cattle slurry and grass silage was equivalent to 6% and 76% of total natural gas consumption in Ireland in 2014/15, respectively. A sequential optimisation model was run to determine where to source cattle slurry and grass silage from, for 42 potential biomethane plant locations in Ireland. The concept was to maximise plant net present value (NPV) and develop locations in order of plant profitability. The impact of plant size, grass silage price, volatile solids ratio (VSR) of grass silage to cattle slurry, and incentive per unit energy of biomethane was assessed in 81 separate scenarios. The results indicated that total biomethane production from plants with a positive NPV ranged from 3.51 PJ/a to 12.19 PJ/a, considerably less than the total resource. The levelised cost of energy (LCOE) of plants was also calculated and ranged from ca. 50.2 €/MW h to ca. 109 €/MW h depending on the various plant parameters. LCOE decreased with increased plant size and ratio of grass silage to cattle slurry. The relationship between grass silage price and LCOE was assessed. In the median scenario (33 €/t_w_w_t grass silage, VSR of 4, 75,000 t_w_w_t/a plant size, 60 €/MW h

  6. 1.2.1.1 Harvest, Collection and Storage Quarter 3 Milestone Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wendt, Lynn M. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Smith, William A. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Cafferty, Kara G. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Bonner, Ian J. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Huang, Qiyang [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Colby, Rachel D. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

    2014-07-01

    Single pass baling of corn stover is required in order to meet targets for the herbaceous biomass 2017 logistics design case. Single-pass pass stover harvest is based on the grain harvest and generally results in stover with a moisture content of 30-50% wet basis (w.b). Aerobic storage of corn stover with high moisture results in high levels of dry matter loss (DML), up to 25%. Anaerobic storage (ensiling) reduces DML to less than 5%, but additional costs are associated with handling and transporting the extra moisture in the biomass. This milestone provides a best-estimate of costs for using high moisture feedstock within the conventional baled logistics system. The costs of three (3) anaerobic storage systems that reduce dry matter losses (bale wrap, silage tube, and silage drive over pile) are detailed in this milestone and compared to both a conventional dry-baled corn stover case and a high moisture bale case, both stored aerobically. The total logistics cost (harvest, collection, storage, and transportation) of the scenarios are as follows: the conventional multi-pass dry bale case and the single-pass high moisture case stored aerobically were nearly equivalent at $61.15 and $61.24/DMT. The single-pass bale wrap case was the lowest at $57.63/DMT. The bulk anaerobic cases were the most expensive at $84.33 for the silage tube case and $75.97 for the drive over pile, which reflect the additional expense of transporting high-moisture bulk material; however, a reduction in preprocessing costs may occur because these feedstocks are size reduced in the field. In summary, the costs estimates presented in this milestone report can be used to determine if anaerobic storage of high-moisture corn stover is an economical option for dry matter preservation.

  7. A comparison of individual cow versus group concentrate allocation strategies on dry matter intake, milk production, tissue changes, and fertility of Holstein-Friesian cows offered a grass silage diet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Little, M W; O'Connell, N E; Ferris, C P

    2016-06-01

    A diverse range of concentrate allocation strategies are adopted on dairy farms. The objectives of this study were to examine the effects on cow performance [dry matter (DM) intake (DMI), milk yield and composition, body tissue changes, and fertility] of adopting 2 contrasting concentrate allocation strategies over the first 140 d of lactation. Seventy-seven Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were allocated to 1 of 2 concentrate allocation strategies at calving, namely group or individual cow. Cows on the group strategy were offered a mixed ration comprising grass silage and concentrates in a 50:50 ratio on a DM basis. Cows on the individual cow strategy were offered a basal mixed ration comprising grass silage and concentrates (the latter included in the mix to achieve a mean intake of 6kg/cow per day), which was formulated to meet the cow's energy requirements for maintenance plus 24kg of milk/cow per day. Additional concentrates were offered via an out-of-parlor feeding system, with the amount offered adjusted weekly based on each individual cow's milk yield during the previous week. In addition, all cows received a small quantity of straw in the mixed ration part of the diet (approximately 0.3kg/cow per day), plus 0.5kg of concentrate twice daily in the milking parlor. Mean concentrate intakes over the study period were similar with each of the 2 allocation strategies (11.5 and 11.7kg of DM/cow per day for group and individual cow, respectively), although the pattern of intake with each treatment differed over time. Concentrate allocation strategy had no effect on either milk yield (39.3 and 38.0kg/d for group and individual cow, respectively), milk composition, or milk constituent yield. The milk yield response curves with each treatment were largely aligned with the concentrate DMI curves. Cows on the individual cow treatment had a greater range of concentrate DMI and milk yields than those on the group treatment. With the exception of a tendency for cows on the

  8. Propanol in maize silage at Danish dairy farms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Raun, Birgitte Marie Løvendahl; Kristensen, Niels Bastian

    2010-01-01

    The objective of the present study was to investigate the prevalence maize silage containing propanol, the seasonal variation in propanol content of maize silage, and correlations between propanol and other fermentation products in maize silage collected from 20 randomly selected Danish dairy farms...... farms, the maize silage had ≥5 g propanol/kg DM. The present study indicates that dairy cows in Denmark are commonly exposed to propanol and that approximately 20% of the dairy cows will have an intake in the range of 75-100 g propanol/d under common feeding conditions....

  9. Ensiling as biological pretreatment of grass (Festulolium Hykor): The effect of composition, dry matter, and inocula on cellulose convertibility

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ambye-Jensen, Morten; Johansen, Katja Salomon; Didion, Thomas

    2013-01-01

    Grass biomass is a prospective type of lignocellulosic biomass for bioenergy and fuel production, but the low dry matter in grass at harvest calls for new pretreatment strategies for cellulosic conversion. In this study, ensiling was tested as a biological pretreatment method of the high yielding...... grass variety Festulolium Hykor. The biomass was harvested in four cuts over a growing season. Three important factors of ensiling: biomass composition, dry matter (DM) at ensiling, and inoculation of lactic acid bacteria, were assessed in relation to subsequent enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis....... The organic acid profile after ensiling was dependant on the composition of the grass and the DM, rather than on the inocula. High levels of organic acids, notably lactic acid, produced during ensiling improved enzymatic cellulose convertibility in the grass biomass. Ensiling of less mature grass gave higher...

  10. Biomass yield and greenhouse gas emissions from a drained fen peatland cultivated with reed canary grass under different harvest and fertilizer regimes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kandel, Tanka Prasad; Elsgaard, Lars; Karki, Sandhya

    2013-01-01

    Reed canary grass (RCG, Phalaris arundinacea L.) is a suitable energy crop for cultivation in northern peatlands. However, the atmospheric impact of RCG cultivation as influenced by harvest frequency and fertilization is not clear. Here, we compared the biomass yield and greenhouse gas (GHG......) balance for RCG cultivation in peatlands affected by cutting frequency and fertilizer managements. The managements included one-cut (OC) and two-cut (TC) systems that were either fertilized (TC-F) or unfertilized (TC-U) after the first cut in summer. Biomass yield of OC, TC-F and TC-U were 12, 16 and 11...

  11. Milk Technological Properties as Affected by Including Artichoke By-Products Silages in the Diet of Dairy Goats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raquel Muelas

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Traditional farming practices include the use of local agricultural by-products in the diet of ruminants. Artichoke harvesting and transformation yield high amounts of by-products that, if properly used, may reduce farming costs and the environmental impact of farming. The present study tests the inclusion of silages from artichoke by-products (plant and outer bracts in the diet of dairy goats (0%, 12.5% and 25% inclusion on the technological and sensory properties of milk during a five-month study. Milk composition, color, stability, coagulation and fermentation properties remained unaffected by diet changes. Panelists were not able to differentiate among yogurts obtained from those milks by discriminant triangular sensory tests. Silages of artichoke by-products can be included in isoproteic and isoenergetic diets for dairy goats, up to a 25% (feed dry matter, without negatively affecting milk technological and sensory properties whereas reducing feeding costs.

  12. Fatty acid profile in vertical strata of elephant grass subjected to intermittent stocking

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    KAMILA M. DIAS

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT The milk and meat from animals with a pasture-based diet have higher proportions of CLA and C18:3 and lower omega-6:omega-3 ratios than products from animals with diets based on corn silage and concentrate. However, most of the published studies have evaluated fatty acid profiles in temperate climate grasses and the literature with tropical grasses is scarce. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the morphological and fatty acid compositions in the vertical strata of elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum. swards subjected to grazing heights (90 or 120 cm pre-grazing heights and levels of defoliation (50% or 70% removal of the initial pre-grazing height. There were no interactions among pre-grazing height, the level of defoliation and grazing stratum. However, higher proportion of C18:3 (58% and 63% was found in the 90-cm swards and in the half upper stratum. A higher proportion of C18:3 was associated with a higher leaf proportion and crude protein content. Thus, the upper stratum of sward or a grazing management scheme (e.g. first-last stocking resulting in a higher proportion of leaves and crude protein both provide higher proportions of C18:3 to animals grazing in elephant grass swards.

  13. Effect of silage botanical composition on ruminal biohydrogenation and transfer of fatty acids to milk in dairy cows

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Adler, S A; Jensen, Søren Krogh; Thuen, E

    2013-01-01

    -EDTA, and the indigestible neutral detergent fiber fraction as indigestible markers. The composition of FA was analyzed in feed, omasal digesta, and milk. Compared with ORG-LG, ORG-SG had a higher herbage proportion of red clover (0.36 vs. 0.01) and lower proportions of timothy (0.42 vs. 0.18), smooth meadowgrass (Poa...... pratensis L.), meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.), white clover (Trifolium repens L.), dandelion (Taraxacum spp.), and creeping buttercup (Ranunculus repens L.). The silages were well preserved. The concentration of neutral detergent fiber was higher and the concentration of Kjeldahl-N was lower...... with the grass-based silages, ORG-SG and ORG-LG resulted in higher omasal flows of C18:1 trans FA and higher milk fat proportions of C18:1 trans FA and C18:2 cis-9,trans-11. Apparent recovery of C18:3n-3 in milk was higher for ORG-SG (61 g/kg) than for ORG-LG (33 g/kg), CON-PR (34 g/kg), and CON-TI (38 g...

  14. Chemical composition and fermentative parameters of elephant grass and sugar-cane silage treated with additives Composição química e parâmetros fermentativos de silagens de capim-elefante e cana-de-açúcar tratadas com aditivos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elson Martins Coelho

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available It was aimed to evaluate the effect of different additives in the elephant-grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum. and sugar-cane (Saccharum officinarum L., before and after the ensilage, through fermentation and chemical composition measures. The roughages were ensiled in PVC laboratory silos, with three for treatment, totalizing 24 microsilos for specie, in a completely randomized design. The treatments were control (without additive, corn meal, common salt, urea, acetic acid, formic acid, microbial inoculant and dried molasses. Samples were taken before and after 35 days of ensilage. Dry matter, crude protein and ammonia-N contents, pH and buffering capacity values and dry matter losses were analyzed. The elephant-grass presented satisfactory results for conservation in the silage form, and it was not necessary the use of additives. The sugar-cane presented satisfactory results for conservation in the silage form. The corn meal was the additive that promoted best fermentation pattern and smaller losses, as an option in the making of the sugar-cane silage.Objetivou-se avaliar o efeito de aditivos no capim-elefante (Pennisetum purpureum Schum. e na cana-de-açúcar (Saccharum officinarum L., antes e após a ensilagem, através de medidas de fermentação e composição química. As forragens foram ensiladas em silos laboratoriais de PVC, com três unidades por tratamento, num total de 24 microsilos por espécie forrageira, em delineamento inteiramente casualizado. Os tratamentos consistiram em controle (sem aditivo, fubá, cloreto de sódio, ureia, ácido acético, ácido fórmico, inoculante microbiano e melaço em pó. Amostras foram tomadas antes e após 35 dias de ensilagem, de modo que foram analisados os teores de matéria seca (MS, proteína bruta e nitrogênio amoniacal, os valores de pH e capacidade tamponante, além das perdas de matéria seca. O capim-elefante apresentou resultados satisfatórios para conservação na forma de silagem

  15. Short communication. Effect of forage source (grazing vs. silage) on conjugated linoleic acid content in milk fat of Holstein-Friesian dairy cows from Galicia (NW Spain)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roca-Fernandez, A. I.; Gonzalez-Rodriguez, A.; Vazquez-Yanez, O. P.; Fernandez-Casado, J. A.

    2012-11-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different feeding proportions of forage ?grazing vs. silage? on milk fatty acids (FA) profile and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content of autumn calving Holstein-Friesian cows (n = 61) at CIAM (Galicia, NW Spain). Three treatments (S, 100% silage; G/S, 50% grazing + 50% silage; G, 100% grazing) were set and milk FA profile of dairy cows was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The G group showed a decrease in short (p < 0.05) and medium chain FA (p < 0.001), with an increase in long chain FA (p < 0.001) in comparison to the G/S and S groups, which showed the lowest levels (p < 0.001) of mono- and polyunsaturated FA. The CLA content in milk fat increased (p < 0.001) linearly in relation to the increased proportion of fresh grass in the diet of dairy cows from 0.49 and 0.82 to 1.14 g/100 g FA for the treatments S, G/S and G, respectively. During spring and summer, the levels of CLA were three times higher (p < 0.001, +0.76 g/100 g FA) in milk from dairy cows at the G group than in cows at the S group and twice higher (p < 0.001, +0.40 g/100 g FA) than in cows at the G/S group. High proportion of grass in the diet of cows increased CLA content, with the highest levels of unsaturated FA and the lowest levels of saturated FA, increasing the added value of milk on grazing systems using available farm resources. (Author) 20 refs.

  16. Identification of brome grass infestations in southwest Oklahoma using multi-temporal Landsat imagery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, D.; de Beurs, K.

    2013-12-01

    The extensive infestation of brome grasses (Cheatgrass, Rye brome and Japanese brome) in southwest Oklahoma imposes negative impacts on local economy and ecosystem in terms of decreasing crop and forage production and increasing fire risk. Previously proposed methodologies on brome grass detection are found ill-suitable for southwest Oklahoma as a result of similar responses of background vegetation to inter-annual variability of rainfall. In this study, we aim to identify brome grass infestations by detecting senescent brome grasses using the 2011 Cultivated Land Cover Data Sets and the difference Normalized Difference Infrared Index (NDII) derived from multi-temporal Landsat imagery. Landsat imageries acquired on May 18th and June 10th 2013 by Operational Land Imager and Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus were used. The imagery acquisition dates correspond to the peak growth and senescent time of brome grasses, respectively. The difference NDII was calculated by subtracting the NDII image acquired in May from the June NDII image. Our hypotheses is that senescent brome grasses and crop/pasture fields harvested between the two image acquisition dates can be distinguished from background land cover classes because of their increases in NDII due to decreased water absorption by senescent vegetation in the shortwave infrared region. The Cultivated Land Cover Data Sets were used to further separate senescent brome grass patches from newly harvested crop/pasture fields. Ground truth data collected during field trips in June, July and August of 2013 were used to validate the detection results.

  17. Utilization of protein in red clover and alfalfa silages by lactating dairy cows and growing lambs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Broderick, Glen A

    2018-02-01

    Feeding trials were conducted with lactating cows and growing lambs to quantify effects of replacing dietary alfalfa silage (AS) with red clover silage (RCS) on nutrient utilization. The lactation trial had a 2 × 4 arrangement of treatments: AS or RCS fed with no supplement, rumen-protected Met (RPM), rumen-protected Lys (RPL), or RPM plus RPL. Grass silage was fed at 13% of dry matter (DM) with AS to equalize dietary neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and crude protein contents. All diets contained (DM basis) 5% corn silage and 16% crude protein. Thirty-two multiparous (4 ruminally cannulated) plus 16 primiparous Holstein cows were blocked by parity and days in milk and fed diets as total mixed rations in an incomplete 8 × 8 Latin square trial with four 28-d periods. Production data (over the last 14 d of each period) and digestibility and excretion data (at the end of each period) were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). Although DM intake was 1.2 kg/d greater on AS than RCS, milk yield and body weight gain were not different. However, yields of fat and energy-corrected milk as well as milk content of fat, true protein, and solids-not-fat were greater on AS. Relative to AS, feeding RCS increased milk and energy-corrected milk yield per unit of DM intake, milk lactose content, and apparent N efficiency and reduced milk urea. Relative to AS, apparent digestibility of DM, organic matter, NDF, and acid detergent fiber were greater on RCS, whereas apparent and estimated true N digestibility were lower. Urinary N excretion and ruminal concentrations of ammonia, total AA, and branched-chain volatile fatty acids were reduced on RCS, indicating reduced ruminal protein degradation. Supplementation of RPM increased intake, milk true protein, and solids-not-fat content and tended to increase milk fat content. There were no silage × RPM interactions, suggesting that RPM was equally limiting on both AS and RCS. Supplementation of RPL did not

  18. Storage quality and marketability potential of bagged silage for ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Bagged sole maize and maize–cowpea silages in three bag sizes were assessed at 42 and 282 d post-ensiling for sensory and chemical quality. A survey of dairy farmers on silage use and preferences was conducted in the Chikwaka communal area and Marirangwe small-scale commercial farming area. Only silage ...

  19. Ekonomika výroby siláží ze zavadlé píce

    OpenAIRE

    Vlček, Martin

    2016-01-01

    Forage from grass and clover-grass leys is suitable for the production of silages from wilted forage. Silages from wilted forage are frequently used as bulk feed for ruminants. The aim of this thesis was to evaluate the cost of production of silages from wilted forage using various silage and storage technologies. For the purpose of comparison actual data from two model enterprises for the years 2014 and 2015 has been used. This work discusses the costs of production of silage from wilted for...

  20. Lactating cow response to lucerne silage inoculated with Lactobacillus plantarum

    Science.gov (United States)

    It is unclear why bacterial silage inoculants improve milk production in lactating dairy cattle. However, recent in vitro results suggest that inoculated silage effects on milk production may be tied to greater production of rumen microorganisms. Our objective was to determine if alfalfa silage trea...

  1. Feed intake and urinary excretion of nitrogen and purine derivatives in pregnant suckler cows fed alternative roughage-based diets

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jardstedt, M.; Hessle, A.; Nørgaard, P.

    2017-01-01

    This study compared intake of alternative roughage-based diets and of common late-cut grass silage and related intake to urinary nitrogen (N), urea-N and purine derivative (PD) excretion, where PD is an indicator of rumen microbial crude protein (MCP) synthesis. Total urine was collected from 36...... Hereford cows, blocked into three groups based on expected calving date. Cows within calving groups were randomly assigned to one of four roughage diets: common mixed grass silage (MGS), festulolium silage plus urea (FLS), reed canarygrass silage (RCS) and barley straw plus urea and rapeseed meal (BRM...... diets stimulated rumen MCP production to a greater extent than the BRM diet, as indicated by the higher urinary output of PD in cows fed the grass silage-based diets (P

  2. An optimal staggered harvesting strategy for herbaceous biomass energy crops

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bhat, M.G.; English, B.C. [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)

    1993-12-31

    Biofuel research over the past two decades indicates lignocellulosic crops are a reliable source of feedstock for alternative energy. However, under the current technology of producing, harvesting and converting biomass crops, the cost of biofuel is not competitive with conventional biofuel. Cost of harvesting biomass feedstock is a single largest component of feedstock cost so there is a cost advantage in designing a biomass harvesting system. Traditional farmer-initiated harvesting operation causes over investment. This study develops a least-cost, time-distributed (staggered) harvesting system for example switch grass, that calls for an effective coordination between farmers, processing plant and a single third-party custom harvester. A linear programming model explicitly accounts for the trade-off between yield loss and benefit of reduced machinery overhead cost, associated with the staggered harvesting system. Total cost of producing and harvesting switch grass will decline by 17.94 percent from conventional non-staggered to proposed staggered harvesting strategy. Harvesting machinery cost alone experiences a significant reduction of 39.68 percent from moving from former to latter. The net return to farmers is estimated to increase by 160.40 percent. Per tonne and per hectare costs of feedstock production will decline by 17.94 percent and 24.78 percent, respectively. These results clearly lend support to the view that the traditional system of single period harvesting calls for over investment on agricultural machinery which escalates the feedstock cost. This social loss to the society in the form of escalated harvesting cost can be avoided if there is a proper coordination among farmers, processing plant and custom harvesters as to when and how biomass crop needs to be planted and harvested. Such an institutional arrangement benefits producers, processing plant and, in turn, end users of biofuels.

  3. Bromatological and fermentative characteristics of elephant grass silages with the addition of annato by-product Características bromatológicas e fermentativas da silagem de capim-elefante contendo subproduto do urucum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Margareth Maria Teles Rêgo

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available The objective of the present study was to evaluate the nutritional value of elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum, Schum. silages with the addition of 0; 4; 8; 12 and 16% of the by-product from SPU annato (Bixa orellana, L. based on natural matter. A complete random design was used with four replications. The nutritional composition, pH, ammonical nitrogen and lactic, acetic, propyonic and butyric acids were determined. Levels of annato by-product had an increasingly linear effect on contents of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, ether extract, non-fibrous carbohydrates, propionic acid and ammonical nitrogen. The insoluble nitrogen contents in detergent and acid detergent, calculated on the percentage of total nitrogen and lactic, acetic and butyric acids were not altered by adding the annato by product. The annatto by-product improves the bromatological characteristics of the silages and it can be added in levels up to 16% of the natural matter at the moment of elephant grass ensilage.O trabalho foi conduzido com o objetivo de avaliar o valor nutritivo das silagens de capim-elefante (Pennisetum purpureum, Schum. com adição de 0; 4; 8; 12 e 16% de subproduto do processamento do urucum (Bixa orellana, L. SPU, com base na matéria natural. Utilizou-se delineamento inteiramente casualizado com quatro repetições. Determinaram-se a composição nutricional, valores de pH, nitrogênio amoniacal e ácido lático, acético, propiônico e butírico. Os níveis do subproduto de urucum tiveran efeito linear crescente sobre os teores de matéria seca, matéria orgânica, proteína bruta, extrato etéreo, carboidratos não-fibrosos, ácido propiônico e nitrogênio amonical. Os teores nitrogênio insolúvel em detergente e em detergente ácido, calculados em porcentagem de nitrogênio total e os ácidos lático, acético e butírico não foram alterados com a adição do subproduto do urucum. Os teores de fibra em detergente neutro, fibra em

  4. Long term effects of ash fertilization of reed canary grass; Laangtidseffekter av askgoedsling vid roerflensodling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Palmborg, Cecilia; Lindvall, Eva

    2011-03-15

    Reed canary grass (RCG) is a bio-energy crop with large potential. It is a 1.5 . 2.5 m tall grass that is harvested in spring when it is grown as a fuel. At spring harvest it yields 3 . 10 ton field dried material per ha and year. One disadvantage when reed canary grass is used as a fuel is the high ash content, 5-10 %. This means that large quantities of ash have to be deposited which is expensive, about 1000 SEK/ton. However, since reed canary grass ash contains reasonable amounts of plant nutrients like phosphorous (P), potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg) it could be recycled as fertilizer in agriculture. The ash can be used without any pretreatment since, in agriculture, plant availability is desirable. The aim of this project, was to evaluate a field experiment, where ash was used as a fertilizer in reed canary grass. The experiment was established at the SLU research station in Umea, Sweden in the spring 2002. Three different fertilizer treatments were applied: Treatment A was fertilized with an ash produced by combustion of RCG together with municipal wastes (paper, plastic, leather), treatment B, an ash from combustion of RCG, and for treatment C commercial fertilizers were used. In total, 100 kg ha-1 of nitrogen (N), 15 kg ha-1 of phosphorous (P) and 80 kg ha-1 of potassium (K), were applied each year in all treatments. The amount of ash in treatment A and B was calculated from the chemical analysis of the ashes to be equal to the required amount of P, while K and N were supplied also by commercial fertilizers. [Table 1. Composition of the ashes] Literature study: There is a lack of knowledge about fertilization with reed canary grass ash, since few experiments have been conducted. The composition of reed canary grass is dependent of harvest date and the soil substrate. The amount of ash and the amount of harmful substances such as potassium and chloride generally decreases over winter, giving an increased fuel quality from spring harvest compared to autumn

  5. Treatment of peat bogs harvested by deep digging technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoernsten, L.

    1992-06-01

    The aim of this study is to describe how peat bogs harvested by deep digging technique can be treated after harvesting has come to an end. The study points out treatment methods, how the treatments are carried out and to indicate the most appropriate method of harvest for optimum results. Costs and benefits are calculated for the methods involving cultivation. The knowledge gained from traditional peat harvesting technique indicate forestry, energy wood production and establishment of ponds as possible alternatives. Energy grass cultivation and establishments of game parks have not been tested. but are assumed to be viable on suitable sites. Establishment of duck ponds are also possible, even though conditions for these are better on firm ground. In this study spruce is estimated to produce 200 cubic meters during 105 year whilst pine produces 300 cubic meters. Calculations for pine and spruce estimate costs of respectively 17000 and 18000 SEK per hectare after 105 years. Energy wood production is estimated to be 11.6 tons dry matter per hectare and year which gives a net cost of 19000 SEK per hectare. Similarly energy grass cultivation results in an average annual harvest of 6.5 ton dry matter and a cost of 59000 SEK per hectare. If the results are applied to three specific cases, then forest cultivation and establishment of ponds are possible in all cases. Neither energy wood nor energy grass are appropriate in any of the three regions. At the particular site for this study all methods mentioned are possible. Depending on whether draining leads to a high or low water table, the most appropriate course would be the establishment of a pond respectively a game park of forest cultivation. (59 refs., 12 tabs., 4 figs.)

  6. Development of herbicide resistance in black-grass (Alopecurus myosuroides in Bavaria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gehring, Klaus

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Black-grass (Alopecurus myosuroides is one of the most important grass weeds in Bavaria. Chemical weed control with high efficacy is very important in crops like winter cereals, oilseed rape and maize. Crop rotations with more winter cereals, reduced soil cultivation and e.g. contract harvesting enhanced distribution of blackgrass in arable farming regions. Effects of herbicide resistance were observed since the last 20 years. The blackgrass herbicide resistance is well observed by the official plant protection service of Bavaria. A wide experience of resistance tests shows the development of resistant black-grass and provides an opportunity for future prospects in resistance dynamics.

  7. Switchgrass, Bermudagrass, Flaccidgrass, and Lovegrass biomass yield response to nitrogen for single and double harvest

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aravindhakshan, Sijesh C.; Epplin, Francis M.; Taliaferro, Charles M.

    2011-01-01

    Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) has been identified as a model dedicated energy crop species. After a perennial grass is established, the major variable costs are for nitrogen (N) fertilizer and harvest. Prior to establishing switchgrass on millions of ha in a particular agro-climatic region, it would be useful to determine switchgrass yield response to N and its response to harvest frequency relative to alternative grass species. The objective of this research is to determine biomass yield response to N for four perennial grass species and to determine the species, N level, and harvest frequency that will maximize expected net returns, given the climate and soils of the U.S.A. Southern Plains. Yield data were produced in an experiment that includes four species (switchgrass, bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon), weeping lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula), and carostan flaccidgrass (Pennisetum flaccidum)), four N levels, and two harvest levels. Linear response plateau (LRP), linear response stochastic plateau (LRSP), and quadratic response (QR) functions are estimated. For all combinations of biomass and N prices considered, the optimal species is switchgrass. For most price situations, it is economically optimal to fertilize established stands of switchgrass with 69 kg N ha -1 yr -1 and to harvest once yr -1 after senescence.

  8. Switchgrass, Bermudagrass, Flaccidgrass, and Lovegrass biomass yield response to nitrogen for single and double harvest

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aravindhakshan, Sijesh C.; Epplin, Francis M. [Department of Agricultural Economics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078-6026 (United States); Taliaferro, Charles M. [Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078 (United States)

    2011-01-15

    Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) has been identified as a model dedicated energy crop species. After a perennial grass is established, the major variable costs are for nitrogen (N) fertilizer and harvest. Prior to establishing switchgrass on millions of ha in a particular agro-climatic region, it would be useful to determine switchgrass yield response to N and its response to harvest frequency relative to alternative grass species. The objective of this research is to determine biomass yield response to N for four perennial grass species and to determine the species, N level, and harvest frequency that will maximize expected net returns, given the climate and soils of the U.S.A. Southern Plains. Yield data were produced in an experiment that includes four species (switchgrass, bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon), weeping lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula), and carostan flaccidgrass (Pennisetum flaccidum)), four N levels, and two harvest levels. Linear response plateau (LRP), linear response stochastic plateau (LRSP), and quadratic response (QR) functions are estimated. For all combinations of biomass and N prices considered, the optimal species is switchgrass. For most price situations, it is economically optimal to fertilize established stands of switchgrass with 69 kg N ha{sup -1} yr{sup -1} and to harvest once yr{sup -1} after senescence. (author)

  9. Effects of hybrid and bacterial inoculation on fermentation quality and fatty acid profile of barley silage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Dong Hyeon; Amanullah, Sadar M; Lee, Hyuk Jun; Joo, Young Ho; Han, Ouk Kyu; Adesogan, Adegbola T; Kim, Sam Churl

    2018-01-01

    This study estimated the effects of hybrid and bacterial inoculant on fermentation quality and fatty acid profile of barley silages. Yuyeon (Silkless) and Youngyang (Silking) barley hybrids were harvested at 24.9 and 27.1% dry matter, respectively, and chopped to 10 cm lengths. Each hybrid was treated with or without an inoculant (2 × 10 4  colony-forming units/g of Lactobacillus plantarum). A total of 48 silos were prepared in an experiment with a 2 × 2 (hybrid × inoculant) treatment arrangement with four replications and three ensiling durations (2, 7 and 100 days). After 100 days of ensiling, Yuyeon silage had higher (P hybrids and increased (P hybrid might have better potential benefits on animal performances due to its smooth awn and silkless nature, and higher in vitro dry matter digestibility. Its higher C18:3n-3 would be better for improving fatty acid profile of meat or milk than Youngyang hybrid. © 2017 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

  10. Additives effect on chemical composition and quality of sisal co-product silage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luiz Gustavo Neves Brandão

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Fermentation profile and nutritional value of sisal co-product silage (SC subjected to seven treatments (additives, were evaluated. The SC was ensiled in natura and added with: soy meal, urea, wheat meal, palm kernel cake, A. sisalana dust, licuri cake and cottonseed cake. Experimental silos with capacity for approximately 15 kg of silage, were used. The silos were opened 60 days after ensilage process. It was used a completely randomized design with three replications. The SC in natura present low values of dry mater (DM 12.3% and the additives increased dry matter silages, exception for urea. The SC silage additivated with soybean meal (pH 4.9 and palm kernel cake (butyric acid = 0.07% DM differed, respectively, for pH and butyric acid, compared with in natura SC silage (pH = 4.1 and butyric acid = 0.03% DM. The addition of soybean meal, urea, cottonseed meal, wheat bran and palm kernel, increased crude protein (CP of in natura SC silage. The NDF in silage increased with addition of cottonseed meal or palm kernel cake (60.1 and 66.2% DM in relation in natura SC silage (42.9% DM. The in natura and additivated silages of SC were considered as good or excellent quality.

  11. Production of sugarcane and tropical grasses as a renewable energy source. Third quarterly report, December 1, 1979-February 29, 1980

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alexander, A G; Allison, W; Garcia, M; Ramirez, G; Chu, T L; Velez-Santiago, J; Smith, L

    1980-01-01

    Research continued on tropical grasses from Saccharum and related genera as sources of intensively-propagated fiber and fermentable solids. Both complete and incomplete data from the first three quarters of year 3 were reviewed. Candidate screening (for short-rotation grasses) was expanded to include six sorghum x Sudan grass hybrids developed by the Dekalb Company. Incomplete data indicate that two of the new grasses might be comparable to the NK hybrids in total biomass production and drought tolerance. Sugarcane and napier grass yield trends in year 3 includes: (a) Increased yields with delay of harvest frequency; (b) lxck of response to close spacing; (c) a superiority of napier grass over sugarcane when harvested at intervals of six months or less; and (d), a general superiority of the sugarcane variety NCo 310 over varieties PR 980 and PR 64-1791. Delayed tasseling of a wild, early-flowering S. spontaneous hybrid enabled three crosses to be made in December using commercial hybrids as female parents. Approximately 1000 seedlings were produced.

  12. Effects of replacing conventional corn silage with BMR corn silage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Previous research has shown that the (lignin reducing) brown mid-rib mutation in corn silage, which increases in vitro fiber digestibility, does not always improve fiber digestibility when fed as part of a TMR; however, feed intake and milk production are increased. The objectives of this experiment...

  13. Qualidade e valor nutritivo de silagens de capim-marandu (B. brizantha cv. Marandu produzidas com aditivos ou forragem emurchecida Quality and nutritive value of marandugrass (Brachiaria brizanthia, cv. Marandu silage prepared with additive or wilting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonio Fernando Bergamaschine

    2006-08-01

    Full Text Available Avaliaram-se a qualidade e o valor nutritivo de silagens de capim-marandu produzidas com polpa cítrica (PC peletizada, com aditivo enzimático-bacteriano (ABE ou com forragem emuchercida (E: T1 - forragem sem tratamento (controle; T2 - 10% de polpa cítrica peletizada (PC; T3 - aditivo enzimático bacteriano (AEB - SIL-ALL-C4 da Alltech, à base de 5 g/L de água/t de forragem; T4 - forragem picada grosseiramente emurchecida por 4 horas ao sol. O capim foi colhido aos 60 dias de rebrota (24% MS. Para avaliar o consumo e a digestibilidade das silagens, foram utilizados 16 novilhos mestiços com 200 kg de PV, que receberam, além das silagens, 1,0 kg de concentrado/animal/dia. O AEB não afetou a composição da silagem, mas a PC e o E aumentaram o teor de MS de 24% para 31 e 48%, respectivamente, e reduziram o pH e os teores de N-NH3 das silagens, que foram, respectivamente, de 4,17 e 4,58 e 6,78 e 7,99% NT. A PC diminuiu os teores de FDN e FDA em 12 e 4 unidades percentuais. O consumo de MS da silagem produzida com capim emurchecido foi superior (111,8 g MS/PV0,75 ao das silagens controle ou com AEB, mas não diferiu do obtido para a silagem com PC, que também não diferiu das demais. Os tratamentos não afetaram a digestibilidade, cujas médias para MS, PB, CT, FDN, FDA e NDT foram 67,0; 65,4; 68,8; 63,0; 62,5; e 65,6%, respectivamente. A PC e o E reduziram a proteólise e estimularam o consumo. A PC, o E e o AEB não melhoraram o valor nutritivo da silagem de capim-marandu colhido com 24% MS.The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the quality and nutritive value of marandugrass silages. It was evaluated the followings treatments: T1- forage without treatment (control; T2 - 10% of pelleted citric pulp (CiP; T3 - enzymatic bacterial additive (EBA (SIL-ALL-C4 of Alltech applied at 5 g/L of water/t of forage; T4 - Coarse chopped forage wilted for 4 hours under the sun. The grass was harvested with 60 days of regrowth (24% DM. The intake

  14. Milk production response to feeding alfalfa silage inoculated with Lactobacillus plantarum

    Science.gov (United States)

    In mini-silo trials, silages treated with a Lactobacillus plantarum silage inoculant (Ecosyl, Yorkshire, UK) had increased in vitro rumen microbial biomass production compared to untreated. Our objective was to determine if alfalfa silage treated with this inoculant could produce a milk production r...

  15. Evaluation of the chemical composition of woody forage silages of the Brazilian semiarid

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcos Deames Araújo Silva

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this work was to evaluate the chemical composition of the woody forage silage in the completely randomized design with six treatments and four replications. The treatments consisted of forage species: Prosopis juliflora, Mimosa tenuiflora, Mimosa caesalpiniifolia, Gliricidia sepium and Leucaena leucocephala. It was found that the silages jurema preta, jucá and sabiá, showed higher levels of DM more than 35 %. Leucena silage presented a higher content of CP (22.40 % and higher pH (5.5, while the algaroba silage presented lowest level of EE (2.83 %. Higher levels of N-NH3 (10.93 % and TDN (66.94 % and lowest content of lignin (3.79 % were found for gliricidia silage. Sabia silage presented a higher content of NDF (64.09%, while its ADF valor (35.54% was similar to jurema preta silage (35.76 %. Algaroba and gliricidia silages presented highest levels of NFC (28.32 and 26.86%, respectively and lower hemicellulose (13.39 and 12.65%, respectively. Leucena and gliricidia silages showed lower levels of cellulose with 14.77 and 15.53%, respectively. The woody forage silages studied in this work shown a good quality and can be used as sources in animal feed.

  16. Fermentative and microbiological profile of marandu-grass ensiled with citrus pulp pellets Perfil fermentativo e microbiológico do capim-marandu ensilado com polpa cítrica peletizada

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thiago Fernandes Bernardes

    2005-06-01

    Full Text Available High-wet roughages with low content of soluble carbohydrates, such as tropical grasses, should be inappropriate for producing silages of adequate quality. This study aimed to evaluate the fermentative and microbiological profiles of Marandu-grass ensilaged with pelleted citric pulp (PCP. Brachiaria brizantha (Hochst ex. A. Rich Stapf cv. Marandu with 58 days of vegetative growth was harvested for producing experimental silages in PVC silos provided with Bünsen valves and density capacity of 900 kg m-3. Treatments were three PCP levels (0, 50 and 100 g kg-1 of fresh forage and seven times (1, 4, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 56 days after sealing. PCP inclusion increased soluble carbohydrate concentrations by 15 to 20% and reduced pH (5.3 to 4.2 and N-NH3 levels of experimental silages. An increase of the population size of the enterobacterium (mean of 3 CFU g-1 was observed only at the first day of fermentation, small growth (mean 0.5 of CFU g-1 of clostridium and the dominance of homo in relation to hetero-fermentative bacteria. Citric pulp addition during Marandu-grass ensilage was benefic, its utilization being recommended, especially when associated with economical advantages.Forragens com alta umidade e baixa concentração de carboidratos solúveis, como é o caso dos capins tropicais, podem conduzir a condições desfavoráveis para a produção de silagens de qualidade satisfatória. Esse estudo objetivou conhecer o perfil fermentativo e microbiológico de silagens de capim-Marandu [Brachiaria brizantha (Hochst ex. A. Rich Stapf cv. Marandu], colhido com 58 dias de crescimento, aditivadas com polpa cítrica peletizada (PCP,. Foram utilizados silos experimentais de PVC adaptados com válvula do tipo Bunsen, tendo a silagem atingindo densidade de 900 kg m-3. Os tratamentos foram constituídos por três proporções de PCP (0, 50 e 100 g kg-1 em relação a matéria natural e sete tempos de abertura após a ensilagem (1, 4, 7, 14, 21, 28 e 56 dias. A

  17. In vitro ruminal fermentation characteristics and utilisable CP supply of sainfoin and birdsfoot trefoil silages and their mixtures with other legumes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grosse Brinkhaus, A; Wyss, U; Arrigo, Y; Girard, M; Bee, G; Zeitz, J O; Kreuzer, M; Dohme-Meier, F

    2017-04-01

    The extensive protein degradation occurring during ensiling decreases the nutritive value of silages, but this might be counteracted by tannins. Therefore, silages from two legume species containing condensed tannins (CT) - sainfoin (SF) and birdsfoot trefoil (two cultivars: birdsfoot trefoil, cv. Bull (BTB) and birdsfoot trefoil, cv. Polom) - were compared for their in vitro ruminal fermentation characteristics. The effect of combining them with two CT-free legume silages (lucerne (LU) and red clover (RC)) was also determined. The supply of duodenally utilisable CP (uCP) in the forages was emphasised. The legumes were each harvested from three field sites. After 24 h of wilting on the field, the legumes were ensiled in laboratory silos for 86 days. Proximate constituents, silage fermentation characteristics, CT content and CP fractions were determined. Subsequently, silage samples and 1 : 1 mixtures of the CT-containing and CT-free silages were incubated for 24 h in batch cultures using ruminal fluid and buffer (1 : 2, v/v). Each treatment was replicated six times in six runs. The effects on pH, ammonia and volatile fatty acid concentrations, protozoal counts, and total gas and methane production were determined. uCP content was calculated by considering the CP in the silage and the ammonia in the incubation fluid from treatments and blanks. Statistical evaluation compared data from single plants alone and together with that from the mixtures. Among treatments, SF silage contained the least CP and the most CT. The non-protein nitrogen content was lower, favouring neutral detergent soluble and insoluble protein fractions, in the SF and RC silages. Absolute uCP content was lowest in SF and SF mixtures, although the ratio to total CP was the highest. In comparison with LU, the ammonia concentration of the incubation fluid was lower for SF, RC and BTB and for the mixture of SF with LU. The total gas and methane production was similar among the treatments, and the

  18. Identification of lactic acid bacteria in the feces of dairy cows fed whole crop maize silage to assess the survival of silage bacteria in the gut.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Hongyan; Wang, Chao; Li, Yanbing; Yu, Zhu; Xu, Qingfang; Li, Guangpeng; Minh, Tang Thuy; Nishino, Naoki

    2018-01-01

    In order to assess the survival of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in whole crop maize silage in the gut of dairy cows, one representative silage sample and three different feces samples were collected from dairy cows on three dairy farms in Hua Bei, China and three dairy farms in Kyushu, Japan. The composition of the bacterial community was examined by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Lactobacillus acetotolerans was detected in all bunker-made maize silage samples, regardless of the dairy farm or sampling region from which they were sourced. A total of eight LAB species were detected in the maize silage samples, of which three (L. acetotolerans, L. pontis and L. casei) appeared to survive digestion. The populations of L. acetotolerans in silage and feces were 10 6-7 and 10 3-4 copies/g, respectively, indicating that, even for the LAB species showing potential survival in the gut, competition in this niche may be harsh and the population may substantially decrease during the digestion process. It may be difficult for silage LAB to survive in the gut of silage-fed dairy cows, because marked decrease in population can take place during the digestion process, even for surviving species. © 2017 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

  19. Using Grass Cuttings from Sports Fields for Anaerobic Digestion and Combustion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meike Nitsche

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Sports fields provide a recreation space for citizens, but also generate grass biomass, which is cut weekly during the main seasons and therefore could be used in energy generation (combustion or anaerobic digestion. To evaluate the technical suitability of the grass cuttings, silage was produced from four sports fields during one vegetation period and investigated for relevant properties. Potential methane yield was determined with batch tests. Mean methane yield was 291.86 lN·kg−1 VSadded (VS, volatile solid. Neutral detergent fiber concentration was low (44.47% DM, dry matter, yet mineral concentration was high in comparison to grass types cut at a lower frequency. Concentrations of Cl, N, and S, which may lead to unfavorable emissions, fouling, and corrosion during combustion, were too high for an unproblematic combustion process. This was still the case even after applying a mineral-reducing pretreatment, which generates a fiber-rich press cake and a press fluid rich in easy soluble substances. Digestion of the press fluid led to methane yields of 340.10 lN·kg−1 VSadded and the press cake had a higher heating value of 19.61 MJ·kg−1 DM, which is close to that of coniferous wood. It can be concluded that biomass from sports fields could be a suitable co-substrate in bio-energy generation.

  20. In vitro cytotoxicity of fungi spoiling maize silage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Rie Romme; Rasmussen, Peter Have; Larsen, Thomas Ostenfeld

    2011-01-01

    Penicillium roqueforti, Penicillium paneum, Monascus ruber, Alternaria tenuissima, Fusarium graminearum, Fusarium avenaceum, Byssochlamys nivea and Aspergillus fumigatus have previously been identified as major fungal contaminants of Danish maize silage. In the present study their metabolite....... roqueforti metabolites roquefortine C (48μg/mL), andrastin A (>50μg/mL), mycophenolic acid (>100μg/mL) and 1-hydroxyeremophil-7(11),9(10)-dien-8-one (>280μg/mL) were high. Fractionating of agar extracts identified PR-toxin as an important cytotoxic P. roqueforti metabolite, also detectable in maize silage....... The strongly cytotoxic B. nivea and P. paneum agar extracts contained patulin above the IC50 of 0.6μg/mL, however inoculated onto maize silage B. nivea and P. paneum did not produce patulin (>371μg/kg). Still B. nivea infected maize silage containing mycophenolic acid (∼50mg/kg), byssochlamic acid and other...

  1. Silagem de cereais de inverno submetidos ao manejo de duplo propósito Silage of winter cereals submitted to double purpose management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gilmar Roberto Meinerz

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Esta pesquisa foi conduzida com o objetivo de avaliar a silagem de 12 genótipos de seis espécies de cereais de inverno de duplo propósito (forragem e grãos, submetidos ao corte na região da Depressão Central do Rio Grande do Sul. As espécies e os genótipos testados foram: trigo BRS 277, BRS Guatambu, BRS Tarumã, BRS Umbu; aveia-preta Agro zebu, UPFA 21 -Moreninha e Comum; aveia-branca UPF 18; centeio BR 1 e BRS Serrano; Cevada BRS Marciana; e triticale BRS 148. Os genótipos foram submetidos a três cortes com o objetivo de simular o pastejo, conforme manejo indicado para duplo propósito. Após o terceiro corte, permitiu-se o desenvolvimento das culturas para a ensilagem. As silagens foram feitas em silos experimentais de PVC quando as forrageiras atingiram o estádio fenológico de grão pastoso. O delineamento experimental foi o inteiramente casualizado, com 12 tratamentos (genótipos e três repetições (parcelas. Foram determinadas a produção de matéria seca e a composição estrutural do material ensilado, o valor nutritivo e os parâmetros fermentativos das silagens. O centeio BR 1 e a aveiabranca UPF 18 apresentaram as maiores produções de matéria seca. O trigo BRS Umbu produziu silagem com maior participação de grãos e valor nutritivo mais elevado. Todos os genótipos apresentaram condições satisfatórias para a ensilagemThe objective of this research was to evaluate the silage of 12 genotypes of six species of double purpose winter cereals (forage and grains submitted to harvest at Depressão Central region of Rio Grande do Sul state. Species and genotypes tested were: BRS 277, BRS Guatambu, BRS Tarumã and BRS Umbu wheat; Agro Zebu, UPFA 21 - Moreninha and Commom black-oat; UPF 18 white oat; BR 1 and BRS Serrano rye; BRS Marciana barley; and BRS 148 triticale. Genotypes were submitted to tree harvests with the objective to simulate grazing, according to double purpose management. After the third harvest, the

  2. Effect of using different levels of pistachio by-products silage on ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Effect of using different levels of pistachio by-products silage on composition and blood parameters of Holstein dairy cows. ... The goal of this research was to study about the effect of using pistachio hulls silage in cow's nutrition. The initial ... Key words: Dairy cattle's, milk production, pistachio by-product, silage, tannin.

  3. Potential uses of Elodea nuttallii-harvested biomass

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Munoz Escobar, Marcela; Fuehner, Christoph; Zehnsdorf, Andreas [Centre for Environmental Biotechnology (UBZ), Leipzig (Germany); Voyevoda, Maryna [UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig (Germany). Analytical Chemistry Dept.

    2011-12-15

    Elodea nuttallii (PLANCH) St. John, an aquatic plant native to North America, shows invasive traits outside of its area of origin. In Europe, the plant has spread rapidly in water bodies. In Germany, the massive occurrence of E. nuttallii restricts recreational activities on lakes. Massive occurrences of E. nuttallii have been managed up to now by harvesting the plant and disposing of the biomass as organic waste, which results in high maintenance costs for lake administrators. Alternative uses to the disposal of the biomass were investigated. Analyzing the components and elemental composition of E. nuttallii samples from nine lakes in Germany, several potential uses were identified, such as the use of E. nuttallii biomass as a co-substrate with maize silage for biogas generation. Other potential applications, such as biochart production, soil amelioration, and energy recovery of feedstock chars in combustion plants, were identified from a hydrothermal carbonization process. The presence of {beta}-sitosterol in E. nuttallii, which is used in the treatment of enlarged prostates, indicates a pharmaceutical use. Even though the elemental composition of E. nuttallii biomass contains the elements of a complete fertilizer, this particular use is not recommended given its slow decomposition in soil. The most feasible alternative identified was the use of E. nuttallii biomass as a co-substrate for biogas generation in combination with maize silage. The mixing of E. nuttallii with maize silage to facilitate storage and short distances between biogas plants and lakes with massive occurrence of E. nuttallii are important factors for its applicability. (orig.)

  4. Estimating impact on clover-grass yield caused by traffic intensities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, R N; Green, Ole; Kristensen, Kristian

    2009-01-01

    Steer and a 15 m3 Kimadan slurry tanker on two axels, was used to perform the simulated traffic treatment on the parcels. The different traffic intensities are combinations of different tire pressure (1,0 and 2,5 bar), tire load (3000 and 6000 kg), time of year and number of passes (variating from 0 to 8...... components must be determined.   The objective of this paper was to measure yield affects on clover-grass as a consequence of different traffic intensities. The experiments were carried out in the context of a full scale field trial. A 14 hectare full scale grass-clover field trial with 24 different traffic......). The harvesting procedure was preformed with a Haldrup plot harvester modified with RTK-GPS. This paper shows the initial results from measuring the yield affects References M.A. Hamza, M.A.; Anderson, W.K 2005. Soil compaction in cropping systems: A review of the nature, causes and possible solutionsRaper , R...

  5. Consumo, digestibilidade de nutrientes e balanço de nitrogênio da silagem de capim-elefante com adição de pedúnculo de caju desidratado Intake, nutrients digestibility and nitrogen balance of elephant grass silages added different levels of dehydrated cashew stalk

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Margareth Maria Teles

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available A presente pesquisa foi realizada com o objetivo de avaliar o valor nutritivo de silagens de capim-elefante contendo níveis crescentes de pedúnculo de caju desidratado (PCD. Foram utilizados 20 ovinos machos e não castrados, seguindo o delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado, com cinco tratamentos (níveis de adição de 0; 4; 8; 12 e 16% e quatro repetições. Foram avaliados os consumos e a digestibilidades da matéria seca (MS, da matéria orgânica (MO, da proteína bruta (PB, da fibra em detergente neutro (FDN, da fibra em detergente ácido (FDA, do extrato etéreo (EE, dos carboidratos totais (CHT, dos carboidratos não fibrosos (CNF, além do valor de nutrientes digestíveis totais (NDT e do balanço de nitrogênio (BN das silagens. A adição de PCD não influenciou os consumos de MS, MO, FDN, FDA, CHT e NDT expresso em % PV e g kg-1 PV0,75 e as digestibilidades da MO, PB, FDN, FDA e CHT das silagens. No entanto, a adição do PCD promoveu aumento nos consumos de PB, EE e CNF (% PV e g kg-1 PV0,75, nas digestibilidades do EE e dos CNF e no valor de NDT e balanço de nitrogênio. Por outro lado, a inclusão de PCD na ensilagem do capim-elefante promoveu efeito linear decrescente na digestibilidade da FDA das silagens. Conclui-se que as silagens com adição de PCD podem ser utilizadas como volumoso para ruminantes em razão das melhorias nos consumos de PB, EE e CNF e nas digestibilidades do EE e dos CNF, além do valor de NDT e BN das silagens, recomendando-se a adição de até 16% na matéria natural.The nutritive value of elephant grass silages, with increasing levels of dehydrated cashew stalk (DCS was evaluated. Five addition levels were studied (0; 4; 8; 12 and 16%, using 20 rams in a completely randomized design with five treatments (addition levels and four replicates (animals. Intake and digestibility of dry matter (DM, organic matter (OM, crude protein (CP, neutral detergent fiber (NDF, acid detergent fiber (ADF

  6. Replacing conventional or brown-mid rib corn silage with brown-mid rib sudangrass silage in the diets of lactating dairy cows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forages that use less water, but are high in digestibility, are sought as alternatives to traditional forages such as corn silage. Brown mid-rib (BMR) sudangrass is a possible alternative that can provide high-quality forage as a replacement for corn silage. The objective of this study was to evalua...

  7. Dynamics in the microbiology of maize silage during whole-season storage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Storm, Ida Marie Lindhardt Drejer; Kristensen, N.B.; Raun, B.M.L.

    2010-01-01

    Aims: To monitor seasonal variations in the microbiology of maize silage and to determine whether the risk of fungal spoilage varies during whole-year storage. Methods and Results: A continuous survey of 20 maize silage stacks was conducted over a period from three to 11 months after ensiling...... variations in the microbiology of maize silage over a whole storage season. The risk of fungal spoilage was highest 5-7 months after ensiling and lowest after 11 months. Significance and Impact of the Study: This information is valuable in the assessment of health risks connected with spoiled maize silage...

  8. An evaluation of the effectiveness of a chemical additive based on sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, and sodium nitrite on the fermentation and aerobic stability of corn silage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kung, Limin; Smith, Megan L; Benjamim da Silva, Erica; Windle, Michelle C; da Silva, Thiago C; Polukis, Stephanie A

    2018-04-11

    We evaluated the effectiveness of an additive comprising sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, and sodium nitrite (SSL) as active ingredients for its ability to improve the aerobic stability of corn silages made in North America. In experiment 1, treatment with SSL (1.5 and 2.0 L/t) on whole-plant corn (WPC) was compared with treatment with an additive containing buffered propionic acid and citric acid (BPA; 2 L/t) on corn harvested at 32 and 38% DM and ensiled for 120 d. Silage treated with BPA was higher in ammonia-N and propionic acid relative to other treatments. Treatments with all of the additives had numerically, but not statistically, fewer yeasts compared with untreated silage. Both application rates of SSL resulted in lower concentrations of ethanol compared with untreated and BPA silages. Treatment with BPA improved the aerobic stability of silages compared with untreated silage, but the effect from SSL was markedly greater. In experiment 2, WPC was untreated or treated with 2 or 3 L of SSL/t or a microbial inoculant containing Enterococcus faecium M74, Lactobacillus plantarum CH6072, and Lactobacillus buchneri LN1819 (final total lactic acid bacteria application rate of 150,000 cfu/g of fresh forage). Silages were air stressed for 24 h at 28 and 42 d of storage and ensiled for 49 d before opening. Inoculation had no effect on acid end products, ethanol, number of yeasts, or aerobic stability compared with other treatments. Treatment with SSL decreased the amount of ethanol, had no effect on number of yeasts, and improved aerobic stability in a dose-dependent manner compared with other treatments. In experiment 3, WPC was untreated or treated with 2 L of SSL/t and ensiled for 5, 15, and 30 d. Treatment with SSL resulted in silage with fewer yeasts and lower concentrations of ethanol after all times of ensiling compared with untreated silage. In addition, SSL improved aerobic stability after each period of ensiling, but the effect was more at 15 and 30 d

  9. Effects of Feeding Corn-lablab Bean Mixture Silages on Nutrient Apparent Digestibility and Performance of Dairy Cows

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yongli Qu

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available This study estimated the fermentation characteristics and nutrient value of corn-lablab bean mixture silages relative to corn silages. The effects of feeding corn-lablab bean mixture silages on nutrient apparent digestibility and milk production of dairy cows in northern China were also investigated. Three ruminally cannulated Holstein cows were used to determine the ruminal digestion kinetics and ruminal nutrient degradability of corn silage and corn-lablab bean mixture silages. Sixty lactating Holstein cows were randomly divided into two groups of 30 cows each. Two diets were formulated with a 59:41 forage: concentrate ratio. Corn silage and corn-lablab bean mixture silages constituted 39.3% of the forage in each diet, with Chinese wildrye hay constituting the remaining 60.7%. Corn-lablab bean mixture silages had higher lactic acid, acetic acid, dry matter (DM, crude protein (CP, ash, Ca, ether extract concentrations and ruminal nutrient degradability than monoculture corn silage (p<0.05. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF and acid detergent fiber (ADF concentrations of corn-lablab bean mixture silages were lower than those of corn silage (p<0.05. The digestibility of DM, CP, NDF, and ADF for cows fed corn-lablab bean mixture silages was higher than for those fed corn silage (p<0.05. Feeding corn-lablab bean mixture silages increased milk yield and milk protein of dairy cows when compared with feeding corn silage (p<0.05. The economic benefit for cow fed corn-lablab bean mixture silages was 8.43 yuan/day/cow higher than that for that fed corn silage. In conclusion, corn-lablab bean mixture improved the fermentation characteristics and nutrient value of silage compared with monoculture corn. In this study, feeding corn-lablab bean mixture silages increased milk yield, milk protein and nutrient apparent digestibility of dairy cows compared with corn silage in northern China.

  10. Microbial protein synthesis in young steers fed with grass silage and extruded corn Síntesis de proteína microbiana en novillos jóvenes alimentados con ensilaje de praderas y maíz extruido

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claudia Barchiesi-Ferrari

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Microbial protein synthesis is essential to meet protein requirements in ruminants. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the effect of incorporating extruded corn (Zea mays L. into the ration of young steers fed with grass silage on microbial protein synthesis (MPS. Twenty young steers in metabolic cages were used for supplying food. The treatments consisted of combinations of extruded corn (EC and ground corn (GC EC-10 (10% EC-30% GC; EC-25 (25% EC-15% GC and EC-40 (40% EC-0% GC. These foods constituted 40% of the ration (DM-based and the remaining 60% was grass silage. The MPS was calculated through the excretion of purine derivatives (PD in the urine, using total collection of urine. The inclusion of a higher percentage of extruded corn (EC-40 increased the PD excretion (51.85 mmol d-1, P La síntesis de proteína microbiana es fundamental para satisfacer los requerimientos proteicos en rumiantes. El objetivo de esta investigation fue evaluar el efecto de incluir maíz (Zea mays L. extruido en la ración de novillos alimentados con ensilaje de pradera, sobre la sintesis de proteina microbiana (MPS. Se emplearon 20 novillos jóvenes ubicados en jaulas metabólicas para suministro de los alimentos. Los tratamientos consistieron en combinaciones de maiz extruido (EC y maiz molido (GC EC-10 (10% EC-30% GC; EC-25 (25% EC-15% GC y EC-40 (40% EC-0% GC. Estos alimentos constituyeron el 40% de la ración (base MS y el restante 60% fue ensilaje de pradera. Se estimó la MPS a través de la excreción de derivados de purinas (PD en la orina, empleando colección total de orina. La inclusión de un mayor porcentaje de EC (EC-40 incrementó la excreción de PD (51.85 mmol d-1, P < 0,05. Los valores de excreción de PD fluctuaron entre 663 y 1078 μmol BW-075 d-1. La absorción de proteína microbiana y el flujo de N duodenal también se incrementaron por una mayor inclusión de EC (EC-40, P < 0,05. Las diferencias entre los tratamientos pueden

  11. Physiochemical Characteristics and Molecular Structures for Digestible Carbohydrates of Silages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Refat, Basim; Prates, Luciana L; Khan, Nazir A; Lei, Yaogeng; Christensen, David A; McKinnon, John J; Yu, Peiqiang

    2017-10-18

    The main objectives of this study were (1) to assess the magnitude of differences among new barley silage varieties (BS) selected for varying rates of in vitro neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility (ivNDFD; Cowboy BS with higher ivNDFD, Copeland BS with intermediate ivNDFD, and Xena BS with lower ivNDFD) with regard to their carbohydrate (CHO) molecular makeup, CHO chemical fractions, and rumen degradability in dairy cows in comparison with a new corn silage hybrid (Pioneer 7213R) and (2) to quantify the strength and pattern of association between the molecular structures and digestibility of carbohydrates. The carbohydrate-related molecular structure spectral data was measured using advanced vibrational molecular spectroscopy (FT/IR). In comparison to BS, corn silage showed a significantly (P carbohydrates were significantly (P carbohydrate content of the silages. In conclusion, the univariate approach with only one-factor consideration (ivNDFD) might not be a satisfactory method for evaluating and ranking BS quality. FT/IR molecular spectroscopy can be used to evaluate silage quality rapidly, particularly the digestible fiber content.

  12. INFLUENCE OF SILAGE ADDITIVES ON FERMENTATION OF HIGH MOISTURE CRIMPED CORN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Branislav Gálik

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this work was to find influence of different silage additives on silages fermentation and nutritional value made from high moisture crimped corn, which were conserved in semi experimental conditions. Three variants were examined, untreated control (C, and two experimental variants conserved by biological (variant A and chemical (variant B additives. The maize crimped corn was hermetically filled into plastic bins with the capacity 50 dm3. In silage conserved by additives was lower content of crude fibre (significantly in both experimental variants and higher content of nitrogen free extract, starch and total sugars (significantly in variant A established. In silages form both experimental variants we found significantly lower content of lactic acid. The highest concent we detected in silage conserved without additives. In silage conserved by biological inoculant we found lower content of acetic acid and higher content of butyric acid, but their content was generally very low. Additives used in the experiment decreased content of amonia (0.074 g.kg-1 in variant A and 0.095 g.kg-1 of dry matter in variant B and alcohols too.

  13. Qualitative parameters of sugarcane silages treated with urea and calcium oxide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susi Cristina dos Santos Guimarães Martins

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available The objective was to evaluate the fermentation parameters, chemical composition and fractionation of carbohydrates of sugarcane silages treated with urea and calcium oxide (CaO. Upon ensiling, the treatments applied to the sugarcane were: 1% urea; 0.5% urea + 0.5% CaO; and 1% CaO, in relation to a control silage, without additive. The chemical additives (urea and CaO were added at ensiling, in an amount calculated based on the fresh matter (as is. A completely randomized design consisting of four treatments (silages and nine replicates was adopted. The material was conditioned in PVC mini-silos for five months. At the end of the storage period, silos were weighed again and samples were collected to quantify the losses caused by fermentation, dry matter recovery, pH, and ammonia nitrogen (N-NH3 of the silages and to evaluate the chemical composition and fractionation of carbohydrates. The silage with 1% CaO showed the highest recovery of dry matter, and in terms of carbohydrate fractionation, it showed the highest levels of soluble and potentially soluble carbohydrates. Addition of 1% CaO during ensiling reduces the fermentation losses of sugarcane silages.

  14. Reed Canary Grass Project. Development of a new crop production system based on delayed harvesting and a system for its combined processing to chemical pulp and bio fuel powder

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Olsson, Rolf (ed.) (and others)

    2004-07-01

    The Reed canary grass project has been performed by 13 partners 8 countries; Sweden, Finland, Germany, Denmark, England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The aim of the project has been to evaluate if new breeding lines of reed canary grass suits in different European agricultural areas and to evaluate if the new delayed harvesting method originally developed in Sweden can be used all over the northern parts of Europe. The other part of the project deals with developing a system for its combined processing to chemical pulp and biofuel powder. The scientific objectives are to develop the C3 plant reed canary grass to an economically and environmentally competitive industrial crop for combined production of high quality chemical pulp and bioenergy fuel powder. Main results obtained in the project can be summarised as follows: The screening trials with new breeding lines of reed canary grass have shown a large potential for getting higher yields and better quality in new industrial varieties of reed canary grass. The best breeding lines tested gave at average a yield 20 % higher than now existing forage varieties which all economic calculations are based on. The results show that the delayed harvesting method gives important quality improvements and can be used except in areas with maritime climate. The research on chemical pulping and paper making have been successfully developed in the project and the obtained results in laboratory and pilot scale made it also possible to increase the ambitions in the project and include research on mill scale in cooperation with industry. This gave also possibilities to develop technologies needed for the whole chain from production fields to long distance handling and transport technology of intermediate processed raw materials. Different cooking processes have been developed for reed canary grass and a new cooking method the soda-oxygen process has given extremely high pulp yields if combined with intermediate processed raw material

  15. Effect of pre-grazing herbage mass on dairy cow performance, grass dry matter production and output from perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) pastures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wims, C M; Delaby, L; Boland, T M; O'Donovan, M

    2014-01-01

    A grazing study was undertaken to examine the effect of maintaining three levels of pre-grazing herbage mass (HM) on dairy cow performance, grass dry matter (DM) production and output from perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) pastures. Cows were randomly assigned to one of three pre-grazing HM treatments: 1150 - Low HM (L), 1400 - Medium HM (M) or 2000 kg DM/ha - High HM (H). Herbage accumulation under grazing was lowest (Ppastures required more grass silage supplementation during the grazing season (+73 kg DM/cow) to overcome pasture deficits due to lower pasture growth rates (Ppasture intake, although cows grazing the L pastures had to graze a greater daily area (Ppasture reduces pasture DM production and at a system level may increase the requirement for imported feed.

  16. Effects of lactic acid bacteria with bacteriocinogenic potential on the fermentation profile and chemical composition of alfalfa silage in tropical conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva, V P; Pereira, O G; Leandro, E S; Da Silva, T C; Ribeiro, K G; Mantovani, H C; Santos, S A

    2016-03-01

    The fermentation profile, chemical composition, and microbial populations of alfalfa silages treated with microbial inoculants (MI) at different fermentation periods (T) were evaluated in tropical conditions. A 4×6 factorial arrangement was used in a randomized design with 3 replicates. Fresh alfalfa was treated with (1) no treatment (CTRL), (2) commercial inoculant (CIN), (3) Pediococcus acidilactici (strain 10.6, S1), and (4) Pediococcus pentosaceus (strain 6.16, S2). An inoculant application rate of 10(6) cfu/g of fresh forage was used. The fermentation periods were 1, 3, 7, 14, 28, and 56 d. Alfalfa was harvested 82 d after sowing at the early flowering stage, chopped into 1.5-cm particle size, and ensiled in 25 × 35 cm vacuum-sealed plastic bags. The numbers of lactic acid bacteria, enterobacteria, mold, and yeast in alfalfa before ensiling were 5.42, 5.58, 4.82, and 4.8 log cfu/g, respectively. Silage chemical composition was evaluated only at 56 d. All parameters were affected by the interaction MI × T, except the concentrations of lactic and propionic acids. Alfalfa silage treated with S1 or S2 had lower pH values than CTRL from the first day until 28 d. However, the inoculants resulted in similar pH after 56 d, and these values were lower than the CTRL. The highest concentration of lactic acid was observed in the silage treated with S1 and S2 at 7 and 14 d of ensiling. The concentration of acetic acid was lower in the silages treated with S1 and S2 than the CTRL and CIN at 3 and 28 d of fermentation. There was no effect of MI or MI × T interaction on the microbial populations. However, the number of enterobacteria decreased over the fermentation period until 14 d and increased slightly after this time point. The chemical composition of alfalfa silage was not affected by MI at 56 d of ensiling. The strain P. pentosaceus 6.16 was the most efficient in dominating the fermentation process by decreasing the pH more quickly and increasing the concentration

  17. and the quality of silage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liisa Syrjälä-Qvist

    1984-09-01

    Full Text Available Five silages having different proportions of red clover and timothy (100/0, 75/25, 50/50, 25/75 and 0/100 were preserved in five glass-fibre silos of 0.4 m 3. Chopped red clover and timothy were mixed during ensiling and preserved with AIV II solution (80 % formic acid and 2 % orthophosphoric acid, applied at the rate of 6 l/1000kg fresh material. The timothy sward was fertilized with 100kg N/ha and the red clover with 15kg N/ha. The dry matter content in red clover was 14.5 % and in timothy 18.6%, and the crude protein content of DM 22.9 % and 11.5 %, respectively. True protein formed 75—76 % of crude protein in both herbages and the proportion of watersoluble N in total N was 32 % in red clover and 36 % in timothy. The rumen degradability of protein during the first two hours was under 10 % in both herbages; after 18 and 24h ours it was 76 % and 87 % in red clover, and 65 % and 70 % in timothy. In red clover the contents of lysine, methionine and cysteine were 5.7 g, 0.4 g and 0.9 g/16 g N, respectively, the corresponding values for timothy being 4.8 g, 0.7 g and 1.4g/16 g N. In red clover the content of water-soluble carbohydrates was 10.6 % of DM and in timothy 16.5 %; the contents of plant acids were 6.7 % and 3.5 % of DM, respectively. Red clover contained 10.9g Ca/kg DM and timothy 3.1 g Ca. The total amount of inorganic constituents was also higher in red clover than in timothy. Although the chemical composition of red clover was less suitable for ensiling than the composition of timothy, the quality of all the silages was good. During ensiling the decrease in the proportion of true protein in crude protein and the increase in the proportion of watersoluble N in total N were smaller in red clover than in timothy silage. These changes were reflected in the ruminal protein degradation, which seemed to be slower when they were small. The amino acid profile of the protein did not alter during ensiling. The ensiling losses were higher in

  18. Mycotoxin occurrence on baled and pit silages collected in Co. Meath

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    McElhinney C.

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Recent studies of baled silages produced in Ireland have identified considerable filamentous fungal contamination. Many of these fungi are toxigenic, capable of producing secondary metabolites, namely mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are potentially detrimental to livestock health and some can pose a risk to consumers of animal products. Baled (n=20 and pit (n=18 silages from a sample of farms (n=38 in Co. Meath were examined to assess the occurrence of mycotoxins and ascertain whether sampling position within the pit silos (feed face vs. 3 m behind the feed face has an effect on mycotoxin content or other chemical compositional variables. Of the 20 mycotoxins assayed, baled silages contained [mean of positive values (no. of values in mean] mycotoxin concentrations (μg/kg dry matter of beauvericin 36 (2, enniatin (enn. A 9.3 (3, enn. A1 54 (8, enn. B 351 (9, enn. B1 136 (10, mycophenolic acid (MPA 11,157 (8 and roquefortine C (Roq. C 1037 (8 and pit silages contained beauvericin 25 (2 enn. A1 18 (2, enn. B 194 (9, enn. B1 57 (3, MPA 287 (6, Roq. C 3649 (6 and zearalenone 76 (1. There was no difference (P>0.05 observed in the mycotoxin concentrations between baled and pit silages, and 11 of the 20 mycotoxins assayed were below the limits of detection. The position of sampling had no effect on the mycotoxin concentration detected in pit silages. It is concluded that mycotoxin concentrations detected in these pit and baled silages in Co. Meath did not exceed EU regulation or guidance limits, and that similar chemical composition and mycotoxin concentration values occurred at the pit silage feed face and 3 m behind this feed face.

  19. A study of the wet deposit and foliar uptake of iodine and strontium on rye-grass and clover

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Angeletti, Livio; Levi, Emilio; Commission of the European Communities, Ispra

    1977-12-01

    Foliar uptake of iodine and strontium by rye-grass and clover was studied as a function of aspersion intensities. At the same time, the contribution of root sorption to foliar uptake was measured. The effective half-lives of radionuclides of standing and harvested grass were also determined together with their uptake under the action of demineralized water aspersion [fr

  20. Study of the organic -15N mineralization in an Oxisol and its absorption by a grass (Melinis minutiflora Beauv.)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Urquiaga C, S.; Libardi, P.L.; Reichardt, K.; Padovese, P.P.; Moraes, S.O.; Victoria, R.L.

    1982-01-01

    Mineralization of organic-N to soil samples of an Oxisol as 15 N-labeled bean straw, with and without N from fertilizer (urea) was studied, as well as the effect of expanded vermiculite in the production and absorption of the mineralized-N by a grass. The experiment was conducted in plastic pots. The fertilizer urea (46,64%N) utilized was labelled (5,2% of 15 N) atoms). All experimental pots received 150 ppm of P and K as simple superphosphate (18% P 2 O 5 ) and 26% CaO) and potassium sulphate (60% K 2 O), respectively. The grass was planted by putting 8 small pieces by pot. The aerial part was harvested at 30 days intervals. Grass production was a function of the N available and bean straw behaved as an important N source for the plants; at 30 days (first sampling) the production N extraction and efficiency of utilization of the organic N were at their maximum, decreasing (p=0,01) at each following harvest; after the first sampling the mineralization rate of organic N was very low, decreasing significantly the grass production; N fertilizer favoured significantly the mineralization and the efficiency of utilization of the organic-N applied; vermiculite did not affect either production or the N extraction by the grass; in the soil mineral-N, after the culture, the percentage of N from labelled sources was two times that of the total-N and lower than in the plant in the final harvest. (Author) [pt

  1. Effect of forage type, harvesting time and exogenous enzyme application on degradation characteristics measured using in vitro technique

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Moharrery, Ali; Hvelplund, Torben; Weisbjerg, Martin Riis

    2009-01-01

    Five forage species cut at different harvest times were studied for their degradation characteristics using in vitro digestibility technique. The forage species were two grasses and three legumes growing in two seasons (spring growth and second re-growth). Grass and legume forages were harvested...... at three harvesting times being early (E), middle (M) and late (L), both during the spring growth and the second re-growth. The grasses included perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne), and festulolium (XFestulolium), and the legumes included white clover (Trifolium repens), red clover (Trifolium pratense......) and neutral detergent fibre (aNDFom) degradation profiles were fitted to an exponential equation. The fractional rate of degradation (c) of DM or aNDFom did vary among the forage species and was highest for the legumes. The potential degradability ranged from 580 to 870 g/kg for DM and from 380 to 900 g...

  2. Influência do teor de matéria seca e do inoculante bacteriano nas características físicas e químicas da silagem de capim Tanzânia = Effects of dry matter content and bacterial inoculant on the physical and chemical properties and losses in Tanzânia grass silage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Solidete de Fátima Paziani

    2006-07-01

    Full Text Available Foram avaliados os efeitos do teor de matéria seca e da adição de inoculante bacteriano sobre a composição químico-bromatológica e perdas em silagens do capim Tanzânia. O uso do inoculante não foi efetivo em preservar a PB. Os índices de recuperação de matéria seca e as perdas de MS, na forma de efluente e gases, foram respectivamente de 90,6%; 53,7 kg t-1 MV e 6,4% da MS nas silagens não-emurchecidas, 93,6%; 16,8 kg t-1 MV e 5,0% com adição de milheto grão e 92,2%; 3,6 kg t-1 MV e 6,2% naquelas emurchecidas. Asdensidades de massa verde/matéria seca foram 346/105, 455/145 e 442/97 kg m-3 nas silagens emurchecidas, adicionadas com milheto e com umidade original, respectivamente. Como a elevação no teor de MS não alterou o índice de recuperação de MS, apesar de promoveralgumas modificações na composição química das silagens, a opção pelos tratamentos vai depender da ponderação de fatores que facilitem a operacionalidade e reduzam os custos na confecção da silagem.The present trial aimed to study the effect of dry matter content and the addition of bacterial inoculant on the ensilage of Tanzânia grass. The bacterial inoculant did not alter crude protein content. Dry matter recovery rates, effluent yield and DM gases losses were 90.6%, 53.7 kg t-1 wet forage, 6.4% for the wet silages; 93.6%, 16.8 kg t-1 wet forage, 5.0% for millet added silages and 92.2%, 3.6 kg t-1 wet forage, 6.2% for the wilted silages, respectively. The silages dry matter content influenced wet bulk density/dry matter silo bulk density resulting in 346/105, 455/145 and 442/97 kg m-3 for the wilted, millet added and wet silages, respectively. Because the increase on dry matter content was not offsets in DM recovery rate, although there were some changes in chemical composition, the adoption and field recommendation of strategies will be dependent on the operational and costs restrictions.

  3. Optimizing reed canary grass cropping to increase profitability. Field studies of plant varieties, intercropping with legumes and barley, fertilization and soil compaction; Optimering av odlingsaatgaerder i roerflen foer oekad loensamhet. Faeltstudier av sorter, samodling med baljvaexter och korn, goedsling samt markpackning

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Palmborg, Cecilia; Lindvall, Eva (Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences, Umeaa (Sweden). Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden)

    2010-05-15

    Reed Canary Grass is a promising crop for biofuel production. For reed canary grass the first year is an establishment year when the small biomass is not harvested. The second year the biomass is usually cut in late autumn but the harvest (removal of the biomass from the field) is delayed until spring. This technique has resulted in lower costs and increases in fuel quality through lower ash contents, including lower contents of chlorine, sodium and potassium. However costs for production are still high, especially establishment costs, fertilization costs and harvesting costs. The aim of this project was to test ways to cut costs per MWh by increased yields, and decreased establishment costs. The methods used have been variety trials to develop more productive plant material, intercropping with nitrogen fixing legumes to reduce the nitrogen demand of the crop, fertilization with waste material (sewage sludge, reed canary grass ash or poultry manure) and harvest at frozen ground as a strategy to reduce soil compaction and harvest damages on the crop. Reed canary grass grown as a fuel has so far been grown as a mono culture. However, when it is been grown for forage, or as a biogas crop, intercropping with legumes has been successful in some studies. In addition to NPK-fertilizers sewage sludge, ash from combustion of reed canary grass and poultry manure was used. An economic calculation showed that the establishment costs (the first two growing seasons) can be lowered by intercropping with red clover. However it is also involves more risks, related to weeds, and cannot be recommended on fallow soil with a large seed bank of weeds. A ten year old reed canary grass ley was used for the experiment. Two 25 m wide strips were harvested with a mower on November 19 2008 when the top soil was frozen. The harvested material was chopped and removed from the field the following day. The following spring, May 19 2009, the remaining reed canary grass on the field was cut with a

  4. In vitro rumen gas and methane production of grass silages differing in plant maturity and nitrogen fertilisation, compared to in vivo enteric methane production

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Macome, F. M.; Pellikaan, Wilbert F; Schonewille, J. Th; Bannink, A.; Laar, H.; Hendriks, W. H.; Warner, D.; Cone, John W

    2017-01-01

    The potential of an in vitro gas production (GP) system to predict the in vivo enteric methane (CH4) production for various ryegrass-based silages was evaluated, using adapted rumen fluid from cows. Rumen fluid from 12 lactating rumen-cannulated Holstein-Friesian cows were used for in vitro

  5. Production and quality of milk from Mantiqueira dairy cows feeding on Mombasa grass pasture and receiving different sources of roughage supplementation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Afonso Aurélio de Carvalho Peres

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Production and quality of milk from dairy cows grazing exclusively on Mombasa grass pasture, during the spring-summer period and fed roughage supplementations, during the autumn-winter, were evaluated in two consecutive years. The pasture of 11.4 ha was divided into 57 paddocks of 2,000 m² each, including three replications with 19 paddocks each. The pasture was managed with two occupation days and 36 resting days. During the spring-summer period, cows received only grass pasture. In the autumn-winter period, they had access to Mombasa grass pasture and received roughage supplementations (black oat pasture; sorghum silage or sugarcane + urea and pasture every 28 days, alternately. The animals had access to mineral mix and water and received 500 g of concentrated in each of the two milking times. The experimental design used was for response to continuous flow in rotational trial, similar to the Latin square model. In the spring-summer period, the average milk production was 12.2±2.2 and 14.0±3.8 kg/cow per day; for the autumn-winter period, the milk production was 13.5±2.9 and 12.1±2.5 kg/cow per day in the black oat pasture; 11.8±2.5 and 10.9±2.3 kg/cow per day in the sorghum silage and 11.3±1.8 and 8.4±1.5 kg/cow per day in the sugarcane + urea, for 1st and 2nd years evaluated, respectively. The black oat was the roughage supplementation that yielded the highest average daily milk production. There were no differences in the milk chemical composition between roughage supplementations.

  6. Evaluation of anaerobic degradation, biogas and digestate production of cereal silages using nylon-bags.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Negri, Marco; Bacenetti, Jacopo; Fiala, Marco; Bocchi, Stefano

    2016-06-01

    In this study, the degradation efficiency and the biogas and digestate production during anaerobic digestion were evaluated for the cereal silages most used to feed biogas plants. To this purpose, silages of: maize from the whole plant, maize from the ear, triticale and wheat were digested, inside of nylon bags, in laboratory scale digesters, for 75days. Overall, the test involved 288 nylon bags. After 75days of digestion, the maize ear silage shows the highest degradation efficiency (about 98%) while wheat silage the lowest (about 83%). The biogas production ranges from 438 to 852Nm(3)/t of dry matter for wheat and ear maize silage, respectively. For all the cereal silages, the degradation as well as the biogas production are faster at the beginning of the digestion time. Digestate mass, expressed as percentage of the fresh matter, ranges from 38% to 84% for wheat and maize ear silage, respectively. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. 'Shrink' losses in commercially sized corn silage piles: Quantifying total losses and where they occur.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, P H; Swanepoel, N; Heguy, J M; Price, T; Meyer, D M

    2016-01-15

    Silage 'shrink' (i.e., loss of fresh chopped crop between ensiling and feedout) represents a nutrient loss which can degrade air quality as volatile carbon compounds, degrade surface waterways due to seepage, or degrade aquifers due to seepage. Virtually no research has documented shrink in large silage piles. The term 'shrink' is often ill defined, but can be expressed as losses of wet weight (WW), oven dry matter (oDM), and oDM corrected for volatiles lost in the drying oven (vcoDM). Corn silage piles (4 wedge, 2 rollover/wedge, 1 bunker) from 950 to 12,204 tonnes as built, on concrete (4), soil (2) and a combination (1) in California's San Joaquin Valley, using a bacterial inoculant, covered within 24 h with an oxygen barrier inner film and black/white outer plastic, fed out using large front end loaders through an electronic feed tracking system, and from the 2013 crop year, were used. Shrink as WW, oDM and vcoDM were 90±17, 68±18 and 28±21 g/kg, suggesting that much WW shrink is water and much oDM shrink is volatiles lost during analytical oven drying. Most shrink occurred in the silage mass with losses from exposed silage faces, as well as between exposed face silage removal and the total mixed ration mixer, being low. Silage bulk density, exposed silage face management and face use rate did not have obvious impacts on any shrink measure, but age of the silage pile during silage feedout impacted shrink losses ('older' silage piles being higher), but most strongly for WW shrink. Real shrink losses (i.e., vcoDM) of large well managed corn silage piles are low, the exposed silage face is a small portion of losses, and many proposed shrink mitigations appeared ineffective, possibly because shrink was low overall and they are largely directed at the exposed silage face. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. ‘Shrink’ losses in commercially sized corn silage piles: Quantifying total losses and where they occur

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Robinson, P.H.; Swanepoel, N.; Heguy, J.M.; Price, T.; Meyer, D.M., E-mail: phrobinson@ucdavis.edu [Department of Animal Science, UCCE Stanislaus, San Joaquin & Merced Counties, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 (United States)

    2016-01-15

    Silage ‘shrink’ (i.e., loss of fresh chopped crop between ensiling and feedout) represents a nutrient loss which can degrade air quality as volatile carbon compounds, degrade surface waterways due to seepage, or degrade aquifers due to seepage. Virtually no research has documented shrink in large silage piles. The term ‘shrink’ is often ill defined, but can be expressed as losses of wet weight (WW), oven dry matter (oDM), and oDM corrected for volatiles lost in the drying oven (vcoDM). Corn silage piles (4 wedge, 2 rollover/wedge, 1 bunker) from 950 to 12,204 tonnes as built, on concrete (4), soil (2) and a combination (1) in California's San Joaquin Valley, using a bacterial inoculant, covered within 24 h with an oxygen barrier inner film and black/white outer plastic, fed out using large front end loaders through an electronic feed tracking system, and from the 2013 crop year, were used. Shrink as WW, oDM and vcoDM were 90 ± 17, 68 ± 18 and 28 ± 21 g/kg, suggesting that much WW shrink is water and much oDM shrink is volatiles lost during analytical oven drying. Most shrink occurred in the silage mass with losses from exposed silage faces, as well as between exposed face silage removal and the total mixed ration mixer, being low. Silage bulk density, exposed silage face management and face use rate did not have obvious impacts on any shrink measure, but age of the silage pile during silage feedout impacted shrink losses (‘older’ silage piles being higher), but most strongly for WW shrink. Real shrink losses (i.e., vcoDM) of large well managed corn silage piles are low, the exposed silage face is a small portion of losses, and many proposed shrink mitigations appeared ineffective, possibly because shrink was low overall and they are largely directed at the exposed silage face. - Highlights: • Corn silage piles were used to measure ‘shrink’ from construction to feedout • Shrink was wet weight, dry weight (oDM) and oDM volatiles corrected

  9. Retrospective search on biomass harvesting techniques including materials handling and storage

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1985-10-01

    This literature search covers the period 1977 to date. The harvesting, materials handling and storage of the following materials: wood; crops and crop residues; peat; sugar cane; reeds, grasses and fers; algae and jojoba shrubs are covered.

  10. Bio-based biodegradable film to replace the standard polyethylene cover for silage conservation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borreani, Giorgio; Tabacco, Ernesto

    2015-01-01

    The research was aimed at studying whether the polyethylene (PE) film currently used to cover maize silage could be replaced with bio-based biodegradable films, and at determining the effects on the fermentative and microbiological quality of the resulting silages in laboratory silo conditions. Biodegradable plastic film made in 2 different formulations, MB1 and MB2, was compared with a conventional 120-μm-thick PE film. A whole maize crop was chopped; ensiled in MB1, MB2, and PE plastic bags, 12.5kg of fresh weight per bag; and opened after 170d of conservation. At silo opening, the microbial and fermentative quality of the silage was analyzed in the uppermost layer (0 to 50mm from the surface) and in the whole mass of the silo. All the silages were well fermented with little differences in fermentative quality between the treatments, although differences in the mold count and aerobic stability were observed in trial 1 for the MB1 silage. These results have shown the possibility of successfully developing a biodegradable cover for silage for up to 6mo after ensiling. The MB2 film allowed a good silage quality to be obtained even in the uppermost part of the silage close to the plastic film up to 170d of conservation, with similar results to those obtained with the PE film. The promising results of this experiment indicate that the development of new degradable materials to cover silage till 6mo after ensiling could be possible. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Effect of harvest time on fermentation profiles of maize ensiled in laboratory silos and determination of drying losses at 60°C

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Tina Skau; Kristensen, Niels Bastian; Weisbjerg, Martin Riis

    2007-01-01

    The objectives were to investigate the effect of premature ensiling of maize on alcohol fermentation in laboratory silos and the loss of fermentation products and glucose in silage following drying at 60°C for 48 h. During four consecutive weeks maize was harvested and ensiled for 60 days in vacuum-sealed...

  12. Nutritive value and fermentation quality of palisadegrass and stylo mixed silages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    da Silva, Juliana S; Ribeiro, Karina G; Pereira, Odilon G; Mantovani, Hilário C; Cecon, Paulo R; Pereira, Rosana C; Silva, Janaina de L

    2018-01-01

    The nutritive value and fermentation quality of palisadegrass (Brachiaria brizantha cv. Xaraes) and stylo (Stylosanthes capitata × S. macrocephala cv. Campo Grande) mixed silages were evaluated. The experiment was analyzed in a factorial scheme (5 × 2) in a completely randomized design using increasing levels of stylo (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% on a fresh matter basis) on palisadegrass silages, with and without microbial inoculants (MI). With the increased ratio of stylo in mixed silages, dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and lignin content increased in silages. The presence of MI promoted lower DM content, and higher neutral detergent fiber corrected for ash and protein, ADF and lignin content. The acid detergent insoluble nitrogen content and the lactic acid bacteria populations were not affected by treatments. The in vitroDM digestibility was affected by the interaction of levels of the stylo and MI. The pH, NH 3 -N/total nitrogen and butyric acid concentrations decreased with increasing levels of stylo. Better nutritive value and quality of fermentation was found in the silage containing higher proportions of this stylo mixed with palisadegrass. The microbial inoculant evaluated did not alter the nutritive value or quality of the fermentation of the silages in this experiment. © 2017 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

  13. Primary and secondary metabolites production in signal grass around the year under nitrogen fertilizer

    OpenAIRE

    Syeda Maryam Hussain

    2016-01-01

    Plants produce a number of substances and products and primary and secondary metabolites (SM) are amongst them with many benefits but limitation as well. Usually, the fodder are not considered toxic to animals or as a source having higher SM. The Brachiaria decumbens has a considerable nutritional value, but it is considered as a toxic grass for causing photosensitization in animals, if the grass is not harvested for more than 30 days or solely. The absence of detailed information in the lite...

  14. Accumulation of 137Cs and 90Sr from contaminated soil by three grass species inoculated with mycorrhizal fungi

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Entry, J.A.; Watrud, L.S.; Reeves, M.

    1999-01-01

    The use of plants to accumulate low level radioactive waste from soil, followed by incineration of plant material to concentrate radionuclides may prove to be a viable and economical method of remediating contaminated areas. We tested the influence of arbuscular mycorrhizae on 137 Cs and 90 Sr uptake by bahia grass (Paspalum notatum), johnson grass (Sorghum halpense) and switchgrass (Panicum virginatum) for the effectiveness on three different contaminated soil types. Exposure to 137 Cs or 90 Sr over the course of the experiment did not affect above ground biomass of the three grasses. The above ground biomass of bahia, johnson and switchgrass plants accumulated from 26.3 to 71.7% of the total amount of the 137 Cs and from 23.8 to 88.7% of the total amount of the 90 Sr added to the soil after three harvests. In each of the three grass species tested, plants inoculated with Glomus mosseae or Glomus intraradices had greater aboveground plant biomass, higher concentrations of 137 Cs or 90 Sr in plant tissue, % accumulation of 137 Cs or 90 Sr from soil and plant bioconcentration ratios at each harvest than those that did not receive mycorrhizal inoculation. Johnson grass had greater aboveground plant biomass, greater accumulation of 137 Cs or 90 Sr from soil and plant higher bioconcentration ratios with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi than bahia grass and switchgrass. The greatest accumulation of 137 Cs and 90 Sr was observed in johnson grass inoculated with G. mosseae. Grasses can grow in wide geographical ranges that include a broad variety of edaphic conditions. The highly efficient removal of these radionuclides by these grass species after inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizae supports the concept that remediation of radionuclide contaminated soils using mycorrhizal plants may present a viable strategy to remediate and reclaim sites contaminated with radionuclides

  15. Characterization of culturable yeast species associating with whole crop corn and total mixed ration silage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Huili; Hao, Wei; Ning, Tingting; Zheng, Mingli; Xu, Chuncheng

    2018-02-01

    This study investigated the association of yeast species with improved aerobic stability of total mixed ration (TMR) silages with prolonged ensiling, and clarified the characteristics of yeast species and their role during aerobic deterioration. Whole crop corn (WCC) silages and TMR silages formulated with WCC were ensiled for 7, 14, 28, and 56 d and used for an aerobic stability test. Predominant yeast species were isolated from different periods and identified by sequencing analyses of the 26S rRNA gene D1/D2 domain. Characteristics (assimilation and tolerance) of the yeast species and their role during aerobic deterioration were investigated. In addition to species of Candida glabrata and Pichia kudriavzevii ( P. kudriavzevii ) previously isolated in WCC and TMR, Pichia manshurica ( P. manshurica ), Candida ethanolica ( C. ethanolica ), and Zygosaccharomyces bailii ( Z. bailii ) isolated at great frequency during deterioration, were capable of assimilating lactic or acetic acid and tolerant to acetic acid and might function more in deteriorating TMR silages at early fermentation (7 d and 14 d). With ensiling prolonged to 28 d, silages became more (p<0.01) stable when exposed to air, coinciding with the inhibition of yeast to below the detection limit. Species of P. manshurica that were predominant in deteriorating WCC silages were not detectable in TMR silages. In addition, the predominant yeast species of Z. bailii in deteriorating TMR silages at later fermentation (28 d and 56 d) were not observed in both WCC and WCC silages. The inhibition of yeasts, particularly P. kudriavzevii , probably account for the improved aerobic stability of TMR silages at later fermentation. Fewer species seemed to be involved in aerobic deterioration of silages at later fermentation and Z. bailii was most likely to initiate the aerobic deterioration of TMR silages at later fermentation. The use of WCC in TMR might not influence the predominant yeast species during aerobic

  16. Characterization of culturable yeast species associating with whole crop corn and total mixed ration silage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huili Wang

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Objective This study investigated the association of yeast species with improved aerobic stability of total mixed ration (TMR silages with prolonged ensiling, and clarified the characteristics of yeast species and their role during aerobic deterioration. Methods Whole crop corn (WCC silages and TMR silages formulated with WCC were ensiled for 7, 14, 28, and 56 d and used for an aerobic stability test. Predominant yeast species were isolated from different periods and identified by sequencing analyses of the 26S rRNA gene D1/D2 domain. Characteristics (assimilation and tolerance of the yeast species and their role during aerobic deterioration were investigated. Results In addition to species of Candida glabrata and Pichia kudriavzevii (P. kudriavzevii previously isolated in WCC and TMR, Pichia manshurica (P. manshurica, Candida ethanolica (C. ethanolica, and Zygosaccharomyces bailii (Z. bailii isolated at great frequency during deterioration, were capable of assimilating lactic or acetic acid and tolerant to acetic acid and might function more in deteriorating TMR silages at early fermentation (7 d and 14 d. With ensiling prolonged to 28 d, silages became more (p<0.01 stable when exposed to air, coinciding with the inhibition of yeast to below the detection limit. Species of P. manshurica that were predominant in deteriorating WCC silages were not detectable in TMR silages. In addition, the predominant yeast species of Z. bailii in deteriorating TMR silages at later fermentation (28 d and 56 d were not observed in both WCC and WCC silages. Conclusion The inhibition of yeasts, particularly P. kudriavzevii, probably account for the improved aerobic stability of TMR silages at later fermentation. Fewer species seemed to be involved in aerobic deterioration of silages at later fermentation and Z. bailii was most likely to initiate the aerobic deterioration of TMR silages at later fermentation. The use of WCC in TMR might not influence the predominant

  17. Production of energy pellets from wet harvested greenery; Herstellung von Energiepellets aus feucht geerntetem Gruengut

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Scholz, Volkhard; Hoffmann, Thomas [Leibniz-Institut fuer Agrartechnik Potsdam-Bornim e.V. (ATB), Potsdam (Germany). Abt. ' ' Technik der Aufbereitung, Lagerung und Konservierung' ' ; Daries, Werner

    2011-07-01

    Wet harvested greenery can be processed to energy pellets to be burned or gasified for sustainable energy supply. The harvest of the forage and the preservation in plastic tubes are known processes with low energy consumption. The mechanical dewatering of the silage with screw presses requires a higher energy demand with 0.26 to 2.02 GJ/T{sub DM}. The dry matter content can be reduced with screw presses by 4 to 21 percentage points depending on the kind of forage. The drying process requires an energy demand of 4.73 to 13.7 GJ/t{sub DM}. The total energy demand of the complete processing line corresponds to 65 % of the heating value of the pellets. (orig.)

  18. Pengaruh Penambahan Molases Terhadap Komposisi Kimia Silase Beberapa Jenis Rumput Yang Ditanam Bercampur Dengan Stylos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Yunus

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT. This study was conducted in UPTD (Unit Pelaksana Tugas Dinas Saree Aceh Besar about 4 weeks. The matter of this study are 4 kinds of grass there are rumput benggala (panicum maximum rumput BD (Brachiaria decumbent. The grass that use in this study ditanam mixe with stylosanthes guyanesis legume, while the additive in silage is molasses. The study was designed into Completely Randomized Design (CDR Factorial 4x3. There were 3 replications. First factor was R1 (Rumput Benggala + Stylosanthes guyanesis, R2 (Rumput lampung+Stylosanthes guyanesis, R3 (Rumput BD + Stylosanthes guyanesis, R4 (Rumput Star grass + Stylosanthes guyanesis and the second factor were 3 level there were M1 (0%0,M2(3% dan M3 (5%. Invetigated variabes included pH, Dry matter, crude protein, crude fiber, ash and water containet..The data were analyzed by an analysis of variance and as a significant effect was detected, the analysis was contained by Uji Beda Nyata Terkecil (BNT, Steel and Torrie (1991. The result of this study showed that the different of several grass have hight significantly (P,0.010 of dry matter, crude protein, ash and water containing but have no significantly on pH and crude fiber silage. The diferent among molasses have significantly on pH, crude protein and crude fiber silage. From BNT test showed that molasses increased dry matter and crude protein of silage compared to no molasses added. However, th used of molasses decreased crude fiber and water contain compared to no molasses added. The quality of silage found at level of 5.5% molasses especially on star grass (R4M3. The study concluded that using different level molasses es on several grass producted better silage than without molasses.

  19. Soil and grass contamination with cesium in South Germany and the winter feed 1986/1987. Die Caesium-Boden- und Graskontamination in Sueddeutschland und die Winterfuetterung 1986/1987

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schmidt, M; Giegrich, J; Franke, B

    1986-01-01

    The data for soil and grass contamination with Cs-137 and Cs-134 by the nuclear accident in Chernobyl have been analyzed for the two federal states of Baden-Wuerttemberg and Bavaria. Large regional variations have been determined, with peak values for ground activity of 36,000 Bq/m/sup 2/ in Southern Bavaria and of 24,000 Bq/m/sup 2/ in the South-East of Baden-Wuerttemberg. The average grass contamination in Baden-Wuerttemberg varied between 170 Bq and 620 Bq per kg fresh weight. The grass contamination in Bavaria was estimated between 200 and 1,000 Bq/kg. Due to the large amount of radioactivity in grass, high quantities of contaminated hay and silage will be used for winter cattle feed and thus will be found in milk and meat products from Southern Germany. Over the 6 winter months, a total of 15.10/sup 12/ Bq Cs-137 will be fed to cattle. This would lead to a calculated average milk concentration of Cs-137 of 250 Bq/l in Bavaria and of 120 Bq/l in Baden-Wuerttemberg.

  20. Monitoring and Modeling Temperature Variations Inside Silage Stack Using Novel Wireless Sensor Networks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Green, Ole; Shahrak Nadimi, Esmaeil; Blanes-Vidal, Victoria

    2009-01-01

    the sensor nodes were successfully delivered to the gateway. The reliable performance of the network confirmed the correct choice of network characteristics (i.e., frequency range of 433 MHz, a handshaking communication protocol and 10 mW transmission power). The designed sensor housings were capable......Abstract: By monitoring silage temperature at different locations inside silage stacks, it is possible to detect any significant increases in temperature occurring during silage decomposition. The objectives of this study were: (1) to develop novel noninvasive wireless sensor nodes for measuring...... the temperature inside silage stacks; (2) to design a suitable sensor protection housing that prevents physical and chemical damage to the sensor; and (3) to mathematically model temperature variations inside a silage stack, using system identification techniques. The designed wireless nodes were used to monitor...

  1. Monitoring and modeling temperature variations inside silage stacks using novel wireless sensor networks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Green, O.; Nadimi, E.S.; Blanes-Vidal, V.

    2009-01-01

    the sensor nodes were successfully delivered to the gateway. The reliable performance of the network confirmed the correct choice of network characteristics (i.e., frequency range of 433 MHz, a handshaking communication protocol, and 10 mW transmission power). The designed sensor housings were capable......By monitoring silage temperature at different locations inside silage stacks, it is possible to detect any significant increases in temperature occurring during silage decomposition. The objectives of this study were: (1) to develop novel noninvasive wireless sensor nodes for measuring...... the temperature inside silage stacks; (2) to design a suitable sensor protection housing that prevents physical and chemical damage to the sensor: and (3) to mathematically model temperature variations inside a silage stack, using system identification techniques. The designed wireless nodes were used to monitor...

  2. Demonstrating the Effect of Forage Source on the Carbon Footprint of a Canadian Dairy Farm Using Whole-Systems Analysis and the Holos Model: Alfalfa Silage vs. Corn Silage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shannan M. Little

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Before recommending a feeding strategy for greenhouse gas (GHG mitigation, it is important to conduct a holistic assessment of all related emissions, including from those arising from feed production, digestion of these feeds, managing the resulting manure, and other on-farm production processes and inputs. Using a whole-systems approach, the Holos model, and experimentally measured data, this study compares the effects of alfalfa silage- versus corn silage-based diets on GHG estimates in a simulated Canadian dairy production system. When all emissions and sources are accounted for, the differences between the two forage systems in terms of overall net GHG emissions were minimal. Utilizing the functional units of milk, meat, and total energy in food products generated by the system, the comparison demonstrates very little difference between the two silage production systems. However, the corn silage system generated 8% fewer emissions per kg of protein in food products as compared to the alfalfa silage system. Exploratory analysis of the impact of the two silage systems on soil carbon showed alfalfa silage has greater potential to store carbon in the soil. This study reinforces the need to utilize a whole-systems approach to investigate the interrelated effects of management choices. Reported GHG reduction factors cannot be simply combined additively because the interwoven effects of management choices cascade through the entire system, sometimes with counter-intuitive outcomes. It is necessary to apply this whole-systems approach before implementing changes in management intended to reduce GHG emissions and improve sustainability.

  3. Prediction of manure nitrogen and organic matter excretion for young Holstein cattle fed on grass silage-based diets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiao, H P; Yan, T; McDowell, D A

    2014-07-01

    The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the effects of sex (steers vs. heifers) of young Holstein cattle on N and OM excretion in feces and urine and to use these data to develop prediction models for N and OM excretion. Data used were derived from a study with 20 autumn-born Holstein cattle (10 steers and 10 heifers) with N and OM intake and output measured at age of 6, 12, 18, and 22 mo, respectively. The cattle were offered a typical diet used on U.K. commercial farms containing a single grass silage mixed with concentrates. In each period, the cattle were housed as a single group in cubicle accommodation for the first 20 d, individually in metabolism units for the next 3 d, and then in calorimeter chambers for the final 5 d with feed intake, feces, and urine excretion measured during the final 4 d. Within each period, sex had no effect (P > 0.05) on N or OM intake or excretion or N utilization efficiency, with exceptions of steers having a greater intake of N (P = 0.036) and OM (P = 0.018) at age of 18 mo and a lower ratio of fecal N:N intake (P = 0.023) at age of 6 mo. A range of regression relationships (P 0.05) on accumulated N or OM intake or N or OM excretion in feces and urine or retained N and OM during the first or second year of life. On average for the 2 sexes at first and second year of age, the accumulated N excretions in feces were 11.4 and 21.1 kg and in urine 11.6 and 30.6 kg, respectively, and the corresponding values for accumulated OM excretions were respectively 241.5, 565.7, 30.3 and 81.5 kg. A number of equations were developed to predict accumulated N and OM excretion in feces and urine (kg) using BW (kg; P r(2) = 0.95 to 0.97). The accurate prediction of N and OM excretion in feces and urine is essential for reducing N pollution to ground and surface water and calculating methane and nitrous oxide emissions from manure management of dairy and beef production systems. These data can add novel information to the scientific

  4. Browse silage as potential feed for captive wild ungulates in southern Africa: A review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khanyisile R. Mbatha

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The objective of the review was to assess the potential of indigenous browse trees as sustainable feed supplement in the form of silage for captive wild ungulates. Several attempts to use silage as feed in zoos in temperate regions have been conducted with success. Information on silage from the indigenous browse trees preferred by wild ungulates in southern Africa is scanty. The use of silage from the browse trees is of interest as it has potential to reduce or replace expensive feed sources (pellets, fruits and farm produce currently offered in southern African zoos, game farms and reserves, especially during the cold-dry season. Considerable leaf biomass from the indigenous browse trees can be produced for silage making. High nutrient content and minerals from indigenous browsable trees are highly recognised. Indigenous browse trees have low water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC that render them undesirable for fermentation. Techniques such as wilting browse leaves, mixing cereal crops with browse leaves, and use of additives such as urea and enzymes have been studied extensively to increase WSC of silage from the indigenous browse trees. Anti-nutritional factors from the indigenous browse preferred by the wild ungulates have also been studied extensively. Indigenous browse silages are a potential feed resource for the captive wild ungulates. If the browse trees are used to make silage, they are likely to improve performance of wild ungulates in captivity, especially during the cold-dry season when browse is scarce. Research is needed to assess the feasibility of sustainable production and the effective use of silage from indigenous browse trees in southern Africa. Improving intake and nutrient utilisation and reducing the concentrations of anti-nutritional compounds in silage from the indigenous browse trees of southern Africa should be the focus for animal nutrition research that need further investigation. Keywords: Anti-nutritional factors

  5. SILAGE CANE SUGAR ADDED WITH DRIED BREWER

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W. J. R. Castro

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the fermentative parameters and chemical composition of silage cane sugar added with residue dried brewery. The experimental design was completely randomized with four treatments and four replications: 100% cane sugar; 90% of cane sugar + 10% residue dried brewer; 80% of cane sugar + 20% residue dried brewer and 70% cane sugar + 30% dried brewer based on natural matter, composed silages. The sugar cane was chopped in a stationary machine with forage particle size of approximately 2 cm, and homogenized manually with the additives. For storage chopped fresh weight were used in experimental silos capacity of about 4 liters. The results showed that the contents of dry matter and crude protein showed positive linear (P0.05 with mean value of 3.81, while for ether extract and ash results were positive linear (P0.05 for N ammonia presented average value of 4.18. It is concluded that the addition of brewer dehydrated improves the fermentation process of silage cane sugar, in addition to improving their nutritional characteristics.

  6. Feasibility of Hydrothermal Pretreatment on Maize Silage for Bioethanol Production

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xu, Jian; Thomsen, Mette Hedegaard; Thomsen, Anne Belinda

    2010-01-01

    The potential of maize silage as a feedstock to produce bioethanol was evaluated in the present study. The hydrothermal pretreatment with five different pretreatment severity factors (PSF) was employed to pretreat the maize silage and compared in terms of sugar recovery, toxic test, and ethanol...... the liquors from the five conditions were not toxic to the Baker’s yeast. Pretreatment under 195°C for 7 min had the similar PSF with that of 185°C for 15 min, and both gave the higher ethanol concentration of 19.92 and 19.98 g/L, respectively. The ethanol concentration from untreated maize silage was only 7...

  7. Real-time dry matter content of corn silage by a microwave sensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vera Perricone

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Daily dry matter (DM intake in dairy cow is a central point to meet nutritional requirements and optimal performance, reducing the incidence of metabolic diseases. DM content of some forages, such as silages, can undergo huge variations during storing, affecting the total daily DM consumed. Reference laboratory method is time consuming and cannot be applied to daily changes in diet composition. Currently, new promising real-time technologies are available to monitor the DM content of feeds. The aim of the study was to test and calibrate a portable microwave sensor (MS for DM content in corn silage samples. Twenty-two samples were collected from a corn silage front; sampling procedure was optimized to collect as much as DM content variability as possible within the samples. MS readings were performed with 3 different methods for each samples: 1 directly on the silage front, 2 with the MS over the collected sample and 3 with MS placed under the sample. After the first MS reading, a correspondent silage sample was obtained by a silage corer for readings 2 and 3 and the laboratory DM content assay. A simple regression analysis was performed (JMP, SAS Institute, Cary, NC, 2015 over obtained data. Results evidences as the best MS reading method is represented by the probe burdening on the sample (R2=0.75 with respect to the other methods. The obtained results outlined as, with a correct reading method, MS can be valuable tool to determine DM content of corn silage directly at farm level.

  8. Maximizing profit on New England organic dairy farms: an economic comparison of 4 total mixed rations for organic Holsteins and Jerseys.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marston, S P; Clark, G W; Anderson, G W; Kersbergen, R J; Lunak, M; Marcinkowski, D P; Murphy, M R; Schwab, C G; Erickson, P S

    2011-06-01

    The objective of these experiments was to compare 4 total mixed rations fed to USDA-certified organic dairy cows in New England. Forty-eight Jersey cows from the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and 64 Holstein cows from the University of Maine (UMaine) were assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments testing the main effects of corn silage versus grass silage as the forage base and commodity concentrates versus a complete pelleted concentrate mixture. Treatment diets were fed as a total mixed ration for 8 wk during the winter and spring months of 2007, 2008, and 2009. Milk yield, component, and quality data were recorded and used to calculate the value of the milk produced for each cow. The dry matter intake (DMI) was recorded and used to calculate the average cost per cow per day of each diet. Income over feed costs were calculated for each diet using milk value and feed cost data. Feed cost and income over feed cost data were resampled using bootstrap methodology to examine potential patterns. Milk yield, milk fat and true protein concentrations, and SCC were similar among treatments. Cows at UNH fed corn silage tended to have higher DMI and lower milk urea nitrogen than did cows fed grass silage, whereas cows fed pellets had higher DMI than cows fed commodities. Cows at UNH fed commodities tended to have higher body condition scores than those fed pellets. Cows at UMaine fed commodities tended to have higher DMI than did cows fed pellets, and cows fed corn silage had lower milk urea nitrogen than did cows fed grass silage. Body weights and body condition scores were not different for cows at UMaine. Feed costs were significantly higher for corn silage diets and diets at UNH containing pellets, but not at UMaine. The calculated value of the milk and income over feed costs did not differ among treatments at either university. Bootstrap replications indicated that the corn silage with commodities diet generally had the highest feed cost at both UNH

  9. Lactobacillus diolivorans sp nov., a 1,2-propanediol-degrading bacterium isolated from aerobically stable maize silage

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Krooneman, J; Faber, F; Alderkamp, AC; Elferink, SJHWO; Driehuis, F; Cleenwerck, [No Value; Swings, J; Gottschal, JC; Vancanneyt, M

    Inoculation of maize silage with Lactobacillus buchneri (5 x 10(5) c.f.u. g(-1) of maize silage) prior to ensiling results in the formation of aerobically stable silage. After 9 months, lactic acid bacterium counts are approximately 10(10) c.f.u. g(-1) in these treated silages. An important

  10. Seasonal Variation of Provitamin D2 and Vitamin D2 in Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jäpelt, Rie Bak; Didion, Thomas; Smedsgaard, Jørn

    2011-01-01

    Ergosterol (provitamin D(2)) is converted to vitamin D(2) in grass by exposure to UV light. Six varieties of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) were harvested four times during the season, and the contents of vitamin D(2) and ergosterol were analyzed by a sensitive and selective liquid...... chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method. Weather factors were recorded, and a principal component analysis was performed to study which factors were important for the formation of vitamin D(2). The results suggest that a combination of weather factors is involved and that the contents of ergosterol...... and vitamin D(2) change more than a factor of 10 during the season. These results demonstrate that grass potentially can be a significant source of vitamin D for grazing animals and animals fed on silage and hay....

  11. Performance, intake and digestibility of feedlot lambs receiving elephant grass silage with different proportions of dried peel of passion fruitDesempenho, consumo e digestibilidade de cordeiros em confinamento recebendo silagens de capim elefante com diferentes proporções de casca desidratada de maracujá

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jefferson Bomfim Rocha

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available The consumption, digestibility, and performance was evaluated of lambs fed silage elephant grass containing different inclusion levels of passion fruit peel dried (0, 10, 20 and 30% in natural matter of elephant grass, in a randomized completely randomized design with four replications. The elephant grass was cut at 60 days of age, chopped and ensiled in barrels along with the proportions of dried passion fruit peel, according to each treatment. After 30 days, the silos were opened for evaluation. It was observed that the inclusion of the residual affected the intake and digestibility of certain nutrients (PAvaliou-se o consumo, a digestibilidade, e o desempenho de silagens de capim-elefante, contendo diferentes níveis de inclusão (0; 10; 20 e 30% de casca de maracujá desidratada na matéria natural do capim-elefante, em um delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com 4 repetições. O capim elefante foi cortado com 60 dias de idade, picado e ensilado em tonéis juntamente com as proporções de casca de maracujá desidratada conforme cada tratamento. Após 30 dias de armazenagem os silos foram abertos para avaliações. Observou-se que a inclusão do resíduo influenciou o consumo e a digestibilidade de alguns nutrientes (P<0,05. Houve efeito para o ganho de peso médio diário e ganho total dos cordeiros, sendo que para cada 1% de casca de maracujá desidratada adicionada elevou-se 2,42% o GMD. A conversão alimentar apresentou efeito linear decrescente (8,9; 9,2; 8,6 e 7,2, respectivamente, entre os tratamentos, permitindo concluir que, a casca de maracujá desidratada pode ser utilizada em até 30% de inclusão ao capim-elefante.

  12. Silage seepage and water protection. Production and recovery of silage seepage from animal feed and biomass for biogas plants. 7. ed.; Silagesickersaft und Gewaesserschutz. Anfall und Verwertung von Silagesickersaft aus Futtermitteln und Biomasse fuer Biogasanlagen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Spiekers, Hubert [Bayerische Landesanstalt fuer Landwirtschaft (LfL), Freising-Weihenstephan (Germany); Attenberger, Erwin [Bayerisches Landesamt fuer Umwelt, Augsburg (Germany)

    2012-11-15

    The production of silage is now standard and an important basis for a successful milk and beef production. Silage is also needed in agricultural biogas plants as a substrate for energy production. This publication is intended to serve agriculture as a source of information and guidance document for the construction and operation of silos and the administration as an orientating work aid. The factors influencing the accumulation of silage seepage and the possibilities of prevention in silage and silage management are presented and evaluated from environmental and legal perspective. [German] Die Produktion von Silage ist heute Standard und eine wichtige Grundlage fuer eine erfolgreiche Milch- und Rindfleischerzeugung. Silage wird auch in landwirtschaftlichen Biogasanlagen als Substrat zur Energieerzeugung benoetigt. Die vorliegende Publikation soll der Landwirtschaft als Informationsquelle und Handlungsanleitung fuer den Bau und Betrieb von Siloanlagen und der Verwaltung als orientierende Arbeitshilfe dienen. Die Einflussgroessen auf den Anfall an Sickersaeften und die Moeglichkeiten der Vermeidung bei der Silierung und dem Silagemanagement werden dargestellt und aus umwelt- und rechtlicher Sicht bewertet.

  13. Características fermentativas de silagens de capim-elefante emurchecido ou com adição de farelo de cacau Fermentation characteristics of silage of elephantgrass wilted or with addition of cocoa meal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G.G.P. Carvalho

    2008-02-01

    Full Text Available O experimento foi realizado para avaliar as características fermentativas da silagem de capim-elefante emurchecido ou adicionado de diferentes níveis de farelo de cacau. O capim-elefante utilizado foi colhido aos 50 dias de rebrota após o corte de uniformização e submetido aos seguintes tratamentos na ensilagem: capim-elefante emurchecido ao sol por oito horas e capim-elefante sem emurchecimento adicionado de 0, 7, 14, 21 e 28% de farelo de cacau (% da matéria natural. Foram utilizadas quatro repetições por tratamento. O material foi acondicionado em silos de PVC com 0,15m de diâmetro e 0,3m de altura, adotando-se compactação de 500kg/m³. O pH reduziu e os carboidratos solúveis (CHO S aumentaram de forma linear (PThe experiment was carried out to evaluate the fermentation characteristics of eight hours sun light wilted elephant grass silage in comparison to no sun light exposed silage added by 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28% of cocoa meal during the ensilage process. PVC silos, measuring 0.15m diameter x 0.30m height, were used to ensilage the elephantgrass using a compacting pressure of 500kg/m³. Soluble carbohydrates decreased but pH and N-NH3 increased (P<0.05 as the cocoa meal level increased in the silage. No difference between wilted and no wilted elephantgrass silages was observed for organic acid content. Addition of 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28% of cocoa meal caused an increase of 2.23, 2.48, 3.14, 3.49, and 3.87% of lactic acid contents. Addition of cocoa meal during the ensilage process enhanced fermentation quality of elephantgrass silage.

  14. Effects of microbial enzymes on starch and hemicellulose degradation in total mixed ration silages

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tingting Ning

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Objective This study investigated the association of enzyme-producing microbes and their enzymes with starch and hemicellulose degradation during fermentation of total mixed ration (TMR silage. Methods The TMRs were prepared with soybean curd residue, alfalfa hay (ATMR or Leymus chinensis hay (LTMR, corn meal, soybean meal, vitamin-mineral supplements, and salt at a ratio of 25:40:30:4:0.5:0.5 on a dry matter basis. Laboratory-scale bag silos were randomly opened after 1, 3, 7, 14, 28, and 56 days of ensiling and subjected to analyses of fermentation quality, carbohydrates loss, microbial amylase and hemicellulase activities, succession of dominant amylolytic or hemicellulolytic microbes, and their microbial and enzymatic properties. Results Both ATMR and LTMR silages were well preserved, with low pH and high lactic acid concentrations. In addition to the substantial loss of water soluble carbohydrates, loss of starch and hemicellulose was also observed in both TMR silages with prolonged ensiling. The microbial amylase activity remained detectable throughout the ensiling in both TMR silages, whereas the microbial hemicellulase activity progressively decreased until it was inactive at day 14 post-ensiling in both TMR silages. During the early stage of fermentation, the main amylase-producing microbes were Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (B. amyloliquefaciens, B. cereus, B. licheniformis, and B. subtilis in ATMR silage and B. flexus, B. licheniformis, and Paenibacillus xylanexedens (P. xylanexedens in LTMR silage, whereas Enterococcus faecium was closely associated with starch hydrolysis at the later stage of fermentation in both TMR silages. B. amyloliquefaciens, B. licheniformis, and B. subtilis and B. licheniformis, B. pumilus, and P. xylanexedens were the main source of microbial hemicellulase during the early stage of fermentation in ATMR and LTMR silages, respectively. Conclusion The microbial amylase contributes to starch hydrolysis during the

  15. A process-based emission model of volatile organic compounds from silage sources on farms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bonifacio, H. F.; Rotz, C. A.; Hafner, S. D.

    2017-01-01

    Silage on dairy farms can emit large amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a precursor in the formation of tropospheric ozone. Because of the challenges associated with direct measurements, process-based modeling is another approach for estimating emissions of air pollutants from sources...... was evaluated using ethanol and methanol emissions measured from conventional silage piles (CSP), silage bags (SB), total mixed rations (TMR), and loose corn silage (LCS) at a commercial dairy farm in central California. With transport coefficients for ethanol refined using experimental data from our previous......% if feeds were delivered as four feedings per day rather than as one. Reducing the exposed face of storage can also be useful. Simulated use of silage bags resulted in 90% and 18% reductions in emissions from the storage face and whole farm, respectively....

  16. Upgrated fuel from reed canary grass

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oravainen, H. [VTT Energy, Jyvaeskylae (Finland)

    1997-12-01

    Results described in this presentation are from a large EU-project - Development of a new crop production system based on delayed harvesting and system for its combined processing to chemical pulp and biofuel powder. This is a project to develop the use of Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris Arundinaceae) both for pulp industry and energy production. The main contractor of the project is Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (coordinator), task coordinators are United Milling Systems A/S from Denmark, and Jaakko Poeyry Oy and VTT Energy from Finland In addition, there are partners from several countries participating in the project

  17. Potential Water Retention Capacity as a Factor in Silage Effluent Control: Experiments with High Moisture By-product Feedstuffs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Razak, Okine Abdul; Masaaki, Hanada; Yimamu, Aibibula; Meiji, Okamoto

    2012-04-01

    The role of moisture absorptive capacity of pre-silage material and its relationship with silage effluent in high moisture by-product feedstuffs (HMBF) is assessed. The term water retention capacity which is sometimes used in explaining the rate of effluent control in ensilage may be inadequate, since it accounts exclusively for the capacity of an absorbent incorporated into a pre-silage material prior to ensiling, without consideration to how much the pre-silage material can release. A new terminology, 'potential water retention capacity' (PWRC), which attempts to address this shortcoming, is proposed. Data were pooled from a series of experiments conducted separately over a period of five years using laboratory silos with four categories of agro by-products (n = 27) with differing moisture contents (highest 96.9%, lowest 78.1% in fresh matter, respectively), and their silages (n = 81). These were from a vegetable source (Daikon, Raphanus sativus), a root tuber source (potato pulp), a fruit source (apple pomace) and a cereal source (brewer's grain), respectively. The pre-silage materials were adjusted with dry in-silo absorbents consisting wheat straw, wheat or rice bran, beet pulp and bean stalks. The pooled mean for the moisture contents of all pre-silage materials was 78.3% (±10.3). Silage effluent decreased (p<0.01), with increase in PWRC of pre-silage material. The theoretical moisture content and PWRC of pre-silage material necessary to stem effluent flow completely in HMBF silage was 69.1% and 82.9 g/100 g in fresh matter, respectively. The high correlation (r = 0.76) between PWRC of ensiled material and silage effluent indicated that the latter is an important factor in silage-effluent relationship.

  18. Fatty acid composition of ruminal digesta and longissimus muscle from lambs fed silage mixtures including red clover, sainfoin, and timothy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campidonico, L; Toral, P G; Priolo, A; Luciano, G; Valenti, B; Hervás, G; Frutos, P; Copani, G; Ginane, C; Niderkorn, V

    2016-04-01

    This work investigated the effects of feeding silage mixtures of a plant containing polyphenol oxidase (PPO; red clover [; RC]), a plant containing tannins (sainfoin [; SF]), and a grass species not containing these compounds (timothy [; T]) on ruminal and intramuscular (i.m.) fatty acids of lambs. Forty 4-mo-old castrated male Romane lambs, divided into 5 groups, received 1 of the following silages: 1) T (100%), 2) a binary mixture of timothy and tannin-containing sainfoin ( cv. Perly; 50:50 [T-SF]), 3) a binary mixture of timothy and PPO-containing red clover ( cv. Mervius; 50:50 [T-RC]), 4) a ternary mixture of timothy, sainfoin, and red clover containing both tannins and PPO (50:25:25, respectively [T-SF-RC]), and 5) a binary mixture of tannin-containing sainfoin and PPO-containing red clover (50:50 [SF-RC]). In the rumen digesta, the partial or total replacement of T with forage legumes was associated with greater concentrations of PUFA ( forage legumes in the silage favored the accumulation of 18:3 -3 ( Forage legumes decreased the -11 18:1 to 30% of T in rumen digesta ( Forage legumes decreased the total concentration of branched-chain fatty acids in the rumen digesta (on average, -28%; comparison with T. The dietary treatment tended to affect the proportion of MUFA ( = 0.081) and of PUFA ( = 0.079) in the i.m. fat of the LM, respectively, at the highest and lowest numerical value in the T group. The sum of -3 fatty acids was less in the T and T-SF groups compared with the mixture of legumes without T (SF-RC; comparison with lambs given T-RC, T-SF-RC, and SF-RC. Rumenic acid (-9 -11 CLA) was detected at a greater percentage in the LM from the animals fed the T silage compared with animals fed the T-SF-RC treatment ( = 0.004). Contrarily, -9 -12 -15 18:3 was found at a greater concentration in the muscle from lambs in the SF-RC treatment compared with lambs in the other treatments ( forage for growing lambs in terms of i.m. fatty acid composition.

  19. Silage fermentation and ruminal degradation of stylo prepared with lactic acid bacteria and cellulase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Mao; Zhou, Hanlin; Zi, Xuejuan; Cai, Yimin

    2017-10-01

    In order to improve the silage fermentation of stylo (Stylosanthes guianensis) in tropical areas, stylo silages were prepared with commercial additives Lactobacillus plantarum Chikuso-1 (CH1), L. rhamnasus Snow Lact L (SN), Acremonium cellulase (CE) and their combination as SN+CE or CH1 + CE, and the fermentation quality, chemical composition and ruminal degradation of these silages were studied. Stylo silages treated with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) or cellulase, the pH value and NH 3 -N ⁄ total-N were significantly (P fermentation and ruminal degradation than SN+CE treatment. The results confirmed that LAB or LAB plus cellulase treatment could improve the fermentation quality, chemical composition and ruminal degradation of stylo silage. Moreover, the combined treatment with LAB and cellulase may have beneficial synergistic effects on ruminal degradation. © 2017 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

  20. Health status of cows fed maize silage covered with oxo-biodegradable foil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Piotr SZTERK

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available In agricultural practice, silage production uses pure, low density polyethylene foil. This foil, after use, becomes farm waste, having a negative impact on the environment. Instead of conventional foil, an environmentally safe biodegradable foil can be used, made from naturally occurring polymers or from synthetic multiparticulates, easily degradable by microorganisms. Silage covered with this type of foil should be safe for animal health. The purpose of the study was to determine whether oxo-biodegradable film could be used instead of conventional film in agricultural practice, to produce silage that is safe for the cows' health. Dairy cows were fed a partly mixed ratio (PMR, the component of which was silage made of whole maize plants, covered with oxo-biodegradable foil. The cow blood serum was marked for content of: glucose, total protein, cholesterol, triacylglycerols and enzyme activity: aspartic and alanine aminotransferase, γ-glutamyl transferase, alkaline phosphatase and amylase. The total protein concentration in the serum of cows analyzed at the end of the experiment was higher than the commonly accepted normal values. The content of glucose, cholesterol, triacylglycerols and the activity of aspartate and alanine aminotransferase, γ-glutamyl transferase, alkaline phosphatase and amylase was within reference limits. Feeding of silage from whole maize plants covered withoxo-biodegradable foil did not negatively affect the biochemical indicators of the cows' blood serum. The silage proved to be safe for the cows' health.

  1. Corn yield for silage and grains in different integrated crop-livestock systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laíse da Silveira Pontes

    Full Text Available Abstract In this study, the objective was to assess the influence of two doses of N (90 and 180 kg N ha-1, added to the winter pastures, two integrated crop-livestock systems (ICLS, with and without trees and five positions between the tree rows, on the corn (Zea mays L. quality and productivity, for silage and grain. Adopting the complete randomized block design, the treatments included three replicates. In 2006, following the 14 x 3 m spacing (currently with 158 trees ha-1 the trees were planted in 6 out of the 12 paddocks. While the corn was implemented during summer of 2013/2014, cattle grazing on the annual pasture was done during the prior winter, in both ICLS. Corn for silage was reaped at the R5 phenological stage, whereas for grains it was done at 176 days post seeding. For silage, the corn plants were grinded and then stocked in the experimental mini PVC silos. The silage varied slightly in quality along the positions between the tree rows. The differences observed between N levels in the dry matter, crude protein (CP and grain productivity are expressions of the residual effects of the winter fertilization. Silage quality was improved by the shade effect which minimized the acid detergent fiber and raised the CP, although it reduced the corn production for silage and grains by 52%. Some feasible techniques to reduce these losses are discussed.

  2. Occurrence of mycotoxins and yeasts and moulds identification in corn silages in tropical climate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carvalho, B F; Ávila, C L S; Krempser, P M; Batista, L R; Pereira, M N; Schwan, R F

    2016-05-01

    This study was aimed to identify yeasts and moulds as well as to detect mycotoxin in corn silages in southern Minas Gerais, Brazil. Corn silages from 36 farms were sampled to analyse dry matter, crude protein, ether extract, ash, neutral detergent fibre, nonfibre carbohydrates and mycotoxins contents, yeasts and moulds population, pH and temperature values. The mycotoxins found in high frequency were aflatoxin in 77·7% of analysed samples, ochratoxin (33·3%) and zearalenone (22·2%). There was no significant correlation between the mycotoxin concentration and the presence of moulds. The pH was negatively correlated with ochratoxin concentration. Aspergillus fumigatus was identified in all silages that presented growth of moulds. Ten different yeast species were identified using the culture-dependent method: Candida diversa, Candida ethanolica, Candida rugosa, Issatchenkia orientalis, Kluyveromyces marxianus, Pichia manshurica, Pichia membranifaciens, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Trichosporon asahii and Trichosporon japonicum. Another six different yeast species were identified using the culture-independent method. A high mycotoxin contamination rate (91·6% of the analysed silages) was observed. The results indicated that conventional culturing and PCR-DGGE should be combined to optimally describe the microbiota associated with corn silage. This study provides information about the corn silage fermentation dynamics and our findings are relevant to optimization of this silage fermentation. © 2016 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  3. In situ degradability of dry matter and fibrous fraction of sorghum silage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renê Ferreira Costa

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to evaluate in situ degradability and degradation kinetics of DM, NDF and ADF of silage, with or without tannin in the grains. Two isogenic lines of grain sorghum (CMS-XS 114 with tannin and CMS-XS 165 without tannin and two sorghum hybrids (BR-700 dual purpose with tannin and BR-601 forage without tannin were ensiled; dried and ground silage samples were placed in nylon bags and introduced through the fistulas. After incubation for 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours, bags were taken for subsequent analysis of fibrous fractions. The experimental design was completely randomized with 4 replicates and 4 treatments and means compared by Tukey’s test at 5% probability. As for the DM degradation rate, silage of CMSXS165without tannin was superior. Silages of genotypes BR700 and CMSXS 114 with tannin showed the highest values of indigestible ADF (59.54 and 43.09%. Regarding the NDF, the potential degradation of silage of CMSXS165 line without tannin was superior. Tannin can reduce ruminal degradability of the dry matter and fibrous fractions.

  4. Fermentation Characteristics and Lactic Acid Bacteria Succession of Total Mixed Ration Silages Formulated with Peach Pomace

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaodong Hu

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to assess the use of peach pomace in total mixed ration (TMR silages and clarify the differences in aerobic stability between TMR and TMR silages caused by lactic acid bacteria (LAB. The TMR were prepared using peach pomace, alfalfa hay or Leymus chinensis hay, maize meal, soybean meal, cotton meal, limestone, a vitamin-mineral supplement, and salt in a ratio of 6.0:34.0:44.4:7.0:5.0:2.5:1.0:0.1 on a dry matter (DM basis. Fermentation quality, microbial composition, and the predominant LAB were examined during ensiling and aerobic deterioration. The results indicated that the TMR silages with peach pomace were well fermented, with low pH and high lactic acid concentrations. The aerobic stability of TMR silages were significantly higher than that of TMR. Compared with TMR silages with alfalfa hay, TMR silage with Leymus chinensis hay was much more prone to deterioration. Although the dominant LAB were not identical in TMR, the same dominant species, Lactobacillus buchneri and Pediococcus acidilactici, were found in both types of TMR silages after 56 d of ensiling, and they may play an important role in the aerobic stability of TMR silages.

  5. Potential Water Retention Capacity as a Factor in Silage Effluent Control: Experiments with High Moisture By-product Feedstuffs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Razak, Okine Abdul; Masaaki, Hanada; Yimamu, Aibibula; Meiji, Okamoto

    2012-01-01

    The role of moisture absorptive capacity of pre-silage material and its relationship with silage effluent in high moisture by-product feedstuffs (HMBF) is assessed. The term water retention capacity which is sometimes used in explaining the rate of effluent control in ensilage may be inadequate, since it accounts exclusively for the capacity of an absorbent incorporated into a pre-silage material prior to ensiling, without consideration to how much the pre-silage material can release. A new terminology, ‘potential water retention capacity’ (PWRC), which attempts to address this shortcoming, is proposed. Data were pooled from a series of experiments conducted separately over a period of five years using laboratory silos with four categories of agro by-products (n = 27) with differing moisture contents (highest 96.9%, lowest 78.1% in fresh matter, respectively), and their silages (n = 81). These were from a vegetable source (Daikon, Raphanus sativus), a root tuber source (potato pulp), a fruit source (apple pomace) and a cereal source (brewer’s grain), respectively. The pre-silage materials were adjusted with dry in-silo absorbents consisting wheat straw, wheat or rice bran, beet pulp and bean stalks. The pooled mean for the moisture contents of all pre-silage materials was 78.3% (±10.3). Silage effluent decreased (p<0.01), with increase in PWRC of pre-silage material. The theoretical moisture content and PWRC of pre-silage material necessary to stem effluent flow completely in HMBF silage was 69.1% and 82.9 g/100 g in fresh matter, respectively. The high correlation (r = 0.76) between PWRC of ensiled material and silage effluent indicated that the latter is an important factor in silage-effluent relationship. PMID:25049587

  6. Potential Water Retention Capacity as a Factor in Silage Effluent Control: Experiments with High Moisture By-product Feedstuffs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Okine Abdul Razak

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available The role of moisture absorptive capacity of pre-silage material and its relationship with silage effluent in high moisture by-product feedstuffs (HMBF is assessed. The term water retention capacity which is sometimes used in explaining the rate of effluent control in ensilage may be inadequate, since it accounts exclusively for the capacity of an absorbent incorporated into a pre-silage material prior to ensiling, without consideration to how much the pre-silage material can release. A new terminology, ‘potential water retention capacity’ (PWRC, which attempts to address this shortcoming, is proposed. Data were pooled from a series of experiments conducted separately over a period of five years using laboratory silos with four categories of agro by-products (n = 27 with differing moisture contents (highest 96.9%, lowest 78.1% in fresh matter, respectively, and their silages (n = 81. These were from a vegetable source (Daikon, Raphanus sativus, a root tuber source (potato pulp, a fruit source (apple pomace and a cereal source (brewer’s grain, respectively. The pre-silage materials were adjusted with dry in-silo absorbents consisting wheat straw, wheat or rice bran, beet pulp and bean stalks. The pooled mean for the moisture contents of all pre-silage materials was 78.3% (±10.3. Silage effluent decreased (p<0.01, with increase in PWRC of pre-silage material. The theoretical moisture content and PWRC of pre-silage material necessary to stem effluent flow completely in HMBF silage was 69.1% and 82.9 g/100 g in fresh matter, respectively. The high correlation (r = 0.76 between PWRC of ensiled material and silage effluent indicated that the latter is an important factor in silage-effluent relationship.

  7. Forage yield and nutritive value of Tanzania grass under nitrogen supplies and plant densities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fabrício Paiva de Freitas

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the nitrogen and plant density influence on the yield, forage dissection and nutritive value of Tanzania grass (Panicum maximum Jacq.. The design was of completely randomized blocks with three replications in a factorial arrangement with four nitrogen levels (0, 80, 160 or 320 kg/ha N and three plant densities (9, 25 or 49 plants/m². The plots were cut at 25 cm from soil level when the canopy reached 95% of light interception. The total dry matter forage yield and dry matter forage yield per harvest increased linearly with the nitrogen fertilization. The leaf and stem yield had the same response. The senesced forage yield was quadratically influenced by the nitrogen. The stems ratio in the morphologic composition was high in the high nitrogen levels and in the low plant densities. The leaf:stem ratio showed high values in this trial, but it was increased in plots without nitrogen and high plant density. The pre-grazing height was reduced with the increase in plant density. The nutritive value was favored by the nitrogen fertilization, which increased the crude protein level and reduced neutral detergent fiber and lignin. These factors increased the leaf and stem in vitro digestibility of organic matter. Nitrogen fertilization increases the forage yield of Tanzania grass under rotational grazing. After the establishment, plant density has little influence on the Tanzania grass yield and its forage dissection. The harvest with 95% light interception improves the structure and nutritive value of Tanzania grass pastures.

  8. Komposisi Kimia, Degradasi Nutrien dan Produksi Gas Metana in Vitro Rumput Tropik yang Diawetkan dengan Metode Silase dan Hay

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. Santoso

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available Six grass species (Pennisetum purpureum, Pennisetum purpureophoides, Sorghum sudanense, Brachiaria brizantha, Imperata cylindrica, and Panicum maximum were harvested at 49 days and preserved as silage or as hay. Samples of silage and hay were evaluated by an in vitro gas production and in vitro nutrient degradability. Total gas production at 24 and 48 h as well as CH4 were higher (P<0.01 in silage than in hay. Brachiaria brizantha had the highest (P<0.01 gas production compared to other species, whereas P. purpureum had the highest CH4 production (mM/g organic matter degraded. Dry matter (DM and organic matter (OM degradations were higher (P<0.01 in silage than hay. When compared with hay, silage had higher (P<0.01 ammonia-N concentration (20.3 vs. 10.6 mg/100 ml and higher (P<0.05 butyric acid concentration (7.9 vs. 7.0 mM. Non-fiber carbohydrate (NFC and crude protein contents were positively correlated with gas production (r = 0.51; P<0.05 and CH4 production (r = 0.64; P<0.01 at 48 h of in vitro incubation. However total gas and CH4 productions were negatively correlated with neutral detergent fiber (NDF content. There were positive correlation between DM (r = 0.90; P<0.01, OM (r = 0.93; P<0.01, and NDF (r = 0.84; P<0.01 degradations and gas production.

  9. How can we improve biomethane production per unit of feedstock in biogas plants?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Asam, Zaki-ul-Zaman; Poulsen, Tjalfe Gorm; Nizami, Abdul-Sattar; Rafique, Rashad; Kiely, Ger; Murphy, Jerry D.

    2011-01-01

    Biogas production is one of the number of tools that may be used to alleviate the problems of global warming, energy security and waste management. Biogas plants can be difficult to sustain from a financial perspective. The facilities must be financially optimized through use of substrates with high biogas potential, low water content and low retention requirement. This research carried out in laboratory scale batch digesters assessed the biogas potential of energy crops (maize and grass silage) and solid manure fractions from manure separation units. The ultimate methane productivity in terms of volatile solids (VS) was determined as 330, 161, 230, 236, 361 L/kg VS from raw pig slurry, filter pressed manure fiber (FPMF), chemically precipitated manure fiber (CPMF), maize silage and grass silage respectively. Methane productivity based on mass (L/kg substrate) was significantly higher in FPMF (55 L/kg substrate), maize silage (68 L/kg substrate) and grass silage (45-124 L/kg substrate (depending on dry solids of feedstock)) as in comparison to raw pig slurry (10 L/kg substrate). The use of these materials as co-substrates with raw pig slurry will increase significantly the biomethane yield per unit feedstock in the biogas plant.

  10. Total 'shrink' losses, and where they occur, in commercially sized silage piles constructed from immature and mature cereal crops.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, P H; Swanepoel, N; Heguy, J M; Price, P; Meyer, D M

    2016-07-15

    Silage 'shrink' (i.e., fresh chop crop lost between ensiling and feedout) represents losses of potential animal nutrients which degrade air quality as volatile carbon compounds. Regulatory efforts have, in some cases, resulted in semi-mandatory mitigations (i.e., dairy farmers select a minimum number of mitigations from a list) to reduce silage shrink, mitigations often based on limited data of questionable relevance to large commercial silage piles where silage shrink may or may not be a problem of a magnitude equal to that assumed. Silage 'shrink' is generally ill defined, but can be expressed as losses of wet weight (WW), oven dry matter (oDM), and oDM corrected for volatiles lost during oven drying (vcoDM). As no research has documented shrink in large cereal silage piles, 6 piles ranging from 1456 to 6297tonnes (as built) were used. Three used cereal cut at an immature stage and three at a mature stage. Physiologically immature silages had generally higher (Plosses (vcoDM) of large well managed cereal silage piles were relatively low, and a lower potential contributor to aerosol emissions of volatile carbon compounds than has often been assumed. Losses from the silage mass and the exposed silage face were approximately equal contributors to vcoDM shrink. Mitigations to reduce these relatively low emission levels of volatile organic compounds from cereal silage piles should focus on the ensiled mass and the exposed silage face. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Rumen passage kinetics of forage and concentrate derived fiber in dairy cows

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Krämer, Monika; Lund, Peter; Weisbjerg, Martin Riis

    2013-01-01

    , were used in a completely randomized block experiment. Treatments differed in forage type (corn silage versus grass silage) and forage:concentrate ratio (50:50 versus 75:25 on organic matter basis). Fiber passage kinetics were studied based on rumen evacuations and on marker excretion profiles in feces....... The forage type itself (corn silage and grass silage) rather than ration composition seemed to determine the total tract retention time of forage fiber......Rumen passage kinetics of forage and concentrate fiber were analyzed to determine intrinsic feed effects and extrinsic ration effects on the retention time of fiber in the rumen. Sixteen Danish Holstein cows (557 + 37 kg body weight, 120 + 21 days in milk, mean + SD), 8 fitted with ruminal cannulas...

  12. Wasted cabbage (Brassica oleracea silages treated with different levels of ground corn andsilage inoculant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adauton Vilela de Rezende

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Our objective was to evaluate the chemical composition, fermentation profile, and aerobic stability of cabbage silages treated with ground corn and inoculant. The evaluated treatments were: addition of 200, 300, 400, 500, and 600 g of ground corn per kilogram of cabbage (fresh matter basis, with or without a bacterial inoculant composed of Lactobacillus plantarumand Pediococcus pentosaceus. As expected, ground corn additions increased the dry matter (DM content of cabbage silage, and high values were observed for the highest level of addition (540 g kg−1. Conversely, the crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and lignin contents decreased with ground corn additions. The in vitro dry matter digestibility coefficients increased slightly with ground corn additions, but all cabbage silages had digestibility higher than 740 g kg−1 of DM. In the fermentation process, the pH values of cabbage silages increased linearly because of the high levels of ground corn addition. Cabbage ensiled with 200 and 300 g kg−1 of ground corn had high ammonia N production and fermentative losses (effluent and gas. Cabbage silage treated with 600 g kg−1 of ground corn had lower maximum pH values during aerobic exposure, but all silages had constant temperature during aerobic exposure. The ensiling of wasted cabbage is possible and we recommend the application of 400 g kg−1ground corn to improve the silage quality, whereas the use of the inoculant is unnecessary.

  13. Optimisation of logistics processes of energy grass collection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bányai, Tamás.

    2010-05-01

    The collection of energy grass is a logistics-intensive process [1]. The optimal design and control of transportation and collection subprocesses is a critical point of the supply chain. To avoid irresponsible decisions by right of experience and intuition, the optimisation and analysis of collection processes based on mathematical models and methods is the scientific suggestible way. Within the frame of this work, the author focuses on the optimisation possibilities of the collection processes, especially from the point of view transportation and related warehousing operations. However the developed optimisation methods in the literature [2] take into account the harvesting processes, county-specific yields, transportation distances, erosion constraints, machinery specifications, and other key variables, but the possibility of more collection points and the multi-level collection were not taken into consideration. The possible areas of using energy grass is very wide (energetically use, biogas and bio alcohol production, paper and textile industry, industrial fibre material, foddering purposes, biological soil protection [3], etc.), so not only a single level but also a multi-level collection system with more collection and production facilities has to be taken into consideration. The input parameters of the optimisation problem are the followings: total amount of energy grass to be harvested in each region; specific facility costs of collection, warehousing and production units; specific costs of transportation resources; pre-scheduling of harvesting process; specific transportation and warehousing costs; pre-scheduling of processing of energy grass at each facility (exclusive warehousing). The model take into consideration the following assumptions: (1) cooperative relation among processing and production facilties, (2) capacity constraints are not ignored, (3) the cost function of transportation is non-linear, (4) the drivers conditions are ignored. The

  14. Production of tropical forage grasses under different shading levels

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    Francisco Eduardo Torres

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to evaluate the forage production of three tropical forage grasses under different shading levels. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, University Unit of Aquidauana (UEMS/UUA, in a soil classified as Ultisol sandy loam texture. The treatments consisted of three grasses species combinations (B. brizantha cv. Marandu, B. decumbens cv. Basilisck and Panicum maximum cv. Tanzania, submitted to four shading levels (0, 30, 50 and 75%, arranged in a completely randomized blocks design in a factorial 3 x 4, with eight replications. After harvest, the plants were separated into shoot and roots for determination of shoot fresh mass (SFM, shoot dry mass (SDM and roots dry mass production. After analysis of variance, the qualitative factor was subjected to comparison of averages by Tukey’s test, and the quantitative factor to analysis of polynomial regression, being interactions appropriately unfolded. It was verified that B. decumbens, by its linearly increasing production of forage and less decrease of root formation, is the most recommended for shading conditions compared to grasses Tanzania and Marandu.

  15. Study on evaluation of silage from pineapple (Ananas comosus) fruit residue as livestock feed.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gowda, Nisarani Kollurappa Shivakumar; Vallesha, Naglapura Chandrashekara; Awachat, Vaibhav Bhagvan; Anandan, Samireddypalli; Pal, Din Taran; Prasad, Cadaba Srinivasa

    2015-03-01

    Pineapple is a commercially important fruit crop grown in Asian and African countries. Pineapple fruit residue (PFR) accounts for more than 65% of the processed fruits, and its disposal is a major problem due to its high moisture and sugar content predisposing it to fungal growth and spoilage. Silage technique was adopted to address this problem, and the PFR silage was evaluated for its feeding value. It was observed that on 15th day, the pH of PFR silage was 4.2-4.3 and lactic acid content was 6-8% (DM basis). Combination of 4 parts leafy crown and 1 part peels/pomace was found very ideal to achieve moisture content of 65-70% and produced a good quality silage with minimum fungal count (Pineapple fruit residue that was hitherto wasted was successfully converted to silage and was found to be a valuable alternative to conventional green fodder. Ensiling of PFR not only improved the economics of feeding but also helped in overcoming the disposal problem.

  16. A meta-analysis of feed digestion in dairy cows. 1. The effects of forage and concentrate factors on total diet digestibility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nousiainen, J; Rinne, M; Huhtanen, P

    2009-10-01

    A meta-analysis based on published experiments with lactating dairy cows was conducted to study the effects of dietary forage and concentrate factors on apparent total diet digestibility. A data set was collected that included a total of 497 dietary treatment means from 92 studies. The diets were based on grass silage or on legume or whole-crop cereal silages partly or completely substituted for grass silage. The silages were supplemented with concentrates given at a flat rate within a dietary comparison. For the statistical evaluation, the data were divided into 5 subsets to quantify silage (digestibility, 42 diets in 17 studies; fermentation characteristics, 108 diets in 39 studies) and concentrate (amount of supplementation, 142 diets in 59 studies; concentration of crude protein, 215 diets in 82 studies; carbohydrate composition, 66 diets in 23 studies) factors on total diet digestibility. The diet digestibility of dairy cows was determined by total fecal collection or by using acid-insoluble ash as an internal marker. Diet organic matter digestibility (OMD) at a maintenance level of feeding (OMD(m)) was estimated using sheep in vivo or corresponding in vitro digestibility values for the forage and reported ingredient and chemical composition values, with tabulated digestibility coefficients for the concentrate components of the diet. A mixed model regression analysis was used to detect the responses of different dietary factors on apparent total diet digestibility. Improved silage OMD(m) resulting from earlier harvest was translated into improved production-level OMD in cows (OMD(p)). The effects of silage fermentation characteristics on OMD(p) were quantitatively small, although sometimes significant. Concentrate supplementation improved total diet OMD(m), but this was not realized in lactating dairy cows because of linearly decreased neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility as concentrate intake increased. Increasing the concentrate crude protein amount

  17. Desempenho de ovinos mantidos com dietas com capim-elefante ensilado com diferentes aditivos Performance of sheep fed diets with elephant grass ensiled with different addictives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Nobre de Carvalho Junior

    2009-06-01

    meal in elephant grass ensilage increased the dry matter intake. The greatest crude protein intakes were observed with silage containing cocoa meal and cassava meal. Neutral detergent fiber intakes were similar, and the total digestible nutrients intake was higher in silage containing cassava bran. The feed conversion rate of the animals was not affected by the inclusion of addictives in ensilage. Diet containing elephant grass ensiled with cassava meal showed higher weight gain along the period and per day, however, no difference was observed in the feed conversion rate. The addition of cassava meal in ensilage of elephant grass provided weight gain of 140.5 g/day in Santa Inês sheep.

  18. Silage quality of pearl millet cultivars produced in different cutting agesQualidade da silagem de cultivares de milheto produzidas em diferentes idades de corte

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Welma Santos Cruvinel

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available The millet has being prominent in recent years, especially with the arrival of early genotypes with high nutritional value and productive potential, coming from breeding. As these genotypes are new, little information exists about them. Thus, it is important to obtain technical information, supported by scientific studies about the behavior of these materials considering the nutritional value and harvest for silage production. The objective of this research was to evaluate the silage quality of pearl millet genotypes grown in different cuts age. The experiment was carried out on the campus of the Agronomy, of the Rio Verde University. The experimental design was randomized blocks with four replications in a 5 x 3 factorial, with five genotypes of millet: ARD 500, ADR 7010, LAB 0730, LAB 0731 and LAB 0732 and three cuts ages: 57, 65 and 73 days after sowing (DAS. The results showed that silages produced by millet, regardless of genotype, could be considered of nutritional value. Since this is a precocious material the best age that provided the best quality of these silages was when the materials were harvested at 57 DAS.O milheto vem ganhando destaque nos últimos anos, principalmente com a chegada de genótipos precoces e de alto valor nutritivo e potencial produtivo, oriundos do melhoramento genético. Por se tratarem de materiais novos, existem poucas informações sobre esses genótipos. Nesse sentido, é importante obter informações técnicas, apoiadas em estudos científicos, sobre o comportamento desses materiais em relação ao valor nutritivo e época de colheita para a produção de silagens. Diante disso, objetivou-se avaliar a qualidade de silagem de genótipos de milheto produzidas em diferentes idades de cortes. O experimento foi conduzido no Campus da Faculdade de Agronomia da Universidade de Rio Verde. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi de blocos ao acaso, com quatro repetições, em esquema fatorial 5 x 3, sendo, cinco

  19. Effects of four short-chain fatty acids or salts on fermentation characteristics and aerobic stability of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) silage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Xian J; Wen, Ai Y; Wang, Jian; Desta, Seare T; Dong, Zhi H; Shao, Tao

    2018-01-01

    The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of four chemicals on the fermentation quality and aerobic stability of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) silage. Wilted alfalfa was ensiled without additive (control), or with formic acid (FA), potassium diformate (KDF), sodium diacetate (SDA) or calcium propionate (CAP). After 60 days of ensiling, the pH values in FA, KDF and SDA silages were lower (P < 0.05) compared to that of control and CAP silages, and chemicals (P < 0.05) decreased butyric acid and ammonia N concentrations and populations of aerobic bacteria and yeasts compared to the control. The SDA and CAP silages had a higher (P < 0.05) lactic acid bacteria content compared to the FA and KDF silages. The SDA and CAP silages had higher (P < 0.05) acetic and propionic acid contents compared to the other silages, respectively. The ammonia N concentrations in the FA and KDF silages were lower compared to the other silages during the first 5 days of aerobic exposure, and then increased sharply to 105 and 100 g kg -1 total N, respectively, which was higher (P < 0.05) than that of the SDA and CAP silages on day 9 of aerobic exposure. Yeasts and aerobic bacteria counts in SDA silage slowly increased and remained at lower levels compared to the other silages after 7 days of aerobic exposure. Additives prolonged the aerobic stability duration compared to the control, and the SDA and CAP silages remained stable for more than 216 h, followed by the KDF and FA silages (202 and 196 h, respectively). © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

  20. The use of urea by lactating dairy cows when fed maize silage

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The use of urea by lactating dairy cows when fed maize silage. T.J. Dugmere, A.M. Breden and K.P. Walsh. Department of Agriculture and Water Supply, Natal Region, Pietermaritzburg. Maize silage is relatively high in energy but low in protein for the normal lactational requirements of dairy cows. Three trials were ...

  1. Gross anatomy of the gastrointestinal tract in reindeer, free-living and fed baled timothy silage in summer and winter

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tove H. Aagnes

    1996-01-01

    Full Text Available The gross anatomy of the gastrointestinal (GI tract was investigated in reindeer calves (Rangtfer tarandus tarandus, free-living and fed two different qualities of timothy silage in September 1992 (summer and April 1993 (winter and related to the body condition. At both seasons nine male reindeer calves were taken from a natural pasture. Three animals were slaughtered directly (NP reindeer, three offered first cut (FC silage and three regrowth (RG silage ad lib., for 46 days. The FC silage contained 27% leaves and 57.8% dry matter (DM cell wall content (CWC and the RG silage 89 % leaves, and 38.7% DM CWC. The reticulo-rumen (RR digesta wet weight in the NP reindeer in summer was 6.7-7.7% of body mass (BM, compared to 25.1-32.8% and 9.6-12.9% of BM, respectively, in the animals fed FC and RG silage. In winter the RR digesta wet weight relative to BM in the NP reindeer and in the animals fed FC and RG silages were 9-5-11.5%, 25.4-33.3% and 10.4-18.3%, respectively. The distal fermentation chamber (DFC digesta wet weight in the NP animals in summer was 0.48-0.80% of BM, compared to 0.77-1.26% and 0.57¬0.65% of BM, respectively, in the animals fed FC and RG silage. In winter the DFC digesta wet weight relative to BM in the animals fed FC and RG silage did not differ significantly from the summer values (P>0.05, while in the NP reindeer it was 1.0-1.2% of BM which is significantly greater than in summer (P<0.05. The differences in relative weight of the fermentation chambers between the animals fed FC and RG silage both summer and winter were not reflected in total BM, which was similar in all groups fed silage. This is explained by a significantly lower carcass weight in the animals fed FC silage compared to the animals fed RG silage. Thus, the GI-tract gross anatomy in the silage fed animals seem to be highly affected by the plant structure and composition, and not by the season.

  2. Dynamic modeling of the cesium, strontium, and ruthenium transfer to grass and vegetables

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Renaud, P.; Real, J.; Maubert, H.; Roussel-Debet, S.

    1999-01-01

    From 1988 to 1993, the Nuclear Safety and Protection Institute (Institut de Protection et de Surete Nucleaire -- IPSN) conducted experimental programs focused on transfers to vegetation following accidental localized deposits of radioactive aerosols. In relation to vegetable crops (fruit, leaves, and root vegetables) and meadow grass these experiments have enabled a determination of the factors involved in the transfer of cesium, strontium, and ruthenium at successive harvests, or cuttings, in respect of various time lags after contamination. The dynamic modeling given by these results allows an evaluation of changes in the mass activity of vegetables and grass during the months following deposit. It constitutes part of the ASTRAL post-accident radioecology model

  3. Biohydrogenation of Fatty Acids Is Dependent on Plant Species and Feeding Regimen of Dairy Cows

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Majbritt Bonefeld; Jensen, Søren Krogh

    2014-01-01

    and LA between single plant species and feeding regimens. Rumen fluid was collected from cows fed either total mixed ration (TMR), species-rich silage (HERB), or grass silage (GRASS). Five single species (alfalfa, birdsfoot trefoil, chicory, English plantain, and salad burnet) and a grass–clover mixture...... (white clover and ryegrass) were incubated in three replicas up to 30 h and subsequently analyzed for fatty acid content. Michaelis–Menten kinetics was applied for quantifying the BH rate. BH proceeded at the lowest rate in alfalfa and salad burnet (P ... was lower in HERB and GRASS compared to TMR (P

  4. Effect of additives on the physical and chemical characteristics of sugar cane silage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patricia do Rosario Rodrigues

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to verify the efficiency of different additives on chemical composition, pH, ethanol production, content of volatile fatty acids (VFAs, nutritional losses during fermentation, and changes in fibrous fractions, in the levels of non-fibrous and total carbohydrates during the sugar cane silage fermentation process with different additives. The treatments consisted of control (no additive; corn meal, at 10% of natural matter; molasses, at 10% of natural matter; urea, at 2% of natural matter; and microbial inoculant for sugarcane silage (Lactobacillus plantarum, Kera-Sil® in a proportion of 2 g L-1 of water using a 2 liter solution per ton of ensilage. The experimental design was a completely randomized design with five treatments and five replications. The urea treatment provided the best preparation of silage, taking into account the pH and bromatological composition when compared to silages made with the other tested additives, and the control. The sugarcane silage showed a loss of 5.86% on average of dry matter, not differing from others additives used. There was an increase in crude protein content when urea was used. There was no difference between the treatment for fiber losses in neutral detergent and total digestible nutrients.

  5. Wild birds and silage as reservoirs of Listeria in the agricultural environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fenlon, D R

    1985-12-01

    A method for the isolation of listeria which enabled a more rapid detection of the organism was used to examine samples of silage and bird faeces. Faecal samples indicated that seagulls feeding at sewage works had a higher rate of carriage than those elsewhere. Faecal samples from rooks generally suggested a low incidence of listeria except on one occasion when eight of twenty samples contained Listeria monocytogenes: this coincided with the nesting season and the peak period for listeriosis in sheep. The incidence of L. monocytogenes in clamp silages ranged from 2.5-5.9%, but in samples of big bale silages the incidence was 22.2% and, when mouldy samples were selected, 44%.

  6. Characterization of culturable yeast species associating with whole crop corn and total mixed ration silage

    OpenAIRE

    Wang, Huili; Hao, Wei; Ning, Tingting; Zheng, Mingli; Xu, Chuncheng

    2017-01-01

    Objective This study investigated the association of yeast species with improved aerobic stability of total mixed ration (TMR) silages with prolonged ensiling, and clarified the characteristics of yeast species and their role during aerobic deterioration. Methods Whole crop corn (WCC) silages and TMR silages formulated with WCC were ensiled for 7, 14, 28, and 56 d and used for an aerobic stability test. Predominant yeast species were isolated from different periods and identified by sequencin...

  7. Quinoa-geheleplantensilage in het rantsoen van melkkoeien

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zom, R.; Schooten, van H.; Pinxterhuis, I.

    2002-01-01

    Report of a feeding experiment with the aim to evaluate the effects of partial replacement of wilted grass-clover silage by quinoa whole crop silage on feed intake and milk production and milk composition of dairy cows.

  8. Accelerated development in Johnsongrass seedlings (Sorghum halepense) suppresses the growth of native grasses through size-asymmetric competition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwinning, Susanne; Meckel, Heather; Reichmann, Lara G; Polley, H Wayne; Fay, Philip A

    2017-01-01

    Invasive plant species often dominate native species in competition, augmenting other potential advantages such as release from natural enemies. Resource pre-emption may be a particularly important mechanism for establishing dominance over competitors of the same functional type. We hypothesized that competitive success of an exotic grass against native grasses is mediated by establishing an early size advantage. We tested this prediction among four perennial C4 warm-season grasses: the exotic weed Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense), big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparius) and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum). We predicted that a) the competitive effect of Johnsongrass on target species would be proportional to their initial biomass difference, b) competitive effect and response would be negatively correlated and c) soil fertility would have little effect on competitive relationships. In a greenhouse, plants of the four species were grown from seed either alone or with one Johnsongrass neighbor at two fertilizer levels and periodically harvested. The first two hypotheses were supported: The seedling biomass of single plants at first harvest (50 days after seeding) ranked the same way as the competitive effect of Johnsongrass on target species: Johnsongrass critical mechanism by which exotic invasive species displace functionally similar native species and alter the functional dynamics of native communities.

  9. Growth performance, carcass trait, meat quality and oxidative stability of beef cattle offered alternative silages in a finishing ration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, L; Yang, J; Chen, W; Zhou, Z; Wu, H; Meng, Q

    2018-03-01

    As lack of forage resource, alternative roughage sources have been developed for ruminant production and their inclusion would exert a great effect on the dietary nutrition, consequently affecting animal performance. Four silages (corn silage (CS), corn stalk silage (SS), inoculated CS and inoculated SS) were separately offered to 60 Bohai Black cattle (15 cattle/group) during a 24-week finishing period, in which the growth performance, carcass trait, beef quality and oxidative stability of steers were determined. Neither silage material nor silage inoculant exerted a significant effect on the growth performance, carcass trait and oxidative stability of beef cattle (P>0.05). As to beef quality, cattle offered CS had higher (P0.05) on the proximate components and fatty acids profile of beef muscle. There was neither an interaction (P>0.05) between inoculated treatment and silage material. There were no differences (P>0.05) in cholesterol content and meat quality traits in animals fed alternative silages. The collective findings suggest that it is not economical to substitute high-quality forage for relative low-quality forage in a high-concentrate finishing ration of beef cattle and silage inoculant inclusion would not exert a direct effect on animal performance.

  10. Effect of grape pomace on fermentation quality and aerobic stability of sweet sorghum silage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Ping; Shen, Yixin; You, Minghong; Zhang, Yu; Yan, Jiajun; Li, Daxue; Bai, Shiqie

    2017-10-01

    The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of grape pomace (GP) with different adding levels (0%, 5%, 10% and 15%, fresh matter basis), alone (GP-LAB) or in combine with an inoculant LAB (GP+LAB), on the fermentation quality and aerobic stability of sweet sorghum silage. After 90 days of ensiling in vacuumized mini-silos, silages were subject to a 7-day aerobic stability test, in which chemical, microbial and polyphenol composition were measured. In the GP-LAB group, adding GP decreased (P fermentation. During aerobic exposure, the fungi count, pH value and silage temperature increased (P fermentation products, microbial counts, chemical and polyphenol composition were considered, the use of 10% GP+LAB at ensiling could provide a valuable source for improved fermentation quality and aerobic stability of sweet sorghum silage. © 2017 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

  11. Forage tree legumes. II. Investigation of nitrogen transfer to an associated grass using a split-root technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Catchpoole, D.W.; Blair, G.J.

    1990-01-01

    The glasshouse study reported, employed a split-root technique, whereby trees of leucaena and gliricidia were grown in boxes with 15 N fed to one half of the root system and the transfer of N to the other half of the box was measured by sampling tree and planted grass. Detection of 15 N in the grass tops and roots from the unlabelled half of the box was used to indicate N transfer from the tree roots to the grass. Transfer of labelled N to the grass amounted to 4.1% in the first 6 week period when 15 N was being injected in the tree root zone. A harvest of the tree and grass was made at 6 weeks and both allowed to regrow for a further 6 weeks with no further addition of 15 N. Over the entire 12 week experimental period 7.6% of the labelled N from the tree was transferred to the grass. The low proportion of N transferred from tree legume to the grass in this experiment, where herbage was cut and removed, is similar to the findings in the earlier field experiment and indicates that, in such a system, little direct beneficial effect of N fixation would be expected in an understorey grass or food crop. 24 refs., 4 tabs

  12. Influence of diets with silage from forage plants adapted to the semi-arid conditions on lamb quality and sensory attributes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campos, F S; Carvalho, G G P; Santos, E M; Araújo, G G L; Gois, G C; Rebouças, R A; Leão, A G; Santos, S A; Oliveira, J S; Leite, L C; Araújo, M L G M L; Cirne, L G A; Silva, R R; Carvalho, B M A

    2017-02-01

    Quality and sensory attributes of meat from 32 mixed-breed Santa Inês lambs fed diets composed of four silages with old man saltbush (Atriplex nummularia Lind), buffelgrass (Cenchrus ciliaris), Gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium), and Pornunça (Manihot sp.) were evaluated. Meat from lambs fed diet containing old man saltbush silage (Pcooking loss. Of the sensory attributes evaluated in the Longissimus lumborum muscle of the lambs, color and juiciness did not differ (P>0.05). However, the silages led to differences (Plambs that consumed old man saltbush silage and lower in the meat from those fed buffelgrass silage. Diets formulated with buffelgrass silage for sheep reduce meat production. Based on the results for carcass weight and meat quality, old man saltbush and pornunça are better silages for finishing sheep. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Effects of different irrigation methods and plant densities on silage quality parameters of PR 31Y43 hybrid corn cultivar (Zea mays L. var. indentata [Sturtev.] L.H. Bailey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammet Karasahin

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available The yield and quality of corn silage is related to genotype as well as factors such as climate, soil conditions, altitude, planting time, plant density, irrigation, and harvesting time. This study was conducted to determine the effects of different irrigation methods (drip, subsoil drip, and subsoil capillary and different plant densities (102 040, 119 040, and 142 850 plant ha-1 on silage quality parameters of PR 31Y43 hybrid corn (Zea mays L. var. indentata [Sturtev.] L.H. Bailey in 2011 and 2012 under ecological conditions in Eskipazar-Karabuk, Turkey. Plant densities were significantly different on fresh ear ratio and plant crude protein (CP yield in both years under study. The highest fresh ear ratio values were obtained with 102 040 and 119 040 plant ha-1 densities and the highest plant CP yield with 142 850 plant ha-1. While the irrigation method x plant density interactions were significant for silage CP ratio in the first year, they were significant on fresh ear ratio in the second year. The highest fresh ear ratio values were obtained from subsoil capillary x 119 040 plant ha-1 and drip x 119 040 plant ha-1 interactions; the highest plant and silage CP ratio values were obtained from subsoil capillary x 142 850 plant ha-1 and subsoil drip x 102 040 plant ha-1 interactions. As a result of the research, high Flieg scores were obtained from each irrigation method and plant density. When plant CP yield is taken into consideration, the 142 850 plant ha-1 density is more important.

  14. The Neutral Detergent Fiber Digestibility of Some Tropical Grasses at Different Stage of Maturity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P Mahyuddin

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available The digestibility of neutral detergent fiber (IVNDFD was determined by Telly and Terry methods in vitro on 5 tropical grasses species, Sorghum, Themeda, Iseilema, Brachyacne and Dicanthium. Stem and leaf samples were harvested at different maturity stages, started from early flowering stage to the stage when the grasses were dried. In general, IVNDFD ranged from 22% to 41%. Stages of maturity affected IVNDFD in 4 species; IVNDFD was higher in the stems than in the leaves for 2 species out of 5 species of grasses; the rest was similar. There was no correlation between NDF and IVNDFD, showing that NDF degradability in the rumen was vary. Digestibility potential of NDF (PDNDF varied from 21% to 44% and has negative correlation with IVNDFD (r=0.75. Growth affected PDNDF in 2 species; and 3 out 5 species observed showed PDNDF in the leaves was higher than that in the stems. Negative correlation was exist between dry matter digestibility (IVDMD, water soluble extract (WSE and protein with PDNDF. Grasses with stated PDNDF values have relatively high NDF retention in the rumen, which will cause low NDF or dry matter consumption. (Animal Production 11(3: 189-195 (2009Key Words: NDF digestibility, tropical grasses, stem, leaves, maturity stage

  15. Effect of restricting silage feeding prepartum on time of calving, dystocia and stillbirth in Holstein-Friesian cows

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gleeson David E

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract A study was carried out to investigate the effect of restricting silage feeding on time of calving and calving performance in Holstein-Friesian cows. In the treatment group (n = 1,248 cows, 12 herds silage feeding commenced in the evening (17:00 to 20:00 h, after a period of restricted access (2 to 10 h while in the control group ad-libitum access to silage was provided over the 24 h period (n = 1,193 cows, 12 herds. Daytime and nighttime calvings were defined as calvings occurring between the hours of 06:30 and 00:29 and between 00:30 and 06:29, respectively. Restricting access to silage resulted in less calvings at night compared to cows with ad-libitum access to silage (18 vs 22%, P

  16. The effect of feed made from fish processing waste silage on the ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Administrator

    2011-06-08

    Jun 8, 2011 ... silage from fish processing waste and fish products of low .... placed in bags and then stored in a deep freeze (at -18°C) until they ... rences were found in the behavior of the fish in the trial ... information about the percentage of silage that can be .... not change (Lie et al., 1988; Goncalves et al., 1989).

  17. resistance of napier grass clones to napier grass stunt disease

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ACSS

    Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach) is the major livestock fodder under intensive and semi-intensive systems in East Africa. However, the productivity of the grass is constrained by Napier grass Stunt Disease. (NSD). The purpose of this study was to identify Napier grass clones with resistance to NSD.

  18. Resistance of Napier grass clones to Napier grass Stunt Disease ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach) is the major livestock fodder under intensive and semi-intensive systems in East Africa. However, the productivity of the grass is constrained by Napier grass Stunt Disease (NSD). The purpose of this study was to identify Napier grass clones with resistance to NSD.

  19. Potential of grass seed production for new lawns

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Josiane Vargas de Oliveira Maximino

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available The Paspalum and Axonopus genera are among the main warm season grasses used for lawns. The seed propagation contributes to the decrease of the cost of establishment, besides maintaining the exact characteristics of the mother plant genotype, because they are apomictic species. The objective of this work was to evaluate the seed production potential of seventeen grass accesses of the species Paspalum notatum, P. lepton, P. lividum and Axonopus parodii. The experiment was conducted at Capão do Leão, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, in a randomized block design, with four replications. The evaluated variables were: number of inflorescences per area, number of florets per inflorescence and seed production potential (SPP. In order to measure the seed production potential of the accesses, the equation proposed is: SPP = number of florets per inflorescence x number of inflorescences per m2 . There were year, access and interaction between years and accesses effect for the traits number of inflorescences per area and seed production potential. For the number of florets per inflorescence, there was no year effect. Potential production for the 2013/2014 harvest, ranged from 19,152.00 to 135,062.70 seeds m- ², with PN 09 of the P. notatum species standing out. In the 2014/2015 harvest, the seed production potential ranged from 9,973.75 to 81,536.75 seeds m- ², highlighting the access PN 11 of the species P. notatum. The accesses PN 11, PN 09, PN 10 and AP 01 were in the top third of the seed production potential ranking in the two harvests, and “grama-batatais” was in the lower third. There is genotype-environment interaction for all characteristics evaluated. However, there are accesses that show seed production potential consistently superior to the “grama-batatais” control, and have a greater potential for exploitation in the establishment of lawns by seeds.

  20. Effects of by-product feed-based silage on feeding, rumination, and excretion in growing Hanwoo heifers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Young-Il; Lee, Sang Moo; Lee, Youn Hee; Lee, Myeon; Choi, Do Young; Kwak, Wan Sup

    2015-01-01

    This study investigated the effects of feeding by-product feed (BF)-based silage on the behavior of growing Hanwoo heifers. Twelve Hanwoo heifers (13.2 months-old, 315 kg body weight; four heifers per pen) were assigned to three diets: a rice straw (RS) diet (concentrate mix and free access to RS), a RS and BF-based silage (RSBFS) diet (concentrate mix and free access to RS and BF-based silage), and a BF-based silage (BFS) diet (concentrate mix and free access to BF-based silage). Behavior was recorded for 5 days using camcorders. Compared to the RS group, the BFS group showed 21.7% higher dry matter intake, shorter feeding, rumination, and chewing times, as well as longer resting time (p < 0.05). Although all groups exhibited similar drinking, urination, and defecation frequencies, the BFS group exhibited higher feeding rates, rumination efficiency, and chewing efficiency than the RS group (p < 0.05). Compared to the BFS group, the RSBFS group showed higher peNDF8.0 intake (15.2% vs. 25.0% dry matter intake), longer feeding and sitting times, lower defecation frequency (p < 0.05), and similar rumination efficiency. In conclusion, complete replacement of conventional RS with BF-based silage reduced rumination and chewing activity in growing Hanwoo heifers, and BF-based silage feeding with large-particle straw is an effective approach in improving heifer behavior.

  1. An in vitro model to study interactions between Escherichia coli and lactic acid bacterial inoculants for silage in rumen fluid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weinberg, Z G; Chen, Y; Volchinski, V; Sela, S; Ogunade, I M; Adesogan, A

    2016-07-01

    Previous studies have shown that silages treated with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculants enhance ruminants' performance. The objective of the current experiments was to develop an in vitro model to study interactions between LAB silage inoculants and inoculated silages and Escherichia coli (EC) in rumen fluid (RF). Our hypothesis was that some inoculants inhibit EC in RF. For that purpose buffered RF was incubated under anaerobic conditions at 39°C with commercial strains of LAB silage inoculants or with laboratory corn and wheat silages treated with these LAB, an EC strain and with various ruminant feed ingredients. The EC strain was originally isolated from cattle manure and tagged with a plasmid expressing the green fluorescence protein and kanamycin and streptomycin resistance. Results indicate that the LAB or the treated silages did not suppress EC numbers in the RF. When the pH of the RF decreased below 5·0 the EC disappeared. We conclude that both LAB inoculants for silage and EC survived in RF for several days; however, the inoculants and silages treated with such inoculants did not inhibit EC in RF in vitro. Forage crops, silage and hay are initial stages of the food chain for humans. Cattle harbours and sheds enterobacteria regularly, some strains of which are pathogens. These can contaminate forage crops through field fertilization with cattle manure. The objective of this study was to develop an in vitro model to test whether lactic acid bacteria, which are used in silage inoculants, alone or in treated silages can inhibit Escherichia coli in rumen fluid. This study presents safety aspects and it is also part of a broad research effort aimed at finding out how LAB silage inoculants and inoculated silages enhance ruminant performance or exert probiotic effects in ruminants. © 2016 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  2. Upgraded fuel from reed canary grass

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Heiskanen, V.P.

    1995-12-31

    The feasibility of RCG for commercial utilization depends primarily on its applicability for pulp production and its use in energy production will be based on the residue that will be available after extracting the pulp fraction of the RCG. Roughly 20 ..30% of the material will be available for energy production purposes. However, the percentage may be higher/lower depending on the quality standards of the pulp fiber material. The harvesting period has a significant effect on the fuel characteristics of RCG. For instance the contents of N, S, Cl, K are clearly lower if the RCG is harvested in the spring (delayed) instead of summer/autumn. These elements affect significantly overall emission formation and ash behaviour and its melting temperature. The combustion related research in this project has been focused on the spring-harvested RCG. The project aims to evaluate the feasibility of delayed harvested RCG for energy production. In order to reach this goal, the following combustion methods will be tested and studied: combustion of pelletized RCG; gasification; combustion of pulverized RCG. In addition, pelletizing, reactivity and NO conversion of pulverized RCG will be studied. The research described here is a part of `Reed Canary Grass` project (in AIR programme). The contractors of the project are Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (coordinator), United Milling Systems from Denmark, Jaakko Poeyry Oy and VTT Energy. In addition, there are partners from several countries participating in the project. The project has been divided in five tasks, VTT Energy being responsible for combustion related task `Upgraded fuel` that includes the research topics discussed in this paper

  3. Upgraded fuel from reed canary grass

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Heiskanen, V P

    1996-12-31

    The feasibility of RCG for commercial utilization depends primarily on its applicability for pulp production and its use in energy production will be based on the residue that will be available after extracting the pulp fraction of the RCG. Roughly 20 ..30% of the material will be available for energy production purposes. However, the percentage may be higher/lower depending on the quality standards of the pulp fiber material. The harvesting period has a significant effect on the fuel characteristics of RCG. For instance the contents of N, S, Cl, K are clearly lower if the RCG is harvested in the spring (delayed) instead of summer/autumn. These elements affect significantly overall emission formation and ash behaviour and its melting temperature. The combustion related research in this project has been focused on the spring-harvested RCG. The project aims to evaluate the feasibility of delayed harvested RCG for energy production. In order to reach this goal, the following combustion methods will be tested and studied: combustion of pelletized RCG; gasification; combustion of pulverized RCG. In addition, pelletizing, reactivity and NO conversion of pulverized RCG will be studied. The research described here is a part of `Reed Canary Grass` project (in AIR programme). The contractors of the project are Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (coordinator), United Milling Systems from Denmark, Jaakko Poeyry Oy and VTT Energy. In addition, there are partners from several countries participating in the project. The project has been divided in five tasks, VTT Energy being responsible for combustion related task `Upgraded fuel` that includes the research topics discussed in this paper

  4. Preservation of grass juice and wet leaf protein concentrate for animal feeds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matti Näsi

    1983-09-01

    Full Text Available Formic acid, mixtures of acids (AIV 1, AIV 2 and formalin-acid mixtures (Viher solution, Viher acid were tested as preservatives of juice and wet leaf protein concentrate (LPC obtained from grass, clover and pea. The main criteria used in judging the success of preservation were changes in the protein fraction, fermentation of sugars, and losses of dry matter and true protein during storage. Fermentation of sugars and moulding could be inhibited in plant juices by adding 0.5 % v/w preservative, but proteolysis continued and true protein was degraded in unheated juices. Ensiling losses of pea juice were considerable, 4.0-15.6 % of DM, in all treatments. For wet leaf protein concentrate precipitated by steaming (85°C, good preservation could be obtained with the additives used in silage making applied at a level of 1 % v/w. In these treatments protein breakdown was minimal, because heating eliminated proteolytic enzymes and partly sterilized the LPC product.

  5. Transcriptomic Identification of Drought-Related Genes and SSR Markers in Sudan Grass Based on RNA-Seq

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    Yongqun Zhu

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Sudan grass (Sorghum sudanense is an annual warm-season gramineous forage grass that is widely used as pasture, hay, and silage. However, drought stress severely impacts its yield, and there is limited information about the mechanisms of drought tolerance in Sudan grass. In this study, we used next-generation sequencing to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs in the Sudan grass variety Wulate No.1, and we developed simple sequence repeat (SSR markers associated with drought stress. From 852,543,826 raw reads, nearly 816,854,366 clean reads were identified and used for analysis. A total of 80,686 unigenes were obtained via de novo assembly of the clean reads including 45,065 unigenes (55.9% that were identified as coding sequences (CDSs. According to Gene Ontology analysis, 31,444 unigenes were annotated, 11,778 unigenes were identified to 25 categories in the clusters of orthologous groups of proteins (KOG classification, and 11,223 unigenes were assigned to 280 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG pathways. Additionally, there were 2,329 DEGs under a short-term of 25% polyethylene glycol (PEG treatment, while 5,101 DEGs were identified under the long-term of 25% PEG treatment. DEGs were enriched in pathways of carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms and plant hormone signal transduction which played a leading role in short-term of drought stress. However, DEGs were mainly enriched in pathway of plant hormone signal transduction that played an important role under long-term of drought stress. To increase accuracy, we excluded all the DEGs of all controls, specifically, five DEGs that were associated with high PEG concentrations were found through RNA-Seq. All five genes were up-regulated under drought stress, but the functions of the genes remain unclear. In addition, we identified 17,548 SSRs obtained from 80,686 unigenes. The newly identified drought tolerance DEGs will contribute to transgenic breeding efforts, while

  6. In vitro gas and methane production of silages from whole-plant corn harvested at 4 different stages of maturity and a comparison with in vivo methane production

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Macome, F. M.; Pellikaan, Wilbert F; Hendriks, W H; Dijkstra, J; Hatew, B.; Schonewille, J T; Cone, John W

    2017-01-01

    The current study investigated the relationship between in vitro and in vivo CH4 production by cows fed corn silage (CS)-based rations. In vivo CH4 production was measured in climate respiration chambers using 8 rumen-cannulated Holstein-Friesian cows. In vitro CH4 production was measured using

  7. Correlation of fermentation characteristics with intake and digestibility of alfalfa silage in gestating ewes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baled silage production provides benefits to farmers because it reduces leaf losses, and requires a shorter wilting time, thereby limiting risks of exposure to rain compared with making hay. Our objective was to investigate the correlation of alfalfa silage fermentation parameters with intake and di...

  8. Kinnow madarin (Citrus nobilis lour × Citrus deliciosa tenora) fruit waste silage as potential feed for small ruminants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malla, B A; Rastogi, A; Sharma, R K; Ishfaq, A; Farooq, And J

    2015-01-01

    Study was conducted to ascertain the quality of Kinnow mandarin waste (KMW) silage and its utilization by adult male goats. KMW was collected, dried to 30% dry matter level and ensiled in silo pit after addition of disodium hydrogen orthophosphate as source of phosphorus as KMW is deficient in phosphorus. Oat was collected at milking stage, chopped finely and ensiled in a silo pit for 2 months. Twelve nondescript local adult male goats of about 8-10 months age and mean body weight of 23.00±0.90 kg were selected. The goats were randomly allotted on body weight as per randomized block design into two equal groups, six animals in each group (n=6) namely "oat silage (OS)" and "Kinnow silage." Goats were offered weighed quantities of respective silage on ad libitum basis. The silages were evaluated for proximate principles and silage quality attributes. Differences were found between chemical composition of both silages with higher organic matter, ether extracts, nitrogen free extract (p0.05 for CP) and possess comparable (2.23 vs. 2.06; p>0.05) calcium content. The pH, ammonia nitrogen (percent of total nitrogen) and soluble carbohydrate content were lower (4.20 vs. 3.30; 4.14 vs. 3.80; 2.73 vs. 1.86; p0.05) among the two dietary groups. It can be concluded that KMW can be used to prepare good quality silage for feeding of goats.

  9. Comparison of the effect of benzoic acid addition on the fermentation process quality with untreated silages

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    Petr Doležal

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available The influence of benzoic acid and formic acid (positive control of ensilaged maize and pressed sugar beet pulp on quality fermentation processes was studied in a laboratory experiment. The effect of additive on the quality of fermentation process during maize ensiling was studied in a first model experiment. Preservatives such as formic acid and benzoic acid were added to ensiled maize at the concentration of 1L/t and 1 kg/t, respectively. When benzoic acid was used as a preservative, the pH and the N-NH3/ N total ratio decreased statistically (PSugar beet pulp silages with benzoic acid or formic acid after 32 days of storage had a better sensuous evaluation than the control silage. The most intensive decrease of pH value was observed after formic acid addition as compared with control silage. The statistically significantly (P<0.05 highest lactic acid content (49.64 ± 0.28 as well as the highest ratio of LA/VFA were found in the sugar beet pulp silage with benzoic acid. Lactic acid constituted the highest percentage (P<0.05 of all fermentation acids in the silage with benzoic acid additive (65.12 ± 0.80. Undesirable butyric acid (BA was not found in any variant of silages. The positive correlation between the titration acidity and acids sum in dry matter of silage conserved with formic acid was found. The additive of organic acids reduced significantly TA and fermentation acids content. Between the pH value and lactic acid content, no correlation was found.

  10. Impact of NDF degradability of corn silage on the milk yield potential of dairy cows

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    Mauro Spanghero

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The neutral detergent fibre (NDF degradability of corn silage samples, measured in vitro (ivNDFd by a filter bag system, was used to examine (i the relationship between the ivNDFd and that calculated from acid detergent lignin (L content (NDFd and (ii the impact of ivNDFd variations on the predicted milk yield (MY of dairy cows fed corn silage based diets. A total of 173 samples of corn silage were collected during a period of three years (2001-03 in different dairy farms of the Po Valley (Northern Italy. Each sample was analysed for chemical composition and was also tested in triplicate for the ivNDFd using the DaisyII incubator (Ankom, Tech. Co., Fairport, NY, USA with incubation time of 48hs. Moreover, the NDFd of samples was calculated from the L contents, while the measured ivNDFd values were used to estimate the NEl, the potential dry matter intakes (DMI and to predict the MY of cows. Corn silage samples of the three years were similar for NDF and starch contents (44.2 and 30.7% DM, on average, respectively while samples from 2003, in comparison with 2001 and 2002, had lower crude protein (6.9 vs 8.3-8.4% DM, P<0.01 and L contents (3.3 vs 3.6-3.9% DM, P<0.01 and higher ivNDFd values (53.3 vs 45.6-47.8%, P<0.01. The relationship between ivNDFd and NDFd was weak (R2=0.09, not significant. The MY predicted from the NEl content and DMI of corn silage (5.5 MJ/kg DM and 8.9 kg/d minus the maintenance energy costs, was 11.5 kg/d on average (coefficient of variation 20%. Our simulations indicate that a variation of ivNDFd by +1.0% changes the NEl of corn silage to have an expected variation in milk yield of +0.15 kg/d. If the ivNDFd is also used to predict the corn silage DMI then a +1.0% variation in ivNDFd of corn silage produces an overall +0.23 kg/d MY variation. The present results indicate that ivNDFd is highly variable in corn silage populations and differences in this nutritional parameter have an appreciable impact on the predicted milk

  11. Aerobic stability, chemical composition and ruminal degradability of sugarcane silage with glycerin from biodiesel

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    Marco Antonio Bensimon Gomes

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The experiment was performed with the objective of studying the ensiled sugarcane silage with 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20% of glycerin in experimental PVC silos. The aerobic stability was assessed by measuring the pH and the temperature of the silage at 0, 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120h. The chemical composition, the levels of non-fiber carbohydrates (NFC and the total digestible nutrients (TDN were evaluated. The in vitro digestibility of dry matter (IVDDM and the in vitro digestibility of the cell wall (IVDCW in the silages were evaluated. In three fistulated cattle the in situ degradability of dry matter (DM and the disappearance percentage of the neutral detergent fiber (NDF in samples incubated at 0, 2, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96h were analyzed. The experimental design was completely randomized and the statistical analyzes were done using Bayesian inference. Increases were observed in DM, TDN, mineral matter, NFC and reductions in NDF, acid detergent fiber, crude protein and ether extract as the inclusion of glycerin was higher. IVDDM increased (P <0.05 in silage with 15 and 20% of glycerin in relation to those with 0, 5 and 10%. The IVDCW at levels of 10, 15 and 20% of glycerin was higher (P <0.05 compared to the other treatments. Increases were observed in the soluble portion (a, a reduction in the insoluble fraction (b, and an increase in the degradability fraction constant (c of the silages with 5, 10, 15 and 20% of glycerin (P <0.05 compared to the control. Glycerin improved aerobic stability while maintaining a low pH and temperature during the observation period at levels of 15 and 20% of glycerin against the silage with 0, 5 and 10%. These results indicate glycerin as a promising additive for sugarcane silage, being able to enhance energy density and improve the aerobic stability of the ensiled matter when its inclusion is from 10 to 20%.

  12. Comparison of phytoremediation potential of three grass species in soil contaminated with cadmium

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    Gołda Sylwia

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the study was to compare the toleration of Poa pratensis, Lolium perenne and Festuca rubra to cadmium contamination as well as the phytoremediation potential of these three species of grass. The pot experiment was conducted in four replications in pots containing 2.0 kg of soil. The soil was contaminated with three doses of Cd – 30, 60 and 120 mg·kg−1. After two months, the aerial parts of plants were harvested. The roots were dug up, brushed off from the remaining soil and washed with water. The biomass was defined and the cadmium concentration was determined in aerial parts and roots. The phytoremediation potential of grasses was evaluated using biomass of grasses, bioaccumulation factor (BF and translocation factor (TF. All three tested species of grasses had TF 1. It indicates their suitability for phytostabilisation and makes them unsuitable for phytoextraction of Cd from the soil. Comparing the usefulness of the tested grasses for phytoremediation has shown that the phytostabilisation potential of P. pratensis was lower than that of L. perenne and F. rubra. P. pratensis was distinguished by higher TF, smaller root biomass and lower tolerance for Cd excess in the soil in comparison with the two other test grasses. At the same time, L. perenne was characterised by the smallest decrease in biomass and the largest Cd accumulation in roots at the lowest dose of Cd. It indicates good usefulness for phytostabilisation of soils characterised by a relatively small pollution by cadmium.

  13. Development of a new lactic acid bacterial inoculant for fresh rice straw silage

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    Jong Geun Kim

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Objective Effects of newly isolated Lactobacillus plantarum on the fermentation and chemical composition of fresh rice straw silage was evaluated in this study. Methods Lactic acid bacteria (LAB from good crop silage were screened by growing them in MRS broth and a minimal medium with low carbohydrate content. Selected LAB (LAB 1821 were Gram-positive, rods, catalase negative, and were identified to be Lactobacillus plantarum based on their biochemical characteristics and a 16S rRNA analysis. Fresh rice straw was ensiled with two isolated LAB (1821 and 1841, two commercial inoculants (HM/F and P1132 and no additive as a control. Results After 2 months of storage at ambient temperature, rice straw silages treated with additives were well-preserved, the pH values and butyric and acetic acid contents were lower, and the lactic acid content and lactic/acetic acid ratio were higher than those in the control (p0.05 effect on acid detergent fiber or neutral detergent fiber contents. Crude protein (CP content and in vitro DM digestibility (IVDMD increased after inoculation of LAB 1821 (p<0.05. Conclusion LAB 1821 increased the CP, IVDMD, lactic acid content and ratio of lactic acid to acetic acid in rice straw silage and decreased the pH, acetic acid, NH3-N, and butyric acid contents. Therefore, adding LAB 1821 improved the fermentation quality and feed value of rice straw silage.

  14. Impact of adding Saccharomyces strains on fermentation, aerobic stability, nutritive value, and select lactobacilli populations in corn silage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duniere, L; Jin, L; Smiley, B; Qi, M; Rutherford, W; Wang, Y; McAllister, T

    2015-05-01

    Bacterial inoculants can improve the conservation and nutritional quality of silages. Inclusion of the yeast Saccharomyces in the diet of dairy cattle has also been reported to be beneficial. The present study assessed the ability of silage to be used as a means of delivering Saccharomyces strains to ruminants. Two strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (strain 1 and 3)and 1 strain of Saccharomyces paradoxus (strain 2) were inoculated (10(3) cfu/g) individually onto corn forage that was ensiled in mini silos for 90 d. Fermentation characteristics, aerobic stability, and nutritive value of silages were determined and real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to quantify S. cerevisiae, S.paradoxus, total Saccharomyces, fungal, and bacterial populations. Fermentation characteristics of silage inoculated with S1 were similar to control silage. Although strain 3 inoculation increased ash and decreased OM contents of silage (P = 0.017), no differences were observed in nutrient composition or fermentation profiles after 90 d of ensiling. Inoculation with Saccharomyces had no detrimental effect on the aerobic stability of silage. In vitro DM disappearance, gas production, and microbial protein synthesis were not affected by yeast inoculation.Saccharomyces strain 1 was quantified throughout ensiling, whereas strain 2 was detected only immediately after inoculation. Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain 3 was quantified until d 7 and detectable 90 d after ensiling. All inoculants were detected and quantified during aerobic exposure. Inoculation with Saccharomyces did not alter lactobacilli populations. Saccharomycetales were detected by RT-qPCR throughout ensiling in all silages. Both S. cerevisiae and S. paradoxus populations increased during aerobic exposure, demonstrating that the density of these yeast strains would increase between the time that silage was removed from storage and the time it was fed.

  15. Inter-laboratory variation in in vitro gas production profiles of some selected feeds, using both manual and automated methods

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rymer, C.; Williams, B.A.; Brooks, A.E.; Davies, D.R.; Givens, D.I.

    2005-01-01

    A study was conducted to estimate variation among laboratories and between manual and automated techniques of measuring pressure on the resulting gas production profiles (GPP). Eight feeds (molassed sugarbeet feed, grass silage, maize silage, soyabean hulls, maize gluten feed, whole crop wheat

  16. Apparent in vivo nutrient digestibility of maize silages in horses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adriana PÍŠOVÁ

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the experiment was to analyzed coefficients of digestibility of the maize silage nutrients in horse feeding. Horses of Slovak warmblood breed engaged in the research were 2.5 ± 0.5 years old. Horses in boxes without bedding to avoid eating it and excrement contamination were stabled. Horses individually with ad libitum access to water were housed. The boxes with trough for corn silage were equiped. The corn silage contained 362.3 g of dry matter, 74.1 g of crude protein, 27.1 g of crude fat and 948.2 g of organic matter in kg of dry matter. The feed twice a day, in the morning and in the evening was given. The feed intake and leftovers were weighed every day. Excrements immediately after excreting to avoid urine contamination into plastic containers were collected and weighed. The content of nutrients in the feed intake and in the excrements were analysed. In analysed samples the gravimetric dry matter amount by drying at 103 ± 2 °C, crude protein content by Kjeldahl method, fat content by extraction method according to Soxhlett – Henkel, ash content by burning the sample at 530 ± 20 °C in muffle furnace and organic matter content by calculation were determined. Coefficients of apparent digestibility in percent from taken in and excreted nutrients were calculated. In maize silage for horse feeding an average coefficient of digestibility of dry matter 61.94%, of crude protein 56.03%, of crude fat 72.34% and of organic matter 65.19% was found.

  17. Treatment of peat bogs harvested by deep digging technique. A lterature study; Efterbehandling av torvtaekter utbrutna med djupbrytningsteknik; En litteraturstudie

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hoernsten, L [Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences, Umeaa (Sweden). Dept. of Forest Ecology

    1992-06-01

    The aim of this study is to describe how peat bogs harvested by deep digging technique can be treated after harvesting has come to an end. The study points out treatment methods, how the treatments are carried out and to indicate the most appropriate method of harvest for optimum results. Costs and benefits are calculated for the methods involving cultivation. The knowledge gained from traditional peat harvesting technique indicate forestry, energy wood production and establishment of ponds as possible alternatives. Energy grass cultivation and establishments of game parks have not been tested. but are assumed to be viable on suitable sites. Establishment of duck ponds are also possible, even though conditions for these are better on firm ground. In this study spruce is estimated to produce 200 cubic meters during 105 year whilst pine produces 300 cubic meters. Calculations for pine and spruce estimate costs of respectively 17000 and 18000 SEK per hectare after 105 years. Energy wood production is estimated to be 11.6 tons dry matter per hectare and year which gives a net cost of 19000 SEK per hectare. Similarly energy grass cultivation results in an average annual harvest of 6.5 ton dry matter and a cost of 59000 SEK per hectare. If the results are applied to three specific cases, then forest cultivation and establishment of ponds are possible in all cases. Neither energy wood nor energy grass are appropriate in any of the three regions. At the particular site for this study all methods mentioned are possible. Depending on whether draining leads to a high or low water table, the most appropriate course would be the establishment of a pond respectively a game park of forest cultivation. (59 refs., 12 tabs., 4 figs.).

  18. In situ degrability of dry matter of sheep fed with corn silage with or without Bt gene

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    Camila Memari Trava

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Silage corn is a food widely used, composing the bulk of feed for ruminants, because its present high nutritional value. Since the release by CNTBio seeds of modified genetically corn, many of it began to use transgenic silage corn, which was inserted into genetic code the Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis gene that expresses a toxic protein to caterpillar pests of corn, so occurs the reduction of production costs and pesticide use. Due to rapid expansion of transgenic maize and your wide use in animal feed by producers, the aim of this study was to evaluate the degrability in situ in animal rumen, in order to estimate the nutritional value of silage corn with and without the Bt gene. The experiment was conducted at the Institute of Animal Science Nova Odessa-SP. Were used four rumen fistulated sheep housed in individual pens for 56 days, including four periods. The animals were fed with silage with two varieties of plant corn to silage - DKB and AG, and their isogenic counterparts with the Bt gene, comprising four treatments. The degradability determination of dry matter (DM digestibility of silage corn treatments was determined by means of nylon bag in situ. After removal, the bags were washed and incubated, then placed in forced-circulation at 55°C to constant weight to determine the DM concentration. Data from in situ degradation of DM was adjusted in the mathematical model proposed by Ørskov and McDonald (1979. For the degradability of DM, the fraction “a” showed the interaction (p <0.05, where the variety DKB do not showed difference (p> 0.05 for the gene insertion. For AG, showed a slight decrease (p <0.05 when compared to its isogenic counterpart with the gene (35.68% and 37.85% respectively, means that the Bt gene reduced the solubility of DM of this fraction for AG range. The fact of the variety AG with and without the gene have suffered lower solubility of DM when compared the DKB with and without the gene is due to the fact of being

  19. MEAT QUALITY FROM CHAROLAIS BULLS FED DIETS WITH DIFFERENT LEVELS OF CORN SILAGE INCLUSION

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    G. Cozzi

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available A sample of 6 intensive beef farms was selected according to the feeding plan adopted during the fattening period of Charolais bulls. Two farms did not include any corn silage in the diet (CS0, while corn silage represented 22% of the dietary DM in the second group of 2 farms (CS22, and it raised up to 44% of the dietary DM in the last 2 farms (CS44. Five bulls were randomly selected from each farm to be slaughtered in the same abattoir. Bulls age was similar across treatments but the CS44 bulls had a lower carcass weight (396 kg than the other two treatments (436 and 446 kg for CS0 and CS22, respectively. Carcass fleshiness (SEUROP and fatness scores were not affected by the level of corn silage in the diet. Meat quality was evaluated on a joint sample of the m. Longissimus thoracis, excised from the 5th to the 9th rib of each right half carcass 24 h post-mortem, after an ageing period of 10 d vacuum packaged at 4°C. Meat chemical analysis showed no variations in pH, DM, intramuscular fat and protein content due to the different silage inclusion in the diet. Only the cholesterol content was progressively reduced in the meat of bulls fed increasing quantities of corn silage according to a significant negative linear trend. Meat colour, cooking losses and shear force values were not affected by the diet. Therefore, based on these findings there are no substantial arguments against the use of a large amount of corn silage in the fattening diets of Charolais bulls.

  20. Particle size alterations of feedstuffs during in situ NDF incubation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Krämer, Monika; Nørgaard, P.; Lund, Peter

    2013-01-01

    feedstuffs with a decrease of 74 % between 24 h and 288 h in situ rumen incubation. Together with the highest mass proportion (20 %) of particles in the critical zone for escape (smaller than 0.005 mm2 in area) for late cut grass silage after 288 h in situ rumen incubation, this imposes a risk for particle...... evaluated in terms of particle size for a broad range of feedstuffs which typically serve as NDF sources in dairy cow rations. Early and late cut grass silages, corn silage, alfalfa silage, rapeseed meal and dried distillers grains were examined. Treatments were I) drying and grinding of forage samples...... and grinding of concentrates, II) neutral detergent soluble (NDS) extraction, III) machine-washing and NDS extraction, IV) 24 h rumen incubation, machine-washing and NDS extraction, and V) 288 h rumen incubation, machine-washing and NDS extraction. Degradation profiles for potentially degradable NDF were...

  1. Rumen volatile fatty acids and milk composition from cows fed hay, haylage, or urea-treated corn silage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schingoethe, D J; Voelker, H H; Beardsley, G L; Parsons, J G

    1976-05-01

    Alfalfa-brome hay, haylage, .5% urea-treated corn silage, or .5% urea plus 1% dried whey-treated corn silage was fed as the only forage to one of four groups of 10 lactating cows per group for a lactation trial of 10 wk. Rumen samples were collected via stomach tube 3 to 4 h after the morning feeding. The pH of the rumen samples from cows fed hay was higher than for cows fed haylage, urea-treated corn silage, and urea-whey corn silage, 6.69 versus 6.36, 6.40, and 6.50. Total volatile fatty acids and propionate were highest from cows fed urea-whey corn silage and were higher on all three fermented forages than cows fed hay. Acetate/propionate ratio was highest from cows fed hay and lowest from cows fed corn silages. Butyrate was highest from cows fed haylage or hay. Milk protein composition was not affected by ration although nonprotein nitrogen of milk was highest from cows fed the urea-treated corn silages. Oleic acid and total unsaturated fatty acids were lowest in milk fat from cows fed hay while palmitic acid was highest from cows fed hay and haylage. These results suggest that type of forage fed may cause small changes in rumen fermentation and in milk composition. The importance of these changes is unknown but may affect properties of dairy products produced from this milk.

  2. Kinnow madarin (Citrus nobilis lour × Citrus deliciosa tenora fruit waste silage as potential feed for small ruminants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. A. Malla

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim: Study was conducted to ascertain the quality of Kinnow mandarin waste (KMW silage and its utilization by adult male goats. Materials and Methods: KMW was collected, dried to 30% dry matter level and ensiled in silo pit after addition of disodium hydrogen orthophosphate as source of phosphorus as KMW is deficient in phosphorus. Oat was collected at milking stage, chopped finely and ensiled in a silo pit for 2 months. Twelve nondescript local adult male goats of about 8-10 months age and mean body weight of 23.00±0.90 kg were selected. The goats were randomly allotted on body weight as per randomized block design into two equal groups, six animals in each group (n=6 namely “oat silage (OS” and “Kinnow silage.” Goats were offered weighed quantities of respective silage on ad libitum basis. The silages were evaluated for proximate principles and silage quality attributes. Results: Differences were found between chemical composition of both silages with higher organic matter, ether extracts, nitrogen free extract (p0.05 for CP and possess comparable (2.23 vs. 2.06; p>0.05 calcium content. The pH, ammonia nitrogen (percent of total nitrogen and soluble carbohydrate content were lower (4.20 vs. 3.30; 4.14 vs. 3.80; 2.73 vs. 1.86; p0.05 among the two dietary groups. Conclusion: It can be concluded that KMW can be used to prepare good quality silage for feeding of goats.

  3. Health status of cows fed maize silage covered with oxo-biodegradable foil

    OpenAIRE

    Piotr SZTERK; Piotr DORSZEWSKI; Małgorzata GRABOWICZ; Lucyna PODKÓWKA

    2017-01-01

    In agricultural practice, silage production uses pure, low density polyethylene foil. This foil, after use, becomes farm waste, having a negative impact on the environment. Instead of conventional foil, an environmentally safe biodegradable foil can be used, made from naturally occurring polymers or from synthetic multiparticulates, easily degradable by microorganisms. Silage covered with this type of foil should be safe for animal health. The purpose of the study was to determine whether oxo...

  4. Investigations on the effect of forage source, grinding, and urea supplementation on ruminal fermentation and microbial protein flow in a semi-continuous rumen simulation system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hildebrand, Bastian; Boguhn, Jeannette; Rodehutscord, Markus

    2011-10-01

    The objective of the present study was to compare the effect of maize silage and grass silage on microbial fermentation and protein flow in a semi-continuous rumen simulation system (Rusitec) when milling screen size (MSS) during grinding was varied. Oven-dried silages were milled through screens of 1, 4 or 9 mm pore size and incubated for 48 h in a Rusitec system. Furthermore, the effect of N supplementation to maize silage (MSS: 4 mm) was investigated and single dose vs. continuous infusion of urea-N were compared. Degradation of organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), fibre fractions and non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) as well as short-chain fatty acid production differed significantly between forage sources. Urea-N supplementation improved the degradation of NSC, but not that of fibre fractions in maize silage. The way of urea supply had only marginal effects on fermentation characteristics. An increase in MSS, and consequently in mean feed particle size, led to an improvement in the degradation of OM, CP and NSC, but efficiency of microbial net protein synthesis (EMPS; mg microbial N flow/g degraded OM) and the microbial amino acid profile were less affected. EMPS was higher in grass silage than in maize silage and was improved by urea-N supplementation in maize silage. This study indicates that fermentation of NSC as well as EMPS during incubation of maize silage was limited by availability of NH3-N. Furthermore, an increase in MSS above 1 mm seems to improve fermentation of silages in the Rusitec system.

  5. Production of sugarcane and tropical grasses as a renewable energy source. Third quarterly report, December 1, 1980-February 28, 1981

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alexander, A.G.

    1981-01-01

    Research continued on tropical grasses from Saccharum and related genera as sources of intensively-propagated fiber and fermentable solids. Greenhouse-level screening for short- and intermediate-rotation grasses included further trials with legume species as potential nitrogen sources for the tropical grasses. Yields from four indigenous legumes were appreciably higher when planted in spring (May) than when planted in autumn (November). Initial data were recorded from second generation energy cane studies established during 1980. Controlled variables include varieties, harvest interval, and nitrogen input. Yield data at 6 months indicate high but essentially equal growth rates among all varieties and N-variables. This is attributed to the use of a land rotavator during seedbed preparation - the first such application of this implement on Lajas Valley soils. Total green weights were in the order of 50 to 60 tons/acre, and millable stem weights ranged from 33 to 37 tons/acre, at the 6-months harvest. Dry matter yields ranged from 8 to 11 tons/acre. Juice quality values indicated a minimal sugar content at this stage of maturity. Fiber values ranged from 7 to 14%. Field-scale studies were continued at the Hatillo demonstration site on the humid north coast and in the semi-arid Lajas Valley. For the 6-months harvest at Hatillo, total green weights for all treatments averaged 38.4 tons/acre. Variety US 67-22-2 produced 50.2 tons/acre. Millable cane yields averaged 25.3 tons/acre for all treatments and 34.7 tons/acre for variety US 67-22.2.

  6. Losses through gases and effluent and nutritional value of Brachiaria decumbens with addition of soybean hulls

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos Clayton Oliveira Dantas

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the losses of nutrient through gases and effluents, the nutrient recovery, fermentation parameters and the chemical parameters of silages of Brachiaria decumbens with the addition of soybean hulls, testing five levels of inclusion: 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40% (as is, with five replications per treatment. After the standardization cut of the forage, performed at 5 cm from the soil level, the soil was fertilized with nitrogen and potassium in the form of ammonium sulfate and potassium chloride, respectively, at 60 kg/ha. After 60 days, the grass was cut at 10 cm from the soil and ensiled. Experimental silos with capacity of 10 liters with Bunsen valve were used. Silos had 3 kg of sand conditioned at the bottom for retention of the effluents. The results show that the contents of dry matter, crude protein, acid detergent insoluble fiber and total digestible nutrients presented positive linear behavior with the inclusion of soybean hulls. In the grass silages with addition of soybean hulls, there was greater recovery of dry matter in relation to the control silage, which is a reflection of the negative linear behavior for the values of losses of gases and effluent. There was quadratic behavior in the pH values and negative linear behavior for the ammonia N values and buffering capacity with the inclusion of the additive in the grass silage. Inclusion of soybean hulls is sufficient to improve the fermentation pattern and minimize the losses through gases and effluents, contributing to the nutrient recovery, in addition to promoting overall improvement of the nutritional value of Brachiaria grass silages.

  7. Effects of moisture content or particle size on the in situ degradability of maize silage and alfalfa haylage in lactating dairy cows

    OpenAIRE

    Yang Zou; Shuangzhao Dong; Yun Du; Shengli Li; Yajing Wang; Zhijun Cao

    2016-01-01

    A study using four Holstein cows with ruminal cannulas was conducted to evaluate the degradability of different moisture content or particle size of maize silage and alfalfa haylage. The maize silage (MS; 20-mm length) and alfalfa haylage (AH; 40-mm length) samples were wet (wet maize silage, MSW; wet alfalfa haylage, AHW), dried (dried maize silage, MSD; dried alfalfa haylage, AHD), or ground to pass through a 2.5-mm screen (dried ground maize silage, MSG; dried ground alfalfa haylage, AHG)....

  8. Assessment of dietary ratios of red clover and corn silages on milk production and milk quality in dairy cows.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moorby, J M; Ellis, N M; Davies, D R

    2016-10-01

    Twenty-four multiparous Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were used in a replicated 3×3 Latin square changeover design experiment to test the effects of changing from corn (Zea mays) silage to red clover (Trifolium pratense) silage in graded proportions on feed intakes, milk production, and whole-body N and P partitioning. Three dietary treatments with ad libitum access to 1 of 3 forage mixtures plus a standard allowance of 4kg/d dairy concentrates were offered. The 3 treatment forage mixtures were, on a dry matter (DM) basis: (1) R10: 90% corn silage and 10% red clover silage, (2) R50: 50% corn silage and 50% red clover silage, and (3) R90: 10% corn silage and 90% red clover silage. In each of 3 experimental periods, there were 21d for adaptation to diets, and 7d for measurements. Diet crude protein intakes increased, and starch intakes decreased, as the silage mixture changed from 90% corn to 90% red clover, although the highest forage DM intakes and milk yields were achieved on diet R50. Although milk fat yields were unaffected by diet, milk protein yields were highest with the R 0250 diet. Whole-body partitioning of N was measured in a subset of cows (n=9), and both the daily amount and proportion of N consumed that was excreted in feces and urine increased as the proportion of red clover silage in the diet increased. However, the apparent efficiency of utilization of feed N for milk protein production decreased from 0.33g/g for diet R10 to 0.25g/g for diet R90. The urinary excretion of purine derivatives (sum of allantoin and uric acid) tended to increase, suggesting greater flow of microbial protein from the rumen, as the proportion of red clover silage in the diet increased, and urinary creatinine excretion was affected by diet. Fecal shedding of E. coli was not affected by dietary treatment. In conclusion, even though microbial protein flow may have been greatest from the R 0450 diet, optimum feed intakes and milk yields were achieved on a diet that contained a

  9. Valor nutritivo e características fermentativas de silagens de capim-elefante com adição de casca de café Nutritive value and fermentation characteristics of elephantgrass silages with addition of coffee hulls

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gleidson Giordano Pinto de Carvalho

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available O experimento foi conduzido para avaliar a composição química, a digestibilidade in vitro da MS (DIVMS e as características fermentativas de silagens de capim-elefante com diferentes níveis de casca de café. Utilizou-se o capim-elefante contendo 17,2% de MS, cortado aos 45 dias de crescimento. Os níveis de adição foram de 0, 6, 12, 18 e 24% de casca de café, na base da matéria natural (peso/peso, com quatro repetições por tratamento. O material foi acondicionado em silos de PVC, adotando-se compactação de 500 kg/m³. Observou-se aumento dos teores de MS, FDA, nitrogênio insolúvel em detergente ácido e lignina, em função dos níveis de casca de café. O teor de PB apresentou comportamento quadrático, estimando-se valor máximo de 9,9% de PB para o nível de 16,4% de adição de casca de café. Os valores de FDN reduziram linearmente e os teores de ácido lático das silagens comportaram-se de maneira quadrática em função dos níveis de casca de café, estimando-se valor máximo de 11,4% para o nível de 25,6% de casca. A casca de café foi eficiente em aumentar o teor de MS, mas diminuiu a DIVMS das silagens. A utilização de casca de café na ensilagem de capim-elefante melhorou as características fermentativas da silagem.The experiment evaluated the chemical composition, in vitro DM digestibility (IVDMD, and fermentative characteristics of elephant grass silages with different coffee hull levels. The elephant grass presented 17.2% of dry matter (DM, cut with 45 days of growing. The coffee hull addition levels were 0, 6, 12, 18, and 24%, in fresh matter basis (weight/weight with four replications per treatment. The material was ensiled in cylindrical plastic silos. In the ensiling process, the forage packing density was 500 kg/m³. It was observed increase of DM, acid detergent fiber, acid detergent insoluble nitrogen, and lignin concentration, as a function of coffee hull levels. Crude protein showed quadratic

  10. Effects of fish silage on growth and biochemical characteristics of fresh water microalga Scenedesmus sp. MB 23

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jasmin Kaippilliparambil Abdulsamad

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Scenedesmus sp. MB 23 was cultivated in fish silage to study the effects of different concentrations on the growth and biochemical characteristics, particularly the protein, carbohydrate and lipid properties. Fish silage with 12% concentration was most effective for the growth and biomass production of Scenedesmus sp. The microalga reached maximum cell density (2433.89 × 104 cells/mL, chlorophyll-a concentration (2.766 μg/mL, specific growth rate (0.48/d and biomass (2.73 g/L on this medium. In mass culture, enhanced production of protein (123.87 mg/g dry weight of alga, carbohydrate (44.904 mg/g dry weight of alga and lipid (84.21 mg/g dry weight of alga was found using 9% fish silage. The effective reduction (up to 90% in the concentrations of nitrate, phosphorus and ammonia in the final fish silage medium proved the removal efficiency of Scenedesmus sp. The enhanced production of Scenedesmus sp. MB 23 indicated that effective bioremediation of fish waste can be conducted using algal mass production in fish silage. The study also proved that microalgae grown in fish silage have great industrial potential and can be used as a source of feed and biofuel.

  11. Accelerated development in Johnsongrass seedlings (Sorghum halepense suppresses the growth of native grasses through size-asymmetric competition.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susanne Schwinning

    Full Text Available Invasive plant species often dominate native species in competition, augmenting other potential advantages such as release from natural enemies. Resource pre-emption may be a particularly important mechanism for establishing dominance over competitors of the same functional type. We hypothesized that competitive success of an exotic grass against native grasses is mediated by establishing an early size advantage. We tested this prediction among four perennial C4 warm-season grasses: the exotic weed Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense, big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii, little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparius and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum. We predicted that a the competitive effect of Johnsongrass on target species would be proportional to their initial biomass difference, b competitive effect and response would be negatively correlated and c soil fertility would have little effect on competitive relationships. In a greenhouse, plants of the four species were grown from seed either alone or with one Johnsongrass neighbor at two fertilizer levels and periodically harvested. The first two hypotheses were supported: The seedling biomass of single plants at first harvest (50 days after seeding ranked the same way as the competitive effect of Johnsongrass on target species: Johnsongrass < big bluestem < little bluestem/switchgrass, while Johnsongrass responded more strongly to competition from Johnsongrass than from native species. At final harvest, native plants growing with Johnsongrass attained between 2-5% of their single-plant non-root biomass, while Johnsongrass growing with native species attained 89% of single-plant non-root biomass. Fertilization enhanced Johnsongrass' competitive effects on native species, but added little to the already severe competitive suppression. Accelerated early growth of Johnsongrass seedlings relative to native seedlings appeared to enable subsequent resource pre-emption. Size-asymmetric competition and resource

  12. Evaluation of continuous silage of sorghum varieties samurai 2 containing probiotic of BIOS K2 in rumen fluid of buffalo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shafa Imanda; Yunus Effendi; Irawan Sugoro; Sihono; Irawan Sugoro

    2016-01-01

    Ruminant forage needs could be enhanced by making silage. One of develop techniques was a continuous silage that is a modification technology of making silage by reducing the fermentation time through the addition of seeds inoculum at the beginning of the forages production. The quality of silage could be improved by adding a probiotic supplement such as BIOS K2. Forage that has a potency as silage is sorghum var. Samurai 2. The aim of this study was to evaluate the continuous silage of sorghum var. Samurai 2 that contained probiotics BIOS K2. Evaluation of sample used in vitro Hoheinheim gas test method by using buffalo rumen fluid which was incubated for 24 hours at 39 °C. Treatments were A (silage sorghum 21 days), B (continuous sorghum silage 3 days), and C (continuous silage sorghum 7 days). The parameters tested were degradation of organic matter (% DOM), ammonia, volatile fatty acids (VFA), the levels of carbon dioxide (CO_2) and methane (CH_4), as well as protein synthesis microbes (bacteria and protozoa). The analysis indicated there was a significant effect in the feed treatment to ammonia concentration, the concentration of VFA, microbial protein synthesis and % DOM, while there were no effect in levels of CO_2 and CH_4. Treatment of feed C produced ammonia, VFA and bacterial protein synthesis respectively of 0.44/ml; 0.89 mg/ml; and 5.18 mg.ml"-"1 hour"-"1, higher than treatment A and B. The treatment A had the highest DOM percentage i.e. 47.30 %, while B and C i.e. 25.18 and 37.15 % respectively. Treatment A and B had higher activity of protozoa microbial protein synthesis, respectively of 2.62 mg.ml"-"1hour"-"1 than treatment C of 2.55 mg.ml"-"1hour"-"1. It could be concluded that a continuous feed silage sorghum var. Samurai 2 with time of incubation for 7 days (C) has a better quality than sorghum silage with 21 days incubation (A). (author)

  13. Adição de inoculantes microbianos sobre a composição química e perfil fermentativo da silagem de capim-elefante (Pennisetum purpureum, Schum - DOI: 10.4025/actascianimsci.v25i2.2080 Microbial inoculants addition on chemical composition and fermentation characteristics of elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum, Schum silage - DOI: 10.4025/actascianimsci.v25i2.2080

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos de Sousa Lucci

    2003-04-01

    Full Text Available Foram estudados os efeitos de dois inoculantes microbianos e 1 inoculante enzimo-microbiano no capim-elefante (Pennisetum purpureum, Schum, ensilado em 16 silos experimentais e confeccionados a partir de baldes plásticos portando válvulas. O capim foi cortado aos 97 dias de crescimento, homogeneizado e submetido a tratamentos com 4 repetições: controle, Sil-All® (Streptococcus faecium, Pediococcus acidilactici, Lactobacillus plantarum, amilase, hemicelulase e celulase, Silobac® (L. plantarum, S. faecium e Lactobacillus sp. e Pioneer 1174® (S. faecium e L. plantarum. Os silos foram abertos após 120 dias para análise da composição bromatológica, perfil fermentativo e estabilidade aeróbia. Embora de magnitude pequena, o Sil-All® aumentou a MS, o Pioneer aumentou as concentrações de NIDA e o Silobac® aumentou a FDA e a celulose. Em comparação com o tratamento-controle, o Pioneer e o Silobac melhoraram consideravelmente a relação lático:acético, o Pioneer baixou o pH e melhorou a estabilidade aeróbia.Elephant grass was harvested at 97th day and ensiled in 16 plastic experimental silos, consisting of 4 treatments: control, Sil-All® (Streptococcus faecium, Pediococcus acidilactici, Lactobacillus plantarum, amylase, hemicellulase, and cellulase, Silobac® (L. plantarum, S. faecium, and Lactobacillus sp., and Pioneer 1174® (S. faecium and L. plantarum. Silos were opened 120 days after ensiling and sampled to proceede chemical analyses. Sil-All increased DM, Pioneer increased ADIN concentration and Silobac increased ADF and cellulose contents of silage. Comparing to control Pioneer and Silobac improved consistently the lactic:acetic ratio, Pioneer decreased pH and improved aerobic stability.

  14. A Compound Sensor for Simultaneous Measurement of Packing Density and Moisture Content of Silage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Delun; Meng, Fanjia; Sun, Wei; Deng, Shuang

    2017-12-28

    Packing density and moisture content are important factors in investigating the ensiling quality. Low packing density is a major cause of loss of sugar content. The moisture content also plays a determinant role in biomass degradation. To comprehensively evaluate the ensiling quality, this study focused on developing a compound sensor. In it, moisture electrodes and strain gauges were embedded into an ASABE Standard small cone for the simultaneous measurements of the penetration resistance (PR) and moisture content (MC) of silage. In order to evaluate the performance of the designed sensor and the theoretical analysis being used, relevant calibration and validation tests were conducted. The determination coefficients are 0.996 and 0.992 for PR calibration and 0.934 for MC calibration. The validation indicated that this measurement technique could determine the packing density and moisture content of the silage simultaneously and eliminate the influence of the friction between the penetration shaft and silage. In this study, we not only design a compound sensor but also provide an alternative way to investigate the ensiling quality which would be useful for further silage research.

  15. Effects of processing phases on the quality of massai grass seeds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lilian Faria de Melo

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Massai grass is an important tropical forage grass. The harvested seeds upon being received by the company, are found to be contaminated with impurities which are removable by processing machines. This procedure is necessary to produce seeds of a quality level within standards established for commercialization and sowing purposes. The objective of this project was to evaluate the effects of processing phases on the physical and physiological quality of massai grass (Panicum maximum x P. infestum, cv. Massai seeds for commercialization purposes. Seeds were sampled before processing and after leaving the air and screen machine (upper and intermediary screens and bottom; first gravity table (drift, upper and intermediate spouts; treating machine; and second gravity table (upper, intermediate, and lower spouts. Seeds were evaluated as to water content, physical (purity and 1,000 seeds weight and physiological quality (germination, first count of germination, seedling vigor classification, accelerated aging, seedling emergence in the field, speed of emergence index, and primary root length, shoot length. Massai grass seeds had their physical and physiological qualities improved when they were processed by an air and screen machine and a gravity table. Seeds from the intermediate discharge spout of the first gravity table, after going through the air and screen machine, are those of with highest physiological potential. The seeds of this species do not need to be processed to fit the germination and purity standards when the national market is the goal.

  16. Intake and digestibility of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor, L. Moench silages with different tannin contents in sheep

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alex de Matos Teixeira

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to evaluate the voluntary intake and digestibility of three sorghum (Sorghum bicolor, L. Moench hybrid silages in sheep. The hybrids used were H1 -BRS 655 (CMSXS 222 A × CMSXS 235 R, with tannin; H2 -(ATF54 A × CMSXS 235 R, without tannin; and H3 -BRS 610 (CMSXS 232 A × CMSXS 234 R, without tannin. The intake and digestibility of dry matter (DM, gross energy (GE, neutral detergent fiber (NDF, acid detergent fiber (ADF and crude protein (CP were measured. Eighteen crossbred sheep weighing 59.4 kg (±8.3 were used in the trial. A completely randomized design with three treatments (hybrids and six repetitions (sheep was used. There were no differences in the DM intake or apparent digestibility among the hybrids. Silage of hybrid BRS 610 displayed higher digestibility coefficients for CP, NDF, ADF, and GE compared with the other silages, which did not differ from each other. The neutral detergent fiber, ADF and digestible energy (DE intakes were similar among the hybrids silages. All of the hybrids resulted in a positive N balance in sheep. The levels of DE were superior in hybrid silage BRS 610 in comparison with the other hybrids. Sorghum hybrid BRS 610 silage exhibited superior nutritional value compared with the other hybrids, which is most likely in part due to the absence of tannins. Sorghum silage made with hybrid BRS 610 (CMSXS 232 A × CMSXS 234 R presents superior gross energy, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber digestibility coefficients, as well as greater digestible energy levels than BRS 655 (CMSXS 222 A × CMSXS 235 R and (ATF54 A × CMSXS 235 R.

  17. A comparison between buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) and cow (Bos taurus) rumen fluids in terms of the in vitro fermentation characteristics of three fibrous feedstuffs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Calabrò, S.; Williams, B.A.; Piccolo, V.; Infascelli, F.; Tamminga, S.

    2004-01-01

    Rumen fluids from fistulated buffalos (Italy-BRF) and cows (Netherlands-CRF) were used as inocula to determine the fermentation kinetics of three forages. These were corn silage (CS), grass silage (GS) and wheat straw (WS) which had originated from both regions, giving six substrates in total.

  18. Methane and hydrogen production from crop biomass through anaerobic digestion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pakarinen, O.

    2011-07-01

    The feasibility of methane and hydrogen production from energy crops through anaerobic digestion was evaluated in this thesis. The effects of environmental conditions, e.g. pH and temperature, as well as inoculum source on H{sub 2} yield were studied in batch assays. In addition, the effects of pre-treatments on methane and hydrogen yield as well as the feasibility of two-stage H{sub 2} + CH{sub 4} production was evaluated. Moreover, the effect of storage on methane yield of grasses was evaluated. Monodigestion of grass silage for methane production was studied, as well as shifting the methanogenic process to hydrogenic. Hydrogen production from grass silage and maize was shown to be possible with heat-treated inoculum in batch assays, with highest H{sub 2} yields of 16.0 and 9.9 ml gVS{sub added}-1 from untreated grass silage and maize, respectively. Pre-treatments (NaOH, HCl and water-extraction) showed some potential in increasing H{sub 2} yields, while methane yields were not affected. Two-stage H{sub 2} + CH{sub 4} producing process was shown to improve CH{sub 4} yields when compared to traditional one-stage CH{sub 4} process. Methane yield from grass silage monodigestion in continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) with organic loading rate (OLR) of 2 kgVS (m3d)-1 and hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 30 days was at most 218 l kgVS{sub fed}-1. Methanogenic process was shifted to hydrogenic by increasing the OLR to 10 kgVS (m3d)-1 and shortening the HRT to 6 days. Highest H{sub 2} yield from grass silage was 42 l kgVS{sub fed}-1 with a maximum H{sub 2} content of 24 %. Energy crops can be successfully stored even for prolonged periods without decrease in methane yield. However, under sub-optimal storage conditions loss in volatile solids (VS) content and methane yield can occur. According to present results energy crops such as grass silage and maize can be converted to hydrogen or methane in AD process. Hydrogen energy yields are typically only 2-5 % of the

  19. Ruminal degradability and carbohydrates and proteins fractioning of triticale silages in singular culture or in mixtures with oat and/or legumes

    OpenAIRE

    Bumbieris Junior, Valter Harry; Jobim, Cloves Cabreira; Emile, Jean Claude; Rossi, Robson; Calixto Junior, Moyses; Branco, Antonio Ferriani

    2011-01-01

    It was aimed to evaluate the ruminal degradability, and the fractioning of carbohydrates, as well as of the nitrogen fractions of triticale silages in singular culture or in mixtures with oats and/or legumes. The treatments had been: triticale silage (X. Triticosecale Wittimack) (ST); triticale silage + forage pea (Pisum arvense) (STE); triticale silage + oats (Avena strigosa Scheb) + forage pea + vetch (Vicia sativa) (STAE). Three castrated bovine Prim’Holstein males had been used, with aver...

  20. Effect of By-product Feed-based Silage Feeding on the Performance, Blood Metabolites, and Carcass Characteristics of Hanwoo Steers (a Field Study).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Y I; Park, J M; Lee, Y H; Lee, M; Choi, D Y; Kwak, W S

    2015-02-01

    This study was conducted to determine the effects of feeding by-product feed (BF)-based silage on the performance, blood metabolite parameters, and carcass characteristics of Hanwoo steers. The BF-based silage was composed of 50% spent mushroom substrate, 21% recycled poultry bedding, 15% cut ryegrass straw, 10.8% rice bran, 2% molasses, 0.6% bentonite, and 0.6% microbial additive (on a wet basis), and ensiled for over 5 d. Fifteen steers were allocated to three diets during the growing and fattening periods (3.1 and 9.8 months, respectively): a control diet (concentrate mix and free access to rice straw), a 50% BF-based silage diet (control diet+50% of maximum BF-based silage intake), and a 100% BF-based silage diet (the same amount of concentrate mix and ad libitum BF-based silage). The BF-based silage was fed during the growing and fattening periods, and was replaced with larger particles of rice straw during the finishing period. After 19.6 months of the whole period all the steers were slaughtered. Compared with feeding rice straw, feeding BF-based silage tended (p = 0.10) to increase the average daily gain (27%) and feed efficiency (18%) of the growing steers, caused by increased voluntary feed intake. Feeding BF-based silage had little effect on serum constituents, electrolytes, enzymes, or the blood cell profiles of fattening steers, except for low serum Ca and high blood urea concentrations (p<0.05). Feeding BF-based silage did not affect cold carcass weight, yield traits such as back fat thickness, longissimus muscle area, yield index or yield grade, or quality traits such as meat color, fat color, texture, maturity, marbling score, or quality grade. However, it improved good quality grade (1(+) and 1(++)) appearance rates (60% for the control group vs 100% for the BF-based silage-fed groups). In conclusion, cheap BF-based silage could be successfully used as a good quality roughage source for beef cattle.

  1. Failure of cellulolysis in the rumen of reindeer fed timothy silage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monica A. Olsen

    1995-01-01

    Full Text Available Three male reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus calves were brought from mountain pastures in April and fed regrowth timothy (Phleum pratense silage with 76% leaves and 24.0% dry matter (DM ad libitum. The silage contained (on DM basis 25.4% cellulose, 12.0% crude protein and 19-6% water soluble carbohydrates. After an initial period of 11 days the daily silage intake rose to almost similar values for all animals, but independently of food intake, body mass (BM increased by as much as 13.3 kg for animal R3 during the first 21 days, compared to 4.4 kg and 2.8 kg for Rl and R2, respectively. At slaughter the wet weight of the rumen contents of animal R3 constituted 30.2% of the total BM, compared to 18.5% and 19.1% in animals Rl and R2, respectively. A reduced ability of the rumen micro-biota to ferment pure cellulose in vitro was observed in R3. The ruminal pH was 7.07 and the concentration of volatile fatty acids was only 50.0 mM in R3, indicating a low rate of fermentation. The initial rates of in vitro dry matter digestibility of timothy silage and standard hay were also affected by the rumen fermentation failure in animal R3. Depressed rumen cellulolysis, which may be related to natural periods of starvation prior to the feeding experiment, could have caused the low rate of fermentation and the large rumen size observed in this animal.

  2. Determination of microbial protein in perennial ryegrass silage

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Driehuis, F.; Wikselaar, van P.G.

    2001-01-01

    The microbial matter fraction was determined in perennial ryegrass silages of different dry-matter (DM) contents, ensiled with or without Lactobacillus plantarum. 15N-Leucine and the bacterial cell wall constituent diaminopimelic acid (DAPA) were used as markers for microbial-N. Perennial ryegrass

  3. Fish silage as feed ingredient for fish and livestock

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rurangwa, E.; Vuuren, van A.M.; Poelman, M.

    2014-01-01

    The present report analyses through a literature review the potential of fish silage to valorise fish processing by-products into economically relevant protein sources for fish and livestock feed production in East Africa.

  4. Gene Expression Profiling of Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus and Crisp Grass Carp

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ermeng Yu

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus is one of the most important freshwater fish that is native to China, and crisp grass carp is a kind of high value-added fishes which have higher muscle firmness. To investigate biological functions and possible signal transduction pathways that address muscle firmness increase of crisp grass carp, microarray analysis of 14,900 transcripts was performed. Compared with grass carp, 127 genes were upregulated and 114 genes were downregulated in crisp grass carp. Gene ontology (GO analysis revealed 30 GOs of differentially expressed genes in crisp grass carp. And strong correlation with muscle firmness increase of crisp grass carp was found for these genes from differentiation of muscle fibers and deposition of ECM, and also glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathway and calcium metabolism may contribute to muscle firmness increase. In addition, a number of genes with unknown functions may be related to muscle firmness, and these genes are still further explored. Overall, these results had been demonstrated to play important roles in clarifying the molecular mechanism of muscle firmness increase in crisp grass carp.

  5. Co-digestion of ley crop silage, straw and manure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nordberg, Aa; Edstroem, M [Swedish Inst. of Agricultural Engineering, Uppsala (Sweden)

    1997-08-01

    Anaerobic co-digestion of ley crop silage, wheat straw and liquid manure with liquid recirculation was investigated in laboratory- and pilot scale. An organic loading rate of 6.0 g Vs L{sup -1} d{sup -1} was obtained when 20% of liquid manure (TS-basis) was added, whereas an organic loading rate of 2.5 g VS L{sup -1} d{sup -1} was obtained when the manure was replaced with a trace element solution. The methane yield varied between 0.28 and 0.32 L g VS{sup -1}, with the value being lowest for a mixture containing 60% silage, 20% straw and 20% manure (TS-basis), and highest for 100% ley crop silage. The concentration of ammonia-N was maintained at ca 2 g L{sup -1} by adjusting the C:N-ratio with straw. To achieve good mixing characteristics with a reasonable energy input at TS-concentrations around 10%, the particle sizes of straw and silage had to be reduced with a meat mincer. The digester effluent was dewatered, resulting in a solid phase that could be composted without having to add amendments or bulking agents, and a liquid phase containing 7-8% TS (mainly soluble and suspended solids). The liquid phase, which should be used as an organic fertilizer, contained up to 90% of the N and 74% of the P present in the residues. Calculations of the costs for a full-scale plant showed that a biogas price of SEK 0.125 MJ{sup -1} (0.45 k Wh{sup -1}) is necessary to balance the costs of a 1-MW plant. An increase in plant size to 4 MW together with an increase in compost price from SEK 100 tonnes{sup -1} to SEK 370 tonnes{sup -1} and a 20% rise in the methane yield through post-digestion (20%) would decrease the price to SEK 0.061 MJ{sup -1} (0.22 kWh{sup -1}). (au) 15 refs.

  6. Efeito do acipin sobre a degradabilidade e taxa de passagem de silagens de capim-elefante e de milho, em bovinos Holandês × Zebu Effect of acipin on the degradability and rate of passage of elephant-grass and corn silages in Holstein × Zebu cattle

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L.T. Henriques

    2004-12-01

    Full Text Available Avaliou-se o efeito da inclusão de acipin nas silagens de capim-elefante e de milho sobre a taxa de passagem das fases sólida e líquida da digesta ruminal e sobre a degradabilidade da matéria seca (MS, proteína bruta (PB e fibra em detergente neutro (FDN, em quatro bovinos. Os animais, com média de peso de 550kg, foram confinados em baias individuais por 90 dias. O experimento foi conduzido em quatro períodos experimentais, seguindo um esquema de parcelas subdivididas, tendo nas parcelas um esquema fatorial 2×2 (duas silagens combinadas com ausência e presença de acipin e nas subparcelas o tempo de coleta de líquido ruminal, em delineamento inteiramente ao acaso com quatro repetições. A degradabilidade efetiva da MS, da PB e da FDN da silagem de capim-elefante sem adição de acipin foi menor do que a das silagens de capim-elefante com acipin, de milho sem acipin e de milho com acipin; estas foram semelhantes entre si. A taxa de passagem de sólidos ruminais foi maior nos animais que consumiram silagem de milho. A taxa de passagem de líquidos foi maior nos animais que consumiram silagem de capim-elefante. A inclusão de acipin melhorou a degradabilidade da MS, da PB e da FDN da silagem de capim-elefante.The effects of adding acipin to elephantgrass and corn silages on the passage rates of the solid and liquid phases of the ruminal digesta, and on degradabilities of dry matter (DM, crude protein (CP and neutral detergent fiber (NDF were evaluated. The animals with average live weight of 550kg, were kept in individual stalls for 90 days. The experiment was carried out in four experimental periods, according to a split plot arrangement, with 2×2 (two silages combined with absence or presence of acipin factorial treatment combination in the plot and the time of collection of ruminal liquid in the split plot, in a completely randomized design with four replicates. The degradabilities of DM, CP and NDF in the elephantgrass silage

  7. Importance of NDF digestibility of whole crop maize silage for dry matter intake and milk production in dairy cows

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Krämer, Monika; Lund, Peter; Weisbjerg, Martin Riis

    2016-01-01

    The importance of maize silage as a feed component in cattle rations and for biogas production has substantially increased. Whole crop maize silage is a forage with a high starch concentration, but also the cell wall fraction, commonly analysed as neutral detergent fibre (aNDFom) is a major energ...... silage aNDFom digestibility improved daily milk yield with 82 g (P = 0.04) and daily weight gain with 12 g (P = 0.03). Therefore, aNDFom digestibility is an important trait in maize used as whole crop silage for dairy cows.......The importance of maize silage as a feed component in cattle rations and for biogas production has substantially increased. Whole crop maize silage is a forage with a high starch concentration, but also the cell wall fraction, commonly analysed as neutral detergent fibre (aNDFom) is a major energy...... source for use in ruminant nutrition. Even though ruminants require forage fibre to maintain rumen function and maximize productivity, excess fibre limits feed intake due to its contribution to physical fill in the rumen. As feed intake is the most important factor for milk production, both a...

  8. SUPPLY OF Tithonia diversifolia SILAGE ALONE OR MIXED WITH CASSAVA BRAN IN BROILERS DIET

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaime Andrés Betancourt

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Tithonia diversifolia and cassava bran are two food resources that noted for their protein and energy levels, respectively. The aim of this study was to evaluate the response performance of broilers fed diets containing T. diversifolia silage alone or mixed with cassava bran. We used 150 females chickens, which were housed in 15 pens and each pen was assigned to the treatments according to a randomized experimental design. The treatments consisted of three diets that were supplied to birds between 35 and 56 d of age: a control where the birds were fed only concentrate and two other treatments in which the birds were supplied concentrate of control treatment and additionally offered T. diversifolia silage either alone or mixed with cassava bran. Silage supply did not affect live weight at 56 d of age, but resulted in a reduction in concentrate consumption (P<0.05 and the carcass weight (P<0.05. It was concluded that T. diversifolia silage can be used to decrease the consumption of concentrate, but is necessary to carry out a proper habituation to avoid decrease in dry matter intake.

  9. Influence of forage inclusion in the diet on ileal and total tract digestibility

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Henry; Carlson, Dorthe; Lærke, Helle Nygaard

    2012-01-01

    The present investigation aimed to study the ileal and total tract digestibility of 3 forages (clover–grass, clover–grass silage, and fi eld pea (Pisum sativum)–barley (Hordeum vulgare) silage) supplemented to a basal diet. A total of 24 pigs, adapted to eating forages by supplementing a basal feed...... throughout the whole experiment. The intake of forages was low and quite variable and on average accounted for only 10 to 12% of the DMI. Ileal digestibility of protein estimated by collection from the T-cannula was higher (P = 0.031) than the digestibility estimated by the slaughter technique indicating...... in the diet as forage reduced (P pea– barley silage. In organic slaughter pig production, the overall energy supply from these forages is limited, but they may play an important role in satiety...

  10. Short communication. Effects of adding different protein and carbohydrates sources on chemical composition and in vitro gas production of corn stover silage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. A. Mejía-Uribe

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available The use of protein-rich by-products based in swine manure (SM, poultry waste (PW or chemicals compounds as urea (U, as well as energy products like molasses (M and bakery by-product (BB, is a viable method to produce good quality silage. In addition, the use of a bacterial additive can improve the fermentation characteristics of silage. The objective of this study was to determine chemical composition, in vitro gas production (GP and dry matter disappearance (DMd, using different sources of protein and energy in silage. The silages were made using SM, PW or U as protein sources and M or BB as energy source, with corn stover and with or without a bacterial additive. The organic matter (OM content was higher (p < 0.001 in silages with UBB, UM and SMBB compared with the rest of the treatments; meanwhile crude protein content was higher (p < 0.001 in silages with U. The addition of a bacterial additive increased (p < 0.05 OM content and decreased (p < 0.05 fiber content. Total GP was higher (p < 0.05 in silages containing BB, but DMd was higher (p < 0.05 in silages with U and SMBB. The inclusion of a bacterial additive decreased (p < 0.05 GP and DMd. The use of alternative sources of protein such as poultry and swine manure or urea, and of by-products of sugar industry and bakery is an alternative for silages based on corn stover. The results show that when properly formulated, the silages can provide more than 16% of crude protein and have DMd values above 60%.

  11. Semi-continuous anaerobic digestion of different silage crops: VFAs formation, methane yield from fiber and non-fiber components and digestate composition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pokój, T; Bułkowska, K; Gusiatin, Z M; Klimiuk, E; Jankowski, K J

    2015-08-01

    This study presents the results of long-term semi-continuous experiments on anaerobic digestion at an HRT of 45d with ten silages: 2 annual and 4 perennial crops, and 4 mixtures of annual with perennial crops. The composition of substrates and digestates was determined with Van Soest's fractionation method. Removal of non-fiber materials ranged from 49.4% (Miscanthus sacchariflorus) to 89.3% (Zea mays alone and mixed with M. sacchariflorus), that of fiber materials like lignin ranged from 0.005% (Z. mays alone and mixed with grasses at VS ratio of 90:10%) to 46.5% (Sida hermaphrodita). The lowest stability of anaerobic digestion, as confirmed by normalized data concentrations of volatile fatty acids, was reported for both miscanthuses and sugar sorghum. The methane yield coefficients for non-fiber and fiber materials were 0.3666 and 0.2556L/g, respectively. All digestate residues had high fertilizing value, especially those from mixtures of crops. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Improvement of Nutritive Value and Ruminal Fermentation of Silage by Molasses and Urea Supplementation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Phesatcha

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Leucaena silage was supplemented with different levels of molasses and urea to study its nutritive value and in vitro rumen fermentation efficiency. The ensiling study was randomly assigned according to a 3×3 factorial arrangement in which the first factor was molasses (M supplement at 0%, 1%, and 2% of crop dry matter (DM and the second was urea (U supplement as 0%, 0.5%, and 1% of the crop DM, respectively. After 28 days of ensiling, the silage samples were collected and analyzed for chemical composition. All the nine Leucaena silages were kept for study of rumen fermentation efficiency using in vitro gas production techniques. The present result shows that supplementation of U or M did not affect DM, organic matter, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber content in the silage. However, increasing level of U supplementation increased crude protein content while M level did not show any effect. Moreover, the combination of U and M supplement decreased the content of mimosine concentration especially with M2U1 (molasses 2% and urea 1% silage. The result of the in vitro study shows that gas production kinetics, cumulation gas at 96 h and in vitro true digestibility increased with the increasing level of U and M supplementation especially in the combination treatments. Supplementation of M and U resulted in increasing propionic acid and total volatile fatty acid whereas, acetic acid, butyric acid concentrations and methane production were not changed. In addition, increasing U level supplementation increased NH3-N concentration. Result from real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed a significant effect on total bacteria, whereas F. succinogenes and R. flavefaciens population while R. albus was not affected by the M and U supplementation. Based on this study, it could be concluded that M and urea U supplementation could improve the nutritive value of Leucaena silage and enhance in vitro rumen fermentation efficiency. This study also

  13. Changes in the feed intake, pH and osmolality of rumen fluid, and the position of the abomasum of eight dairy cows during a diet-induced left displacement of the abomasum

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Winden, van S.C.L.; Brattinga, C.R.; Muller, K.E.; Schonewille, J.T.; Noordhuizen, J.P.T.M.; Beynen, A.C.

    2004-01-01

    During the last six weeks of the dry period, eight Holstein-Friesian cows were fed a restricted amount of grass silage; after calving, a mixture of maize silage and concentrates was offered in a feeding regimen designed to induce a displacement of the abomasum. In the first month after calving, the

  14. Influência do teor de matéria seca e do inoculante bacteriano nas características físicas e químicas da silagem de capim Tanzânia - DOI: 10.4025/actascianimsci.v28i3.39 Effects of dry matter content and bacterial inoculant on the physical and chemical properties and losses in Tanzânia grass silage - DOI: 10.4025/actascianimsci.v28i3.39

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    André Faria Pedroso

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Foram avaliados os efeitos do teor de matéria seca e da adição de inoculante bacteriano sobre a composição químico-bromatológica e perdas em silagens do capim Tanzânia. O uso do inoculante não foi efetivo em preservar a PB. Os índices de recuperação de matéria seca e as perdas de MS, na forma de efluente e gases, foram respectivamente de 90,6%; 53,7 kg t-1 MV e 6,4% da MS nas silagens não-emurchecidas, 93,6%; 16,8 kg t-1 MV e 5,0% com adição de milheto grão e 92,2%; 3,6 kg t-1 MV e 6,2% naquelas emurchecidas. As densidades de massa verde/matéria seca foram 346/105, 455/145 e 442/97 kg m-3 nas silagens emurchecidas, adicionadas com milheto e com umidade original, respectivamente. Como a elevação no teor de MS não alterou o índice de recuperação de MS, apesar de promover algumas modificações na composição química das silagens, a opção pelos tratamentos vai depender da ponderação de fatores que facilitem a operacionalidade e reduzam os custos na confecção da silagem. Palavras-chave: densidade, efluente, perdas, pH, tamanho de partículaThe present trial aimed to study the effect of dry matter content and the addition of bacterial inoculant on the ensilage of Tanzânia grass. The bacterial inoculant did not alter crude protein content. Dry matter recovery rates, effluent yield and DM gases losses were 90.6%, 53.7 kg t-1 wet forage, 6.4% for the wet silages; 93.6%, 16.8 kg t-1 wet forage, 5.0% for millet added silages and 92.2%, 3.6 kg t-1 wet forage, 6.2% for the wilted silages, respectively. The silages dry matter content influenced wet bulk density/dry matter silo bulk density resulting in 346/105, 455/145 and 442/97 kg m-3 for the wilted, millet added and wet silages, respectively. Because the increase on dry matter content was not offsets in DM recovery rate, although there were some changes in chemical composition, the adoption and field recommendation of strategies will be dependent on the operational and

  15. The conditions for use of reed canary grass briquettes and chopped reed canary grass in small heating plants; Foerutsaettningar foer anvaendning av roerflensbriketter och hackad roerflen i mindre vaermecentraler

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Paulrud, Susanne; Davidsson, Kent; Holmgren, Magnus A. (Swedish National Testing and Research Inst., Boraas (Sweden)); Hedman, Henry; Oehman, Rikard; Leffler, Joel (ETC, Piteaa (Sweden))

    2010-09-15

    The aim of this study was to test fuel blends of briquettes and chopped reed canary grass in three existing heating plants (50 kW - 500 kW) and elucidate the requirements for good performance and low emissions. In addition, the study investigated production of reed canary grass briquettes using a Polish screw press developed for straw. Some tests with a bale shredder were also undertaken. The screw press technique is of interest for reed canary grass because it is a simple technique, easy to handle, developed for small scale production, and for straw. The test with reed canary grass in this study showed that the technique worked well but that further adjustments and a longer test period are needed in order to achieve higher bulk density and mechanical strength. The test with chopped reed canary grass shows that a system with a forage harvester is slightly more effective than baling and cutting in a bale shredder. The study concluded that few existing heating plants of size 50 kW-1 MW that currently use wood fuels will be able to use reed canary grass without adjustment, conversion or replacement of the combustion equipment. Reed canary grass has 15-20 times higher ash content than wood briquettes and 2-3 times higher ash content than forest residue; the combustion equipment must be able to handle these properties. The boiler must be equipped with a continuously operating ashing system and it must be possible to move the ash bed mechanically. There is a risk of high content of unburned matter if the residence time in the boiler is too short, due to the structure and low bulk density of the reed canary grass ash. Using a blend of wood briquettes and reed canary briquettes results in lower ash content, but also affects the ash chemistry and tends to lower the initial ash fusion temperature compared to using 100 % reed canary grass. Blending chopped reed canary grass and wood chips in an existing small scale heating plant also requires measures to achieve an even fuel

  16. Pea and pea-grain mixtures as whole crop protein silage for dairy cows

    OpenAIRE

    Rondahl, Tomas

    2004-01-01

    In this review the use of pea and pea/grain mixtures as whole crop protein silage for dairy cows is discussed. An introductory discussion concerns the ensilage process and protein degradation and effects of different silage additives. To minimise protein loss, prewilting time should be kept short. An acid additive will reduce respiration and thereby reduce protein degradation. The main part of the review discusses nutritional and botanical changes during development as well as results from bo...

  17. Treatment with grass allergen peptides improves symptoms of grass pollen-induced allergic rhinoconjunctivitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellis, Anne K; Frankish, Charles W; O'Hehir, Robyn E; Armstrong, Kristen; Steacy, Lisa; Larché, Mark; Hafner, Roderick P

    2017-08-01

    Synthetic peptide immunoregulatory epitopes are a new class of immunotherapy to treat allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (ARC). Grass allergen peptides, comprising 7 synthetic T-cell epitopes derived from Cyn d 1, Lol p 5, Dac g 5, Hol l 5, and Phl p 5, is investigated for treatment of grass pollen-induced ARC. We sought to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of intradermally administered grass allergen peptides. A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated 3 regimens of grass allergen peptides versus placebo in patients with grass pollen-induced allergy (18-65 years). After a 4-day baseline challenge to rye grass in the environmental exposure unit (EEU), subjects were randomized to receive grass allergen peptides at 6 nmol at 2-week intervals for a total of 8 doses (8x6Q2W), grass allergen peptides at 12 nmol at 4-week intervals for a total of 4 doses (4x12Q4W), or grass allergen peptides at 12 nmol at 2-week intervals for a total of 8 doses (8x12Q2W) or placebo and treated before the grass pollen season. The primary efficacy end point was change from baseline in total rhinoconjunctivitis symptom score across days 2 to 4 of a 4-day posttreatment challenge (PTC) in the EEU after the grass pollen season. Secondary efficacy end points and safety were also assessed. Two hundred eighty-two subjects were randomized. Significantly greater improvement (reduction of total rhinoconjunctivitis symptom score from baseline to PTC) occurred across days 2 to 4 with grass allergen peptide 8x6Q2W versus placebo (-5.4 vs -3.8, respectively; P = .0346). Greater improvement at PTC also occurred for grass allergen peptide 8x6Q2W versus placebo (P = .0403) in patients with more symptomatic ARC. No safety signals were detected. Grass allergen peptide 8x6Q2W significantly improved ARC symptoms after rye grass allergen challenge in an EEU with an acceptable safety profile. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology

  18. CONTINUOUS STALL FEEDING OF PINEAPPLE SILAGE AS THE ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Dairy animals received silage made from pineapple plants as their only source of roughage for a prolonged period. .... ration. Attempts were made to correct the abnormalities that developed. During the course of the experiment prolonged vitamin A supplementation resulted in no ... deficiency specific to the pineapple plant.

  19. In-field direct combustion fuel property changes of switchgrass harvested from summer to fall

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ogden, C.A.; Ileleji, K.E. [Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN (United States); Johnson, K.D. [Department of Agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN (United States); Wang, Q. [State Key Laboratory for Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027 (China)

    2010-03-15

    Switchgrass, a perennial warm-season grass and potential energy crop, is usually harvested during the time between full maturity in the fall to the following spring. During this wide harvest window, the changes in fuel properties that could occur are important for making appropriate decisions with respect to the optimum harvest time for maximum fuel quality. A field plot study was carried out to investigate the quantitative fuel properties (proximate, ultimate and mineral analyses) of switchgrass over a harvest period from crop maturity in July through November. Harvest moisture decreased from July to November and moisture was uniformly distributed in the switchgrass plant at all times in the harvest period. There were significant differences in ash, volatiles, fixed carbon and nitrogen among months of harvest. Nitrogen, ash and fixed carbon contents decreased while oxygen and volatiles increased through the harvest period. Also, there were significant differences in oxides of silicon, calcium, potassium, phosphorus and sulfur among harvest times. The concentration of oxides of potassium and sulfur decreased at the end of the harvesting period. Fouling and slagging indices decreased as harvest was delayed but remained low throughout harvest. However, the decreases are small and might not dramatically impact fouling and slagging. Overall, the results appear to favor a later harvest for switchgrass used for direct combustion. This study will benefit feedstock producers as well as biomass feedstock facility operators by providing a better understanding of how the properties of switchgrass vary over a typical harvest period and their potential effect on boiler equipment. (author)

  20. Nutritional composition and in vitro digestibility of grass and legume winter (cover) crops.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, A N; Ferreira, G; Teets, C L; Thomason, W E; Teutsch, C D

    2018-03-01

    In dairy farming systems, growing winter crops for forage is frequently limited to annual grasses grown in monoculture. The objectives of this study were to determine how cropping grasses alone or in mixtures with legumes affects the yield, nutritional composition, and in vitro digestibility of fresh and ensiled winter crops and the yield, nutritional composition, and in vitro digestibility of the subsequent summer crops. Experimental plots were planted with 15 different winter crops at 3 locations in Virginia. At each site, 4 plots of each treatment were planted in a randomized complete block design. The 15 treatments included 5 winter annual grasses [barley (BA), ryegrass (RG), rye (RY), triticale (TR), and wheat (WT)] in monoculture [i.e., no legumes (NO)] or with 1 of 2 winter annual legumes [crimson clover (CC) and hairy vetch (HV)]. After harvesting the winter crops, corn and forage sorghum were planted within the same plots perpendicular to the winter crop plantings. The nutritional composition and the in vitro digestibility of winter and summer crops were determined for fresh and ensiled samples. Growing grasses in mixtures with CC increased forage dry matter (DM) yield (2.84 Mg/ha), but the yield of mixtures with HV (2.47 Mg/ha) was similar to that of grasses grown in monoculture (2.40 Mg/ha). Growing grasses in mixtures with legumes increased the crude protein concentration of the fresh forage from 13.0% to 15.5% for CC and to 17.3% for HV. For neutral detergent fiber (NDF) concentrations, the interaction between grasses and legumes was significant for both fresh and ensiled forages. Growing BA, RY, and TR in mixtures with legumes decreased NDF concentrations, whereas growing RG and WT with legumes did not affect the NDF concentrations of either the fresh or the ensiled forages. Growing grasses in mixtures with legumes decreased the concentration of sugars of fresh forages relative to grasses grown in monoculture. Primarily, this decrease can be

  1. Effects of potassium sorbate and Lactobacillus plantarum MTD1 on production of ethanol and other volatile organic compounds in corn silage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hafner, Sasha D.; Windle, Michelle; Merrill, Caitlyn

    2015-01-01

    was to evaluate the effect of additives on production of nine silage VOC in corn silage, including compounds thought to contribute to poor air quality or affect feed intake (alcohols: methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol; esters: methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, ethyl lactate; and aldehydes: acetaldehyde, valeraldehyde....... These results provide additional evidence that potassium sorbate is an effective additive for reducing production of ethanol and ethyl esters in corn silage. Combining potassium sorbate with L. plantarum may provide additional benefits, although the persistence of this effect for silages with higher VOC...

  2. Quantification of root associated nitrogen fixation in kallar grass as estimated by sup/15/nitrogen isotope dilution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malik, K.A.; Zafar, Y.

    1985-01-01

    Present investigations were made by using sup/15/N isotope dilution technique to quantitatively estimate BNF in Kallar grass when grown under controlled conditions in nutrient solution and inoculated with N sub/2/-fixing bacteria. Azospirillum brasilense and two isolates from the rhizosphere of kallar grass were used as inoculant. After harvest acetylen reduction of roots, total yield, total N and sup/15/ N analysis were made. Total-N in inoculated treatments was 2-3 times higher than in control and so were the fresh and dry weight yields. The estimates based on isotopic dilution indicated that 50-70 percent N in the plant was derived from BNF in case of inoculated treatment. The results based on N balance gave relatively lower values of 40-60 percent of total N derived from fixation. The data revealed that in Kallar grass a substantial amount of plant N is derived from BNF. (orig./A.B.)

  3. Effects of N application on agronomic and environmental parameters in silage maize production on sandy soils

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schröder, J.J.; Neeteson, J.J.; Withagen, J.C.M.; Noy, I.G.A.M.

    1998-01-01

    The current nitrogen (N) use in silage maize production can lead to considerable N losses to the environment. Maize growers fear that a reduction of N inputs needed to minimize N losses might depress yields. The objective of this study was therefore to quantify: (1) the response of silage maize dry

  4. Comparison of methods for estimating production of methane from whole plant maize silage

    OpenAIRE

    Zbigniew Podkówka; Witold Podkówka

    2014-01-01

    Laboratory methods to measure the amount of methane gas evolved in the fermentation process require specialized equipment and are long-lasting and expensive. Therefore a number of methods are developed to estimate the efficiency of biogas and methane from the chemical composition of the substrate. The aim of this study was to compare different methods to estimate the efficiency of methane from the silages made from whole plant corn. The study was based on test results of silage from whole pla...

  5. Subclinical Ketosis on Dairy Cows in Transition Period in Farms with Contrasting Butyric Acid Contents in Silages

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernando Vicente

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This study examines the relationship between subclinical ketosis (SCK in dairy cows and the butyric acid content of the silage used in their feeding. Twenty commercial farms were monitored over a period of 12 months. The feed at each farm and the silages used in its ration were sampled monthly for proximal analysis and for volatile fatty acid analysis. A total of 2857 urine samples were taken from 1112 cows to examine the ketonuria from about 30 days prepartum to 100 postpartum. Wide variation was recorded in the quality of silages used in the preparation of diets. Approximately 80% of the urine samples analyzed had no detectable ketone bodies, 16% returned values indicative of slight SCK, and the remainder, 4%, showed symptoms of ketosis. Most of the cases of hyperkenuria were associated with the butyric acid content of the silage used (r2=0.56; P<0.05. As the metabolizable energy content of the feed was similar, no relationship was observed between the proportion of cows with SCK and the energy content of the feed. In our study, the probability of dairy cows suffering SCK is higher when they are eating feed made from silage with a high butyric acid content (35.2 g/kg DM intake.

  6. Subclinical ketosis on dairy cows in transition period in farms with contrasting butyric acid contents in silages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vicente, Fernando; Rodríguez, María Luisa; Martínez-Fernández, Adela; Soldado, Ana; Argamentería, Alejandro; Peláez, Mario; de la Roza-Delgado, Begoña

    2014-01-01

    This study examines the relationship between subclinical ketosis (SCK) in dairy cows and the butyric acid content of the silage used in their feeding. Twenty commercial farms were monitored over a period of 12 months. The feed at each farm and the silages used in its ration were sampled monthly for proximal analysis and for volatile fatty acid analysis. A total of 2857 urine samples were taken from 1112 cows to examine the ketonuria from about 30 days prepartum to 100 postpartum. Wide variation was recorded in the quality of silages used in the preparation of diets. Approximately 80% of the urine samples analyzed had no detectable ketone bodies, 16% returned values indicative of slight SCK, and the remainder, 4%, showed symptoms of ketosis. Most of the cases of hyperkenuria were associated with the butyric acid content of the silage used (r2=0.56; P<0.05). As the metabolizable energy content of the feed was similar, no relationship was observed between the proportion of cows with SCK and the energy content of the feed. In our study, the probability of dairy cows suffering SCK is higher when they are eating feed made from silage with a high butyric acid content (35.2 g/kg DM intake).

  7. Biogas production from energy crops and crop residues

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lehtomaeki, A.

    2006-07-01

    The feasibility of utilising energy crops and crop residues in methane production through anaerobic digestion in boreal conditions was evaluated in this thesis. Potential boreal energy crops and crop residues were screened for their suitability for methane production, and the effects of harvest time and storage on the methane potential of crops was evaluated. Codigestion of energy crops and crop residues with cow manure, as well as digestion of energy crops alone in batch leach bed reactors with and without a second stage upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor (UASB) or methanogenic filter (MF) were evaluated. The methane potentials of crops, as determined in laboratory methane potential assays, varied from 0.17 to 0.49 m3 CH{sub 4} kg-1 VS{sub added} (volatile solids added) and from 25 to 260 m3 CH4 t-1 ww (tons of wet weight). Jerusalem artichoke, timothy-clover and reed canary grass gave the highest methane potentials of 2 900-5 400 m3 CH{sub 4} ha-1, corresponding to a gross energy potential of 28-53 MWh ha-1 and 40 000-60 000 km ha-1 in passenger car transport. The methane potentials per ww increased with most crops as the crops matured. Ensiling without additives resulted in minor losses (0-13%) in the methane potential of sugar beet tops but more substantial losses (17-39%) in the methane potential of grass, while ensiling with additives was shown to have potential in improving the methane potentials of these substrates by up to 19-22%. In semi-continuously fed laboratory continuously stirred tank reactors (CSTRs) co-digestion of manure and crops was shown feasible with feedstock VS containing up to 40% of crops. The highest specific methane yields of 0.268, 0.229 and 0.213 m3 CH{sub 4} kg-1 VS{sub added} in co-digestion of cow manure with grass, sugar beet tops and straw, respectively, were obtained with 30% of crop in the feedstock, corresponding to 85-105% of the methane potential in the substrates as determined by batch assays. Including 30% of crop in

  8. Lagere fosfaatuitscheiding op melkveebedrijven door zwaardere maaisneden = Decreasing phosphorus excretion on dairy farms by cutting at a later stage

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Curth-van Middelkoop, J.C.; Holshof, G.; Plomp, M.

    2014-01-01

    By cutting grass for silage at a later stage than usual it is possible to decrease the phosphorus excretion on dairy farms maximal about 5%. This saves costs for mowing but it increases the use of manufactured feed and grazing is harder to realise because it takes more time for a cut for silage to

  9. Variability, stability, and resilience of fecal microbiota in dairy cows fed whole crop corn silage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Minh Thuy; Han, Hongyan; Yu, Zhu; Tsuruta, Takeshi; Nishino, Naoki

    2017-08-01

    The microbiota of whole crop corn silage and feces of silage-fed dairy cows were examined. A total of 18 dairy cow feces were collected from six farms in Japan and China, and high-throughput Illumina sequencing of the V4 hypervariable region of 16S rRNA genes was performed. Lactobacillaceae were dominant in all silages, followed by Acetobacteraceae, Bacillaceae, and Enterobacteriaceae. In feces, the predominant families were Ruminococcaceae, Bacteroidaceae, Clostridiaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Rikenellaceae, and Paraprevotellaceae. Therefore, Lactobacillaceae of corn silage appeared to be eliminated in the gastrointestinal tract. Although fecal microbiota composition was similar in most samples, relative abundances of several families, such as Ruminococcaceae, Christensenellaceae, Turicibacteraceae, and Succinivibrionaceae, varied between farms and countries. In addition to the geographical location, differences in feeding management between total mixed ration feeding and separate feeding appeared to be involved in the variations. Moreover, a cow-to-cow variation for concentrate-associated families was demonstrated at the same farm; two cows showed high abundance of Succinivibrionaceae and Prevotellaceae, whereas another had a high abundance of Porphyromonadaceae. There was a negative correlation between forage-associated Ruminococcaceae and concentrate-associated Succinivibrionaceae and Prevotellaceae in 18 feces samples. Succinivibrionaceae, Prevotellaceae, p-2534-18B5, and Spirochaetaceae were regarded as highly variable taxa in this study. These findings help to improve our understanding of variation and similarity of the fecal microbiota of dairy cows with regard to individuals, farms, and countries. Microbiota of naturally fermented corn silage had no influence on the fecal microbiota of dairy cows.

  10. Microbial inoculant effects on silage and in vitro ruminal fermentation, and microbial biomass estimation for alfalfa, bmr corn, and corn silages

    Science.gov (United States)

    Third cut alfalfa, brown mid-rib (bmr) corn, and corn were chopped and inoculated with one of four different strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Uninoculated silage was the control treatment. For each crop, four mini-silos 1-L glass jars were ensiled per treatment. All silos were fermented for 60...

  11. Effect of feeding a by-product feed-based silage on nutrients intake, apparent digestibility, and nitrogen balance in sheep.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seok, J S; Kim, Y I; Lee, Y H; Choi, D Y; Kwak, W S

    2016-01-01

    Literature is lacking on the effects of feeding by-product feed (BF)-based silage on rumen fermentation parameters, nutrient digestion and nitrogen (N) retention in sheep. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the effect of replacing rye straw with BF-based silage as a roughage source on ruminal parameters, total-tract apparent nutrient digestibility, and N balance in sheep. The by-product feed silage was composed of spent mushroom substrate (SMS) (45 %), recycled poultry bedding (RPB) (21 %), rye straw (11 %), rice bran (10.8 %), corn taffy residue (10 %), protected fat (1.0 %), bentonite (0.6 %), and mixed microbial additive (0.6 %). Six sheep were assigned randomly to either the control (concentrate mix + rye straw) or a treatment diet (concentrate mix + BF-based silage). Compared with the control diet, feeding a BF-based silage diet resulted in similar ruminal characteristics (pH, acetate, propionate, and butyrate concentrations, and acetate: propionate ratio), higher (p < 0.05) ruminal NH3-N, higher (p < 0.05) ether extract digestibility, similar crude protein digestibility, lower (p < 0.05) dry matter, fiber, and crude ash digestibilities, and higher (p < 0.05) N retention (g/d). The BF-based silage showed similar energy value, higher protein metabolism and utilization, and lower fiber digestion in sheep compared to the control diet containing rye straw.

  12. Invertebrate populations in miscanthus (Miscanthusxgiganteus) and reed canary-grass (Phalaris arundinacea) fields

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Semere, T.; Slater, F.M. [Llysdinam Field Centre, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Newbridge-on-Wye, Llandrindod Wells, Powys, LD1 6NB (United Kingdom)

    2007-01-15

    Monitoring of invertebrates at four field sites in Herefordshire, England, growing miscanthus and reed canary-grass was carried out in 2002, 2003 and 2004 to investigate the ecological impact of these crops on ground beetles, butterflies and arboreal invertebrates. Ground beetles were sampled by pitfall trapping; and arboreal invertebrates by sweep netting and stem beating. The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology's Butterflies Monitoring Scheme methodology was used to record butterflies. The effects of the biomass crops on invertebrates were indirect, through the use of weeds as food resources and habitat. The greater diversity of weed flora within miscanthus fields than within reed canary-grass fields had a greater positive effect on invertebrates. Ground beetles, butterflies and arboreal invertebrates were more abundant and diverse in the most floristically diverse miscanthus fields. The difference in crop architecture and development between miscanthus and reed canary-grass was reflected in their differences in crop height and ground cover early on in the season. However, most of the difference in arthropod abundance between the two crops was attributed to the difference in the agronomic practice of growing the crops such as plant density, and the effect of this on weed growth. Since perennial rhizomatous grasses require a single initial planting and related tillage, and also no major chemical inputs; and because the crops are harvested in the spring and the land is not disturbed by cultivation every year, the fields were used as over-wintering sites for invertebrates suggesting immediate benefits to biodiversity. (author)

  13. Metabolite Profiles of Lactic Acid Bacteria in Grass Silage▿

    OpenAIRE

    Broberg, Anders; Jacobsson, Karin; Ström, Katrin; Schnürer, Johan

    2007-01-01

    The metabolite production of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on silage was investigated. The aim was to compare the production of antifungal metabolites in silage with the production in liquid cultures previously studied in our laboratory. The following metabolites were found to be present at elevated concentrations in silos inoculated with LAB strains: 3-hydroxydecanoic acid, 2-hydroxy-4-methylpentanoic acid, benzoic acid, catechol, hydrocinnamic acid, salicylic acid, 3-phenyllactic acid, 4-hydro...

  14. Nutritive value of brewers’ grain and maize silage for fattening rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Guermah

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Specific knowledge of the nutritive value of raw materials is fundamental to formulate balanced diets for rabbits and allows greater use of by-products and non-conventional feedstuffs. This paper examines the feeding value of sun-dried brewers’ grain and maize silage (whole plant for fattening rabbits. Twenty-four individually caged 8-wk-old rabbits were used to determine the digestibility. Both wet products were sun-dried and ground before being incorporated into a basal diet. The inclusion level at the expense of all basal ingredients amounted to 30%. Basal diet and both experimental diets were fed ad libitum to 8 rabbits during the 4-d balance trial. The determined digestibility of protein, fat, crude fibre and neutral detergent fibre digestibility amounted to 76.2 and 77.2%; 86.5 and 99.1%; 8.1 and 8.3% and 28.0 and 13.5%, respectively, for brewers’ grain and maize silage. The digestible energy content amounted to 11.66 MJ/kg dry matter (DM (brewers’ grain and 11.10 MJ/kg DM (maize silage. Both by-products have potential as alternative feedstuff in rabbit diets. However, further experiments are necessary to determine the effect of ensilaging the whole maize plant, as a significantly lower (P<0.001 feed intake was observed.

  15. Review on Mycotoxin Issues in Ruminants: Occurrence in Forages, Effects of Mycotoxin Ingestion on Health Status and Animal Performance and Practical Strategies to Counteract Their Negative Effects

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gallo, Antonio; Giubert, Gianluca; Frisvad, Jens Christian

    2015-01-01

    Ruminant diets include cereals, protein feeds, their by-products as well as hay and grass, grass/legume, whole-crop maize, small grain or sorghum silages. Furthermore, ruminants are annually or seasonally fed with grazed forage in many parts of the World. All these forages could be contaminated...

  16. Alterações químicas e microbiológicas nas silagens de capim-Tifton 85 após a abertura dos silos Chemical and microbiological changes of Tifton 85 grass silage after silos opening

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rúben Pablo Schocken-Iturrino

    2005-04-01

    Full Text Available O trabalho foi conduzido para avaliação da presença de Listeria sp. e de fungos nas silagens de capim-Tifton 85 sem emurchecimento, com emurchecimento por uma e duas horas e sem emurchecimento com adição ou não de polpa cítrica (5,0% do peso verde. As amostragens foram efetuadas no momento da abertura do silo (80 dias da ensilagem, aos 15 e 30 dias após exposição ao ar, para avaliar os teores de matéria seca (MS, as alterações químicas (pH, N amoniacal, ácidos orgânicos e a ocorrência de Listeria sp. e de fungos. Os dados foram analisados segundo o delineamento em blocos casualizados, em esquema de parcelas subdivididas (nas parcelas foram avaliadas as silagens submetidas aos tratamentos e nas subparcelas, os períodos de exposição ao ar, com quatro repetições. Observaram-se baixos teores de ácidos orgânicos e de N amoniacal decorrentes dos altos valores de MS, o que acarretou baixa formação de produtos fermentados e elevação do pH. A presença de Listeria sp. foi observada em 65,6% das amostras no momento da abertura dos silos e, destas, 10% foram positivas para Listeria monocytogenes. As silagens apresentaram baixa estabilidade aeróbia, tendo sido registrado aumento na ocorrência dos fungos Penicillium, Fusarium e Pithomyces com o prolongamento do período de exposição ao ar.The experiment was carried out to evaluate the fermentation characteristics, Listeria sp. and molds occurrence on Tifton 85 silage no wilted, wilted for one and two hours and no wilted with or without citrus pulp (5.0 % of fresh forage. The samplings were taken at the opening of the silos (80 days after ensiling, 15, and 30 days after air exposition to evaluated dry matter (DM content, chemical changes (pH, ammonia N, organic acids and Listeria sp., and molds occurrence. Data were analyzed according to a randomized block design in split plot scheme, considering the silage on the plots, and periods of air exposure on the split plot, with four

  17. Ensiling Characteristics and the In situ Nutrient Degradability of a By-product Feed-based Silage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Y I; Oh, Y K; Park, K K; Kwak, W S

    2014-02-01

    This study was conducted to evaluate the ensiling characteristics and the in situ degradability of a by-product feed (BF)-based silage. Before ensilation, the BF-based mixture was composed of 50% spent mushroom substrate, 21% recycled poultry bedding, 15% ryegrass straw, 10.8% rice bran, 2% molasses, 0.6% bentonite, and 0.6% microbial inoculant on a wet basis and ensiled for up to 4 weeks. The BF-based silage contained on average 39.3% moisture, 13.4% crude protein (CP), and 52.2% neutral detergent fiber (NDF), 49% total digestible nutrient, and 37.8% physically effective NDF1.18 on a dry matter (DM) basis. Ensiling the BF-based silage for up to 4 weeks affected (p<0.01) the chemical composition to a small extent, increased (p<0.05) the lactic acid and NH3-N content, and decreased (p<0.05) both the total bacterial and lactic acid bacterial counts from 10(9) to 10(8) cfu/g when compared to that before ensiling. These parameters indicated that the silage was fermented and stored well during the 4-week ensiling period. Compared with rice or ryegrass straws, the BF-based silage had a higher (p<0.05) water-soluble and filterable fraction, a lower insoluble degradable DM and CP fraction (p<0.05), a lower digestible NDF (p<0.05) fraction, a higher (p<0.05) DM and CP disappearance and degradability rate, and a lower (p<0.05) NDF disappearance and degradability rate. These results indicated that cheap, good-quality BF-based roughage could be produced by ensiling SMS, RPB, rice bran, and a minimal amount of straw.

  18. Methods to enhance hydrolysis during one and two-stage anaerobic digestion of energy crops and crop residues

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jagadabhi, P. S.

    2011-07-01

    The objective of this thesis was to evaluate methods to enhance hydrolysis (measured as specific SCOD production, g SCOD g-1 VS) during one and two-stage anaerobic digestion (AD) of energy crops and crop residues. Addition of macro (NH{sub 4}Cl), micro nutrients (Fe, Ni, Co and Mo) and leachate replacement during mono-digestion of grass silage in one-stage leach bed reactors (LBRs) enhanced hydrolysis by 18 % (0.56 g SCOD g-1 VS), 7 % (0.45 g SCOD g-1 VS) and 34 % (0.51 g SCOD g-1 VS) respectively compared to respective controls. On the other hand, creating micro-aerobic conditions (at 1 l min-1, 2.5 l of air) did not improve hydrolysis but enhanced VFA production by 4 fold (from 2.2 g l-1 to 9 g l-1). Application of rumen cultures improved hydrolysis by 10 % (0.33 g SCOD g-1 VS) more than control (0.30 g SCOD g-1 VS). Similarly, during two-stage AD in LBR-UASB reactor configuration leachate replacement enhanced hydrolysis in cucumber and grass silage (0.5 g SCOD g-1 VS) than in tomato and common reed (0.35 and 0.15 g SCOD g-1 VS respectively). During co-digestion of grass silage and cow manure at a ratio of 30:70 (VS) in CSTR, re-circulation of alkali treated solid fraction of digestate did not improve the anaerobic biodegradation rates or methane yields. Results from batch experiments showed that methane potential of grass silage varied from 0.28-0.39 m3 CH{sub 4} kg-1 VS{sub added} in all the experiments. On the other hand, methane potentials of the studied crop residues were 0.32 m3 CH{sub 4} kg-1 VS{sub added} for tomato and 0.26 m3 CH{sub 4} kg-1 VS{sub added} for cucumber and common reed. Alkali pretreatment of solids, obtained from digestate (during co-digestion of grass silage and cow manure in one-stage CSTRs), at a low concentration of 20 g NaOH kg-1 VS resulted in higher methane yield (0.34 m3 CH{sub 4} kg-1 VS{sub added}) than the other tested dosages (40 and 60 g NaOH kg-1 VS). Addition of macro nutrient (NH{sub 4}Cl) enhanced methane potential of

  19. Use of calcium and boron in the production of grain and sunflower silage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas Newton Martin

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Boron and calcium are related to many physiological processes of the plant, which are affected by its deficiency, such as sugar transport, synthesis and cell wall structure, carbohydrate metabolism and plasma membrane integrity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of boron and calcium application via leaf and soil on the yield components in silage quality and content of macronutrients in leaves of sunflower. The experiment was conducted at Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná – UTFPR, Campus Dois Vizinhos, from September 2008 to April 2009, in a randomized block design with four replications, using the genotype Agrobel - La Tijereta. Morphological characteristics of the plants, the yield components (grain yield and weight of hundred grains, silage quality and content of nutrient uptake were evaluated. The sunflower crop did not respond to application of boron and calcium, to effects on yield components in silage quality and content of nutrients absorbed by plants. However, it was found increases in the partition dry grain and plant height.

  20. Lining bunker walls with oxygen barrier film reduces nutrient losses in corn silages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lima, L M; Dos Santos, J P; Casagrande, D R; Ávila, C L S; Lara, M S; Bernardes, T F

    2017-06-01

    The objective of this study was to evaluate 2 systems for covering corn silage in bunker silos. The first system consisted of a sheet of 45-μm-thick oxygen barrier film (OB, polyethylene + ethylene-vinyl alcohol) placed along the length of the sidewall before filling. After filling, the excess film was pulled over the wall on top of the silage, and a sheet of polyethylene was placed on top. The second system involved using a standard sheet (ST) of 180-μm-thick polyethylene film. Eight commercial bunker silos were divided into 2 parts lengthwise so that one-half of the silo was covered with OB and the other half with a ST system. During the filling, 3 net bags with chopped corn were buried in the central part (halfway between the top and bottom of the silo) of the bunkers (CCOR) in 3 sections 10 m apart. After filling, 18 net bags (9 per covering system) were buried 40 cm below the top surface of the 3 sections. These bags were placed at 3 distances from the bunker walls (0 to 50 cm, 51 to 100 cm, and 101 to 150 cm). During unloading, the bags were removed from the silos to determine the dry matter (DM) losses, fermentation end products, and nutritive value. The Milk2006 spreadsheet was used to estimate milk per tonne of DM. The model included the fixed effect of treatment (7 different locations in the bunker) and the random effect of the silo. Two contrasts were tested to compare silages in the top laterals (shoulders) with that in the CCOR (CCOR vs. OB and CCOR vs. ST). Three contrasts compared the corresponding distances of the silage covered by the 2 systems (OB50 vs. ST50, OB100 vs. ST100 and OB150 vs. ST150). Variables were analyzed with the PROC MIXED procedure of the SAS at the 5% level. The OB method produced well-fermented silages, which were similar to CCOR, whereas the OB system showed less lactic acid and greater pH and mold counts compared with CCOR. The ST method had 116.2 kg of milk/t less than the CCOR, as the OB system and the CCOR were similar

  1. Effect of Applying Molasses and Propionic Acid on Fermentation Quality and Aerobic Stability of Total Mixed Ration Silage Prepared with Whole-plant Corn in Tibet

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lei Chen

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of molasses and propionic acid on the fermentation quality and aerobic stability of total mixed ration (TMR silages prepared with whole-plant corn in Tibet. TMR (354 g/kg DM was ensiled with four different treatments: no additive (control, molasses (M, propionic acid (P, and molasses+propionic acid (PM, in laboratory silos (250 mL and fermented for 45 d. Silos were opened and silages were subjected to an aerobic stability test for 12 days, in which chemical and microbiological parameters of TMR silages were measured to determined the aerobic deterioration. After 45 d of ensiling, the four TMR silages were of good quality with low pH value and ammonia/total N (AN, and high lactic acid (LA content and V-scores. M silage showed the highest (p105 cfu/g FM, however, it appeared to be more stable as indicated by a delayed pH value increase. P and PM silages showed fewer yeasts (<105 cfu/g FM (p<0.05 and were more stable than the control and M silages during aerobic exposure. It was concluded that M application increased LA content and improved aerobic stability of TMR silage prepared with whole-plant corn in Tibet. P application inhibited lactic acid production during ensiling, and apparently preserved available sugars which stimulated large increases in lactic acid during aerobic exposure stage, which resulted in greater aerobic stability of TMR silage.

  2. Nutritive value and fermentation characteristics of alfalfa-mixed grass forage wrapped with minimal stretch film layers and stored for different lengths of time.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coblentz, W K; Ogden, R K; Akins, M S; Chow, E A

    2017-07-01

    A key aspect of managing baled silages is to quickly achieve and then rigorously maintain anaerobic conditions within the silage mass. The concept of inserting an O 2 -limiting barrier (OB) into plastic commercial silage wraps has been evaluated previously, yielding mixed or inconclusive results. Our objective for this study was to maximize the challenge to a commercial polyethylene bale wrap, or the identical wrap containing an OB, by using minimal plastic (4 layers), and then extending storage periods as long as 357 d. Forty-eight 1.2 × 1.2-m large-round bales of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and mixed grass forage (66.3 ± 8.66% alfalfa; DM basis) were made at 2 moisture concentrations [47.5 (ideal) or 36.1% (dry)], wrapped with 4 layers of plastic containing an OB or no OB, and then stored for 99, 243, or 357 d. After storage, yeast counts within the 0.15-m deep surface layer were not affected by treatment (mean = 5.85 log 10 cfu/g); mold counts could not be analyzed statistically because 26 bales were nondetectable at a 3.00 log 10 cfu/g detection limit, but means among detectable counts were numerically similar for OB (4.74 log 10 cfu/g) and no OB (4.77 log 10 cfu/g). Fermentation characteristics were most affected by initial bale moisture, resulting in a more acidic final pH for ideal compared with dry bales (5.52 vs. 6.00). This was facilitated by greater concentrations of total fermentation acids (3.80 vs. 1.45% of dry matter), lactic acid (2.24 vs. 0.71% of dry matter), and acetic acid (1.07 vs. 0.64% of dry matter) within ideal compared with dry silages. Plastic wrap type had no effect on final concentrations of any fermentation product. During fermentation and storage, we noted greater change in concentrations of fiber components and whole-plant ash within the 0.15-m deep surface layer than in the bale core, and these changes always differed statistically from 0 (no change) based on pre-ensiled baseline concentrations. Overall, concentrations of water

  3. Intake and ingestive behavior of goats on marandu-grass pasture

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ernando de Oliveira Macedo

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available The experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of Marandu-grass (Brachiaria brizantha pasture height (30, 40, 50 and 60 cm on the canopy structural traits and grazing behavior and forageingestion process by goats. Six goats were used to evaluate behavior during grazing, and four were used to evaluate the ingestion process - all goats were Anglo-Nubian. The adopted experimental design was completely randomized, with two replicates in space and two replicates in time. Increase in the canopy height resulted in an increase in the masses of forage, leaves, stem, and dead material and tiller density, and reduction in leaf/stem ratio. Grazing time increased and idle time reduced as the canopy height was elevated. The correlation between canopy height and bite depth was positive and linear (r = 0.99. The mass of consumed forage, the intake rate, and the bite mass were higher at 60 cm. The correlation between pasture height and bite rate was negative, whereas the correlation between pasture height and the time per bite was positive. On Marandu-grass pastures, the greatest efficiency in forage harvesting by goats occurs at a canopy height of 60 cm.

  4. Ensiling characteristics and feeding value of silage made from cattle ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In this investigation, silage made from cattle waste being ensiled with maize residues (ECW), was evaluated ... high concentrate ration tended to be of a better quality and scored 8,9 points out of 13in comparison ..... reclaimed fecal residue.

  5. Nutritional potential of post extraction residues and silage from ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Nutritional potential of post extraction residues and silage from leaves of five cassava varieties as feed for ruminants. ... Results indicated that processing reduced (P < 0.05) the inherent nutrients of cassava leaf residues produced after the extraction of protein concentrate from cassava leaves with crude protein (CP) content ...

  6. SQ grass sublingual allergy immunotherapy tablet for disease-modifying treatment of grass pollen allergic rhinoconjunctivitis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dahl, Ronald; Roberts, Graham; de Blic, Jacques

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Allergy immunotherapy is a treatment option for allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (ARC). It is unique compared with pharmacotherapy in that it modifies the immunologic pathways that elicit an allergic response. The SQ Timothy grass sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) tablet is approved in North...... America and throughout Europe for the treatment of adults and children (≥5 years old) with grass pollen-induced ARC. OBJECTIVE: The clinical evidence for the use of SQ grass SLIT-tablet as a disease-modifying treatment for grass pollen ARC is discussed in this review. METHODS: The review included...... the suitability of SQ grass SLIT-tablet for patients with clinically relevant symptoms to multiple Pooideae grass species, single-season efficacy, safety, adherence, coseasonal initiation, and cost-effectiveness. The data from the long-term SQ grass SLIT-tablet clinical trial that evaluated a clinical effect 2...

  7. Estabilidade aeróbia da ração total e de silagens de capim-marandu tratadas com aditivos químicos e bacterianos Aerobic stability of total mixed ration and marandugrass silage using microbial or chemical additive

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thiago Fernandes Bernardes

    2007-08-01

    Full Text Available Esta pesquisa foi realizada com o objetivo de determinar o efeito da inclusão de aditivo químico e da inoculação de bactérias homo e heterofermentativas sobre a estabilidade aeróbia de silagens de capim-marandu e da ração total. Foram conduzidos três experimentos para avaliação do benzoato de sódio e de dois inoculantes, um contendo Lactobacillus plantarum + Propionibacterium e o segundo Lactobacillus buchneri. Após 60 dias de fermentação, os silos foram abertos e as silagens e a ração total (RT contendo silagens de capim-marandu foram colocadas em caixas de isopor e transferidas para câmara climática, a 25 ± 1ºC, para determinação das variações de temperatura na ração total e na silagem, das recuperações de MS e das alterações no pH da silagem. O delineamento experimental foi o inteiramente casualizado, em esquema de parcelas subdivididas. Houve perdas de MS e elevação dos teores de pH quando as silagens foram colocadas em condições de aerobiose. A temperatura das silagens e da RT teve discreto aumento durante os seis dias de aeração. O uso de bactérias ou de benzoato de sódio não influenciou a estabilidade aeróbia das silagens.This research evaluated the inclusion of chemical additive and the inoculation with homo and heterofermentative bacteria on the aerobic stability of the Marandu grass silages and on the total mixed ration (TMR. It was conducted three experiments to evaluate sodium benzoate and two inoculants: 1. Lactobacillus plantarum + Propionibacterium and; 2. Lactobacillus buchneri. The silos were opened after 60 days of fermentation; the silages and the TMR containing the silages were placed in a polystyrene box, and transferred to a climatic chamber kept at 25 ± 1ºC to determine the temperature changes, dry matter recovery, and pH values. The data were analyzed according to a complete randomized design, in a split plot arrangement. The silages showed DM losses and increasing pH during the

  8. Feeding Dairy Cows to Increase Performance on Rhodes Grass Ley

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Irungu, K.R.G.; Mbugua, P.N.

    1999-01-01

    Majority of dairy farmers in Kenya produce milk from cows fed on roughage. The cow performance follows seasonal variability in quality and quantity of roughage. The objective of the current study was to increase cow performance and maintain productivity of a rhodes grass (chloris gayana) ley. Twenty-four Freisian cows in their second to third lactation were strip grazed on fertilized irrigated Rhodes grass at a stocking rate of 0.034 ha per cow. Four dietary groups of six cows were allocated to one of our diets. one group got no dairy meal while the other three groups were supplemented at a 1kg of dairy meal per 10, 5 and 2.5 kg of 4% fat corrected milk dairy. this amount to 0, 386, 750 and 1542 kg dairy meal (89.4%, DM, 93.7 OM, 16.8, CP and CF) during the lactation. during the 43 - week lactation, records on pasture nutrient yield, nutrient intake, milk yield, liveweight, reproduction and subsequent calf birth weight were collected. The Rhodes grass ley produced 20.7 (ranging from 16.7 to 28.7) t of dry matter (DM) per hectare and cows harvested 16.0 (12.0 to 24.0) t during the 43 weeks.The Rhodes grass contained 32.1, 87.7, 10.8, and 32.3% DM, organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP) and crude fiber (CF) respectively. Mean stubble of 4.7 (3.9 to 6.0) t DM per hectare was left at pasture. Feeding dairy meals significantly increased (P 0.05) affect batter fat content (3.78 to 3.96%). It maintained (P > 0.05) cow liveweight and increased (P < 0.05) calf birth weight from 32.7 to 37.2 kg. Feeding dairy meal did not affect oestrus cycling. Extreme supplementation, 1542 kg dairy meal, decreased (P < 0.05) fertility. Insemination per conception and calving interval increased (P < 0.05) from 1.5 to 3.5 and 522 days. The findings in the current study show that pasture yield can be increased by over 590% dry matter from 3.5 t obtained from natural pasture containing Kikuyu and Star grasses. The Rhodes grass yield can be increased to 232% of national average yield of 1300

  9. Effect of inclusion of different levels of silage on rumen microbial population and microbial protein synthesis in dairy steers fed on rice straw

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thien Truong Giang Nguyen

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Objective Leucaena leucocephala (Leucaena is a perennial tropical legume that can be directly grazed or harvested and offered to ruminants as hay, silage, or fresh. However, Leucaena contain phenolic compounds, which are considered anti-nutritional factors as these may reduce intake, digestibility and thus animal performance. Therefore, the objective of this experiment was to determine effects of Leucaena silage (LS feeding levels on rumen microbial populations, N-balance and microbial protein synthesis in dairy steers. Methods Four, rumen fistulated dairy steers with initial weight of 167±12 kg were randomly assigned to receive dietary treatments according to a 4×4 Latin square design. Treatments were as followings: T1 = untreated rice straw (RS; Control, T2 = 70% RS+30% LS, T3 = 40% RS+60% LS, and T4 = 100% LS. Dairy steers were fed rice straw and LS ad libitum and supplemented with concentrate at 0.2% of body weight/d. Results Results revealed that the rumen microbial population, especially cellulolytic, proteolytic bacteria and fungal zoospores were enhanced in steers that received 60% of LS (p0.05. Protozoal population was linearly decreased with increasing level of LS (p<0.05. Moreover, N-balance and microbial protein synthesis were enhanced by LS feeding (p<0.05 and were the highest in 60% LS group. Conclusion Based on this study, it could be concluded that replacement of RS with 60% LS significantly improved microbial population and microbial protein synthesis in diary steers.

  10. EFFECT OF INOCULANT PIONEER 1188 IN MAIZE SILAGE ON COW MILKING CAPACITY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Zimmer

    2002-12-01

    Full Text Available First investigation part, started on 1 September 2001 by feeding 473 cows (401 dairy and 72 dry and finished on 13 November by feeding 474 cows (409 dairy and 65 dry, was characterized by the main ration consisting of maize silage without inoculant. This period was known for a maximum number of housed cows being 490 (423 dairy and 67 dry and minimum 469 (395 dairy and 74 dry. Daily average of stable milk production was 17.06 l with 3.48% of lactic fat on the average. Second part of the investigation, started on 14 November 2001 by feeding 474 cows (411 dairy and 63 dry and finished on 31 March 2002 by feeding 464 cows (395 dairy and 69 dry, was known for the basic ration contained maize silage enriched by inoculant Pioneer 1188.This period was characterized by a maximum number of housed cows being 482 (404 dairy and 57 dry. Daily average of stable milk production was 18.67 l and 3.58% of lactic fat. The main ration was composed of silage maize, highly wet maize, pearl barley, stock meal, sunflower cake, hay, salt and VAM. Inoculant Pioneer contained 6 strains of lactic-sour fermentation selected bacteria whose viability is basis of a successful product. In fact, it is a micro-granulated product added, by Gandy doser, to amount of 0.5 kg per green mass/t. Inoculant Pioneer 1188 was in this research added in a dose of 0.436 kg t-1 silage maize. Daily average of stable milk production increased by 1.61l i.e. 9.4% and lactic fat from 3.48% to 3.58% i.e. 2.9%.

  11. Ensiling – Wet-storage method for lignocellulosic biomass for bioethanol production

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Oleskowicz-Popiel, Piotr; Thomsen, Anne Belinda; Schmidt, Jens Ejbye

    2011-01-01

    , and consequently by lowing pH, inhibiting other microbes to degrade the polysaccharides. Following silage treatment, enzymatic convertibility tests showed that 51.5%, 36.5%, and 41.9% of the cellulose was converted by cellulytic enzymes in ensiled maize, rye, and clover grass, respectively. In addition, tests......Ensiling of humid biomass samples wrapped in plastic bales has been investigated as a wet-storage for bioethanol production from three lignocellulosic biomass samples i.e. maize, rye, and clover grass. During the silage process, lactic acid bacteria fermented free sugars to lactic acid.......5% (by S. cerevisiae); the yields significantly increased after hydrothermal pretreatment: 77.7%, 72.8%, 79.5% (by K. marxianus) and 72.0%, 80.7%, 75.7% (by S. cerevisiae) of the theoretical based on the C6 sugar contents in maize, rye, and clover grass, respectively....

  12. Adaptation of Methanogenic Inocula to Anaerobic Digestion of Maize Silage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martyna Wojcieszak

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available A well-balanced microbial consortium is crucial for efficient biogas production. In turn, one of a major factor that influence on the structure of anaerobic digestion (AD consortium is a source of microorganisms which are used as an inoculum. This study evaluated the influence of inoculum sources (with various origin on adaptation of a biogas community and the efficiency of the biomethanization of maize silage. As initial inocula for AD of maize silage the samples from: (i an agricultural biogas plant (ABP which utilizes maize silage as a main substrate, (ii cattle slurry (CS, which contain elevated levels of lignocelluloses materials, and (iii raw sewage sludge (RSS with low content of plant origin materials were used. The adaptation of methanogenic consortia was monitored during a series of passages, and the functionality of the adapted consortia was verified through start-up operation of AD in two-stage reactors. During the first stages of the adaptation phase, methanogenic consortia occurred very slowly, and only after several passages did the microbial community adapts to allow production of biogas with high methane content. The ABP consortium revealed highest biogas production in the adaptation and in the start-up process. The biodiversity dynamics monitored during adaptation and start-up process showed that community profile changed in a similar direction in three studied consortia. Native communities were very distinct to each other, while at the end of the Phase II of the start-up process microbial diversity profile was similar in all consortia. All adopted bacterial communities were dominated by representatives of Porphyromonadaceae, Rikenellaceae, Ruminococcaceae, and Synergistaceae. A shift from low acetate-preferring acetoclastic Methanosaetaceae (ABP and RSS and/or hydrogenotrophic Archaea, e.g., Methanomicrobiaceae (CS prevailing in the inoculum samples to larger populations of high acetate-preferring acetoclastic

  13. GUI development for GRASS GIS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martin Landa

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available This article discusses GUI development for GRASS GIS. Sophisticated native GUI for GRASS is one of the key points (besides the new 2D/3D raster library, vector architecture improvements, etc. for the future development of GRASS. In 2006 the GRASS development team decided to start working on the new generation of GUI instead of improving the current GUI based on Tcl/Tk.

  14. The relative importance of different grass components in controlling runoff and erosion on a hillslope under simulated rainfall

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Changjia; Pan, Chengzhong

    2018-03-01

    The effects of vegetation cover on overland flow and erosion processes on hillslopes vary with vegetation type and spatial distribution and the different vegetation components, including the above- and below-ground biomass. However, few attempts have been made to quantify how these factors affect erosion processes. Field experimental plots (5 m × 2 m) with a slope of approximately 25° were constructed and simulated rainfall (60 mm hr-1) (Rainfall) and simulated rainfall combined with upslope overland flow (20 L min-1) (Rainfall + Flow) were applied. Three grass species were planted, specifically Astragalus adsurgens (A. adsurgens), Medicago sativa (M. sativa) and Cosmos bipinnatus (C. bipinnatus). To isolate and quantify the relative contributions of the above-ground grass parts (stems, litter cover and leaves) and the roots to reducing surface runoff and erosion, each of the three grass species was subjected to three treatments: intact grass control (IG), no litter or leaves (only the grass stems and roots were reserved) (NLL), and only roots remaining (OR). The results showed that planting grass significantly reduced overland flow rate and velocity and sediment yield, and the mean reductions were 21.8%, 29.1% and 67.1%, respectively. M. sativa performed the best in controlling water and soil losses due to its thick canopy and dense, fine roots. Grasses reduced soil erosion mainly during the early stage of overland flow generation. The above-ground grass parts primarily contributed to reducing overland flow rate and velocity, with mean relative contributions of 64% and 86%, respectively. The roots played a predominant role in reducing soil erosion, with mean contribution of 84%. Due to the impact of upslope inflow, overland flow rate and velocity and sediment yield increased under the Rainfall + Flow conditions. The results suggest that grass species on downslope parts of semi-arid hillslopes performed better in reducing water and soil losses. This study is

  15. Use of food wastes for the production of lactic silage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ricardo Murray Martínez

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available The goal of the present work was to produce lactic silage from food wastes. A factorial 2³ experimental design was applied using the following factors and levels: yogurt inoculum concentration (1 and 15%, sucrose (2 and 15% and temperature (22 and 35 ºC and as response variable, the soluble nitrogen content (SNC at the end of the fermentation was considered. The best SNC output was for the treatment with 1 % of inoculum, 2 % of sucrose and temperature of 22ºC. The increase of SNC with regards to its initial content, from 0.17 % to 1.67 % for protein contents (PC 5 % represented 263 %. It was possible to produce a lactic silage and keep it stable for up to 30 days, which was enough storage time before being sent to a drying process for future use in animal feeding or compost.

  16. NUTRITIVE QUALITY OF TEN GRASSES DURING THE RAINY SEASON IN A HOT-HUMID CLIMATE AND ULTISOL SOIL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rodrigo Ortega-Gómez

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available The nutritive quality of ten grasses harvested at 3, 6, 9 and 12 weeks of regrowth was assessed during the rainy season (August-October 2008, in the humid tropics of Veracruz, Mexico. Grasses tested included four Brachiaria spp.: “insurgente”–B. brizantha, “signal”–B. decumbens, Chetumal–B. humidicola, “mulato I”–B. brizantha x B. ruziziensis; three Panicum maximum: Mombasa, “privilegio”, Tanzania; and three Pennisetum spp.: Taiwán, and the hybrids P. purpureum x P. glaucum “Cuban” king grass and “purple” king grass. Means for crude protein by grass group were: Pennisetum spp. (9.9 % = P. maximum (8.7 % > Brachiaria spp. (7.6 %, whereas means for in situ dry matter disappearance (ISD were: Pennisetum spp. (69.7 % > Brachiaria spp. (65.1 % > P. maximum (59.7 %. Crude protein and ISD significantly decreased by 0.42 % and 1.50 % per week. Neutral detergent fiber was not affected by model effects (mean 71.4 %. Means for acid detergent fiber (ADF by grass group were: P. maximum (47.6 % = Pennisetum spp. (44.0 % > Brachiaria spp. (42.8 %, whereas means for lignin (LIG were: P. maximum (8.5 % > Pennisetum spp. (7.6 % > Brachiaria spp. (6.7 %. The ADF and LIG significantly increased by 1.21 % and 0.19 % per week. Pennisetum spp. had the highest nutritive value at all regrowth ages.

  17. Influence of harvest time on the composition and quality of Rosinjola cultivar virgin olive oils

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olivera Koprivnjak

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this investigation was to determine the influence of Rosinjola cultivar fruits harvest time on oil content in olive pastes and on composition and quality of obtained oils. In the late harvest time the higher value of oil in the dry matter of olive paste was determined than in the early harvest time, but the late harvest negatively affected oil quality parameters. The proportion of oleic acid decreased slightly in the late harvest time and linoleic acid increased. The ratio of oleic/linoleic acid, total phenols and ortho-diphenols, as well as bitterness index and antioxidant capacity decreased in the oil obtained from black fruit. Late harvest time influenced the decrease in chlorophyll and carotenoid content and color parameter values (a*, b* and C in obtained oils, but lightness (L* increased. The concentration of volatiles responsible for positive odour of Rosinjola oils decreased, except for aldehydes which increased slightly. Sensory score of oil obtained from the late harvest time decreased, as well as intensities of sensory characteristics olive fruity, apple, green grass, bitter and pungent, while the intensities of characteristics sweet and ripe fruits increased. Oils obtained in the early harvest time were described as harmonious and astringent with pronounced green odour notes, and oils obtained in the late harvest time as overripe and without freshness. The obtained results are important for optimal harvest time determination and understanding the potential of Rosinjola cultivar for production of high quality virgin olive oil with targeted and specific characteristics.

  18. The bacterial population adherent to plant particles in the rumen of reindeer fed lichen, timothy hay or silage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monica Alterskjær Olsen

    1998-02-01

    Full Text Available Male reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus calves taken from a natural winter pasture were given ad lib. access to lichen (n = 3, timothy silage (n = 3 and hay (n = 3 for 7 weeks. Median numbers of viable anaerobic bacteria adherent to the plant particles (cells/g wet weight of rumen solids, growing on a habitat simulating medium (M8V, were significantly higher (P = 0.05 in the rumen of reindeer fed lichen (26.5 x 109- 53.0 x 109 and hay (4.0 x 109- 40.5 x 109, compared to reindeer fed silage (1.15 x 109 - 3.25 x 109. Anaerobic bacterial strains (n = 551 from the plant particles obtained from the rumen of the nine reindeer examined, were isolated using an acid swollen cellulose medium (M8SC and tested for their ability to hydrolyse carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC. The proportion of CMC hydrolysing adherent bacteria isolated from M8SC was significantly higher in reindeer fed hay (21.5% compared ro animals fed lichen (5.3% and silage (2.7% (P = 0.05. The CMC hydrolysing bacterial srrains (n=42 isolated from reindeer fed hay where characterised as non-cellulolytic Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens (9.5%, cellulolytic B. fibrisolvens (50.0%, Clostridium sp. (2.4% and unknowns (38.1%, while CMC hydrolysing strains (n=11 isolated from animals fed lichen and strains (n=4 isolated from animals fed silage where all characterised as B. fibrisolvens. None of the bacterial strains isolated from the rumen solids of reindeer fed lichen or silage were found to be cellulolytic. This study suggests that both lichen and timothy silage have a negative influence, compared to hay, on the numbers of cellulolytic bacteria adherent to the plant particles in the rumen of reindeer.

  19. Effects of Bacterial Inoculants and Absorbents on Fermentation Properties and Chemical Composition of Fresh Sugar Beet Pulp Silage Using Laboratory silos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saeid Seidali Dolat-Abad

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Introduction Ensiling is one of the common preserving methods for forage or other organic materials. In this method, organic matters were preserved by proving an aerobic condition and then by reducing the pH with increasing acids production (mainly lactic acid. Some circumstances like enough soluble carbohydrates, low buffering capacity and appropriate dry matter concentration are needed in ensilages for an ideal silage production. Seepage production during ensiling is one of the most problems especially when high moisture materials (like fresh beet sugar pulp are ensiled. Silage seepage can pollute the environment and make loses in nutrients like soluble carbohydrates, protein, organic acids and etc. Moreover, lactic acid bacteria inoculants (Mainly consist of Lactobacillus plantarum have been widely used for improving fermentation pattern in ensilages. These external provided bacteria usually enhance lactic acid production in silage and then accelerate the falling of pH values in silages. Rapid decrease in pH can inhibit non-beneficial bacteria from activity which finally preserves nutrients from un-necessary fermentation or oxidation. The aim of this study was to investigate the interactive effects of lactic acid bacteria inoculants and some absorbents (straw and pith on chemical properties and fermentation profile of wet sugar beet pulp silage. Materials and Methods In the first experiment, fresh wet sugar beet pulp was treated with 5% straw or 5% pith in order to investigate the effects of these absorbents on chemical composition, fermentation characteristics and effluent production during ensiling period. In the second experiment, fresh wet sugar beet pulp was treated with a commercial lactic acid bacteria inoculants (Ecosyle and/or 5% pith in order to investing the main and interaction effects of the bacterial bacteria inoculants and the best absorbents from the experiment 1. In both experiments, triplicate samples were prepared for each

  20. Genome sequence analysis of the model grass Brachypodium distachyon: insights into grass genome evolution

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schulman, Al

    2009-08-09

    Three subfamilies of grasses, the Erhardtoideae (rice), the Panicoideae (maize, sorghum, sugar cane and millet), and the Pooideae (wheat, barley and cool season forage grasses) provide the basis of human nutrition and are poised to become major sources of renewable energy. Here we describe the complete genome sequence of the wild grass Brachypodium distachyon (Brachypodium), the first member of the Pooideae subfamily to be completely sequenced. Comparison of the Brachypodium, rice and sorghum genomes reveals a precise sequence- based history of genome evolution across a broad diversity of the grass family and identifies nested insertions of whole chromosomes into centromeric regions as a predominant mechanism driving chromosome evolution in the grasses. The relatively compact genome of Brachypodium is maintained by a balance of retroelement replication and loss. The complete genome sequence of Brachypodium, coupled to its exceptional promise as a model system for grass research, will support the development of new energy and food crops

  1. Comparison of brown midrib-6 and -18 forage sorghum with conventional sorghum and corn silage in diets of lactating dairy cows.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oliver, A L; Grant, R J; Pedersen, J F; O'Rear, J

    2004-03-01

    Total mixed rations containing conventional forage sorghum, brown midrib (bmr)-6 forage sorghum, bmr-18 forage sorghum, or corn silage were fed to Holstein dairy cows to determine the effect on lactation, ruminal fermentation, and total tract nutrient digestion. Sixteen multiparous cows (4 ruminally fistulated; 124 d in milk) were assigned to 1 of 4 diets in a replicated Latin square design with 4-wk periods (21-d adaptation and 7 d of collection). Diets consisted of 40% test silage, 10% alfalfa silage, and 50% concentrate mix (dry basis). Acid detergent lignin concentration was reduced by 21 and 13%, respectively, for the bmr-6 and bmr-18 sorghum silages when compared with the conventional sorghum. Dry matter intake was not affected by diet. Production of 4% fat-corrected milk was greatest for cows fed bmr-6 (33.7 kg/d) and corn silage (33.3 kg/d), was least for cows fed the conventional sorghum (29.1 kg/d), and was intermediate for cows fed the bmr-18 sorghum (31.2 kg/d), which did not differ from any other diet. Total tract neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility was greatest for the bmr-6 sorghum (54.4%) and corn silage (54.1%) diets and was lower for the conventional (40.8%) and bmr-18 sorghum (47.9%) diets. In situ extent of NDF digestion was greatest for the bmr-6 sorghum (76.4%) and corn silage (79.0%) diets, least for the conventional sorghum diet (70.4%), and intermediate for the bmr-18 sorghum silage diet (73.1%), which was not different from the other diets. Results of this study indicate that the bmr-6 sorghum hybrid outperformed the conventional sorghum hybrid; the bmr-18 sorghum was intermediate between conventional and bmr-6 in most cases. Additionally, the bmr-6 hybrid resulted in lactational performance equivalent to the corn hybrid used in this study. There are important compositional differences among bmr forage sorghum hybrids that need to be characterized to predict animal response accurately.

  2. Morphogenesis of Tanzania guinea grass under nitrogen doses and plant densities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thiago Gomes dos Santos Braz

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this work was to evaluate effects of nitrogen fertilization and plant density on morphogenesis of Tanzania guinea grass. It was used a random block design with 12 treatments and two replications in a 4 × 3 factorial arrangement, with four doses of nitrogen (N (without N application, 80, 160 or 320 kg/ha.year and three plant densities (9, 25 or 49 plants/m². Harvest was performed at 25 cm from the ground when the canopy intercepted 95% of the incident light. Rates of leaf appearance and pseudostem elongation were positively and linearly influenced by nitrogen, whereas phillochron and leaf life span were influenced linearly and negatively. Leaf elongation responded positively to two factors, whereas leaf senescence rate and number of live leaves were not influenced by the factors evaluated. Number of total, basal and aerial tillers were greater at the density of 9 plants/m² and at the nitrogen dose of 320 kg/ha.year. Nitrogen increases production of leaves and tillers in Tanzania guinea grass defoliated at 95% of light interception, but high density of plants reduces the number of tiller per bunch.

  3. Dry Matter Yield And Competitiveness Of Alang-alang (Imperata Cylindrica) And Guinea Grass (Panicum Maximum) In Intercropping

    OpenAIRE

    Rusdy, M

    2012-01-01

    The objectives of this experiment were to determine dry matter yield and competitiveness of alang-alang (Imperata cylindrica) and Guinea grass (Panicum maximum) in intercropping. The experiment was arranged in factorial combinations of four planting proportions, two levels of nitrogen fertilization and three harvesting intervals with three replications. Planting proportions were 0, 33.3, 66.7, and 100% of alang-alang (planting densities of 0, 1, 2 and 3 plants/pot) combined with 100, 66.7, 33...

  4. Energetická náročnost procesu ukládání travní siláže do velkoobjemových vaků.

    OpenAIRE

    ONDRÁČEK, Vojtěch

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this work was to measure and evaluate the energy intensity of grass silage during storage in bulk bags. The values were measured on a line consisting of tractor and ma-chinery for storing forage. Further information was obtained from the service line. The results were over-straightened with technical and technological norms for agricultural production and other ways of storing silage.

  5. WELFARE OF BROILERS INGESTING A PRE-SLAUGHTER HYDRIC DIET OF LEMON GRASS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    AFB Royer

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACTThe pre-slaughter period is considered critical in broiler production. Several factors contribute to increase the birds' stress, such as handling, harvesting, and transportation, negatively affecting their welfare. This study aimed at evaluating the addition of lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratusStapf to the drinking water of broilers during the pre-slaughter period on their behavior, blood cortisol, and surface temperature. The study was carried out at the experimental farm of the Federal University of Grande Dourados (UFGD, Dourados, MS, Brazil. In total, 2594 broilers were distributed according to a completely randomized experimental design, in a 3x2x2 factorial arrangement, with four replicates per treatment. Treatments consisted of three different lemon grass levels (Cymbopogon citratus Stapf used in the form of an infusion (0, 0.1, and 5 g per L of water, sex (male or female, and genetic strain (Ross(r 308 or Cobb(r 500. The infusion was offered when birds were 42 days old. On that day, blood was collected for blood cortisol level determination, broiler surface temperature was recorded, and an ethogram was applied to register broiler behavior. Blood cortisol level and broiler surface temperature were not affected by treatments (p>0.05. The behavior of beak opening was different between the genetic strains (p<0.05, being more frequent in Ross(r 308 broilers. Lemon grass water content did not affect broilers' surface temperature when consumed during the pre-slaughter period.

  6. Functionally redundant but dissimilar microbial communities within biogas reactors treating maize silage in co-fermentation with sugar beet silage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langer, Susanne G; Ahmed, Sharif; Einfalt, Daniel; Bengelsdorf, Frank R; Kazda, Marian

    2015-01-01

    Numerous observations indicate a high flexibility of microbial communities in different biogas reactors during anaerobic digestion. Here, we describe the functional redundancy and structural changes of involved microbial communities in four lab-scale continuously stirred tank reactors (CSTRs, 39°C, 12 L volume) supplied with different mixtures of maize silage (MS) and sugar beet silage (SBS) over 80 days. Continuously stirred tank reactors were fed with mixtures of MS and SBS in volatile solid ratios of 1:0 (Continuous Fermenter (CF) 1), 6:1 (CF2), 3:1 (CF3), 1:3 (CF4) with equal organic loading rates (OLR 1.25 kgVS m−3 d−1) and showed similar biogas production rates in all reactors. The compositions of bacterial and archaeal communities were analysed by 454 amplicon sequencing approach based on 16S rRNA genes. Both bacterial and archaeal communities shifted with increasing amounts of SBS. Especially pronounced were changes in the archaeal composition towards Methanosarcina with increasing proportion of SBS, while Methanosaeta declined simultaneously. Compositional shifts within the microbial communities did not influence the respective biogas production rates indicating that these communities adapted to environmental conditions induced by different feedstock mixtures. The diverse microbial communities optimized their metabolism in a way that ensured efficient biogas production. PMID:26200922

  7. Multi-mycotoxin analysis of maize silage by LC-MS/MS

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Rie Romme; Storm, Ida Marie Lindhardt Drejer; Rasmussen, Peter Have

    2010-01-01

    ) was determined. The limit of detection (LOD) for the quantitatively validated analytes ranged from 1 to 739 mu g kg(-1). Validation results for citrinin, fumonisin B-1 and fumonisin B-2 were unsatisfying. The method was applied to 20 selected silage samples and alternariol monomethyl ether, andrastin A...

  8. Crescimento, produção de fitomassa e teor de óleo essencial de folhas de capim citronela (Cymbopogon nardus (L. Rendle em cultivo consorciado com algodoeiro colorido no semiárido mineiro Growth, phytomass yield and essential oil content of leaves of citronella grass [Cymbopogon nardus (L. Rendle] intercropping with colored cotton

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H.C.R. Rocha

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Avaliou-se o crescimento, a produção e o teor do óleo essencial de dois cortes de capim citronela em cultivo consorciado com algodoeiro colorido no semiárido. Para isso foram utilizados dois sistemas de consórcios (tratamentos: algodão colorido consorciado com capim citronela 3x1 e algodão colorido consorciado com capim citronela 1x1. A variedade de algodão colorido utilizada foi a BRS Rubi e as mudas de capim citronela foram produzidas no Horto de Plantas Medicinais da Unimontes. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi em blocos casualizados com dois tratamentos e 16 repetições. O experimento foi mantido em regime de sequeiro e foi avaliado a altura das plantas de capim citronela. Foram realizadas duas colheitas das folhas de capim citronela, sendo a primeira no momento da colheita da fibra do algodão e a segunda na rebrota do capim, seis meses após. Todas as plantas da parcela foram colhidas e as folhas frescas foram pesadas, no campo, com o auxílio de balança digital. Amostras das folhas colhidas foram retiradas e levadas para secagem em estufa com circulação forçada de ar a 35ºC até atingirem massa constante. Foi verificada a massa seca e posteriormente realizada a extração do óleo essencial pelo método de hidrodestilação em aparelho modificado de Clevenger. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância e as médias comparadas pelo teste Skott-Knott (pThe research was performed to evaluate the growth, production and essential oil content of the two harvests of citronella grass in intercropped with colored cotton in semiarid.For this, was used two system consortium (treatments: colored cotton intercropped with citronella grass 3X1 and colored cotton intercropped with citronella grass 1X1. The variety of colored cotton used was BRS Rubi and the citronella grass seedlings were produced in the Medicinal Plants Garden of Unimontes. The experimental design used was randomized blocks with two treatments and 16

  9. Effects of whey and molasses as silage additives on potato hash ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    p2492989

    20 mg copper; 20 mg iodine; 189 g calcium; 50 g phosphorus; 6000 000 I.U. ..... of corn silage by pineapple by-products on ruminal degradability in beef cattle. .... between the herbage and the course of fermentation in ensiling green fodder.

  10. Mechanisms for Formation of Oxides of Nitrogen during Ensiling of Dairy Feeds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silage (ensiled feed), as a dairy’s greatest operational cost, is its most critical feed commodity. Ensiling is the process of converting entire harvested feedplants such as corn, sorghum, or alfalfa into fermented, stable anaerobic animal feed (i.e., silage). The continued...

  11. Changes in nutritive value and herbage yield during extended growth intervals in grass-legume mixtures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Elgersma, Anjo; Søegaard, Karen

    2018-01-01

    . Perennial ryegrass was sown with each of four legumes: red clover, white clover, lucerne and birdsfoot trefoil, and white clover was sown with hybrid ryegrass, meadow fescue and timothy. Effects of species composition on herbage yield, contents of N, neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF...... in quality parameters differed among species and functional groups, i.e., grasses and legumes. Results are discussed in the context of quantifying the impact of delaying the harvest date of grass–legume mixtures and relationships between productivity and components of feed quality....

  12. Linking Microbial Community Structure and Function During the Acidified Anaerobic Digestion of Grass

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aoife Joyce

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Harvesting valuable bioproducts from various renewable feedstocks is necessary for the critical development of a sustainable bioeconomy. Anaerobic digestion is a well-established technology for the conversion of wastewater and solid feedstocks to energy with the additional potential for production of process intermediates of high market values (e.g., carboxylates. In recent years, first-generation biofuels typically derived from food crops have been widely utilized as a renewable source of energy. The environmental and socioeconomic limitations of such strategy, however, have led to the development of second-generation biofuels utilizing, amongst other feedstocks, lignocellulosic biomass. In this context, the anaerobic digestion of perennial grass holds great promise for the conversion of sustainable renewable feedstock to energy and other process intermediates. The advancement of this technology however, and its implementation for industrial applications, relies on a greater understanding of the microbiome underpinning the process. To this end, microbial communities recovered from replicated anaerobic bioreactors digesting grass were analyzed. The bioreactors leachates were not buffered and acidic pH (between 5.5 and 6.3 prevailed at the time of sampling as a result of microbial activities. Community composition and transcriptionally active taxa were examined using 16S rRNA sequencing and microbial functions were investigated using metaproteomics. Bioreactor fraction, i.e., grass or leachate, was found to be the main discriminator of community analysis across the three molecular level of investigation (DNA, RNA, and proteins. Six taxa, namely Bacteroidia, Betaproteobacteria, Clostridia, Gammaproteobacteria, Methanomicrobia, and Negativicutes accounted for the large majority of the three datasets. The initial stages of grass hydrolysis were carried out by Bacteroidia, Gammaproteobacteria, and Negativicutes in the grass biofilms, in addition to

  13. Linking Microbial Community Structure and Function During the Acidified Anaerobic Digestion of Grass.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joyce, Aoife; Ijaz, Umer Z; Nzeteu, Corine; Vaughan, Aoife; Shirran, Sally L; Botting, Catherine H; Quince, Christopher; O'Flaherty, Vincent; Abram, Florence

    2018-01-01

    Harvesting valuable bioproducts from various renewable feedstocks is necessary for the critical development of a sustainable bioeconomy. Anaerobic digestion is a well-established technology for the conversion of wastewater and solid feedstocks to energy with the additional potential for production of process intermediates of high market values (e.g., carboxylates). In recent years, first-generation biofuels typically derived from food crops have been widely utilized as a renewable source of energy. The environmental and socioeconomic limitations of such strategy, however, have led to the development of second-generation biofuels utilizing, amongst other feedstocks, lignocellulosic biomass. In this context, the anaerobic digestion of perennial grass holds great promise for the conversion of sustainable renewable feedstock to energy and other process intermediates. The advancement of this technology however, and its implementation for industrial applications, relies on a greater understanding of the microbiome underpinning the process. To this end, microbial communities recovered from replicated anaerobic bioreactors digesting grass were analyzed. The bioreactors leachates were not buffered and acidic pH (between 5.5 and 6.3) prevailed at the time of sampling as a result of microbial activities. Community composition and transcriptionally active taxa were examined using 16S rRNA sequencing and microbial functions were investigated using metaproteomics. Bioreactor fraction, i.e., grass or leachate, was found to be the main discriminator of community analysis across the three molecular level of investigation (DNA, RNA, and proteins). Six taxa, namely Bacteroidia, Betaproteobacteria, Clostridia, Gammaproteobacteria, Methanomicrobia, and Negativicutes accounted for the large majority of the three datasets. The initial stages of grass hydrolysis were carried out by Bacteroidia, Gammaproteobacteria, and Negativicutes in the grass biofilms, in addition to Clostridia in the

  14. Effects of feeding corn silage, pelleted, ensiled, or pelleted and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of corn silage (CS) and alfalfa (pelleted (AP), haylage (AH), or combination (APH)) on lamb growth and carcass characteristics. The objective of Experiment 1 (Exp. 1) was to compare AH to CS in lamb feedlot diets on lamb growth and carcass characteristics.

  15. Effect of fertilization and harvest frequency on floristic composition and yields of meadow stand

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Josef Raus

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The effect of fertilization and the harvest frequency on production and floristic characteristics of a meadow stand were assessed in a small plot trial established in 2003 in Vatín, Vysočina Region, the Czech Republic. Four levels of fertilization (none; N0 + P30 + K60 kg∙ha−1; N90 + P30 + K60 kg∙ha−1; N180 + P30 + K60 kg∙ha−1 were combined with four treatments of exploitation intensity (4 cuts per year, first cut on 15th May, every next after 45 days; 3 cuts per year, first cut on 30th May, every next after 60 days; 2 cuts per year, first cut on 15th June, next after 90 days; 2 cuts per year, first cut on 30th June, next after 90 days. Production of dry matter and proportions of guilds (grasses, legumes, and other species were evaluated. Data from 2009–2011 were used in this paper. Yields of the dry matter increased along with increasing amounts of nutrients supplied and ranged from 3.8 t∙ha−1 (non-fertilized to 9.1 t∙ha−1 (N180PK. The nutrition level had a significant effect on spread of grasses, which reached maximal proportion of 52.3 % under N180PK fertilization compared to 42.1% on non-fertilized plots. On the contrary, legumes flourished well in treatments without N-supply, attaining proportion of 6.8 % and 5.1 % on PK-fertilized and non-fertilized plot, respectively. With regard to the exploitation intensity grasses profited from extensive management by contrast to the group of other species which reached its maximum in swards harvested four times a year. Proportions of legumes did not show significant dependence on the cutting frequency.

  16. Changes in Rumen Microbial Community Composition during Adaption to an In Vitro System and the Impact of Different Forages.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Melanie B Lengowski

    Full Text Available This study examined ruminal microbial community composition alterations during initial adaption to and following incubation in a rumen simulation system (Rusitec using grass or corn silage as substrates. Samples were collected from fermenter liquids at 0, 2, 4, 12, 24, and 48 h and from feed residues at 0, 24, and 48 h after initiation of incubation (period 1 and on day 13 (period 2. Microbial DNA was extracted and real-time qPCR was used to quantify differences in the abundance of protozoa, methanogens, total bacteria, Fibrobacter succinogenes, Ruminococcus albus, Ruminobacter amylophilus, Prevotella bryantii, Selenomonas ruminantium, and Clostridium aminophilum. We found that forage source and sampling time significantly influenced the ruminal microbial community. The gene copy numbers of most microbial species (except C. aminophilum decreased in period 1; however, adaption continued through period 2 for several species. The addition of fresh substrate in period 2 led to increasing copy numbers of all microbial species during the first 2-4 h in the fermenter liquid except protozoa, which showed a postprandial decrease. Corn silage enhanced the growth of R. amylophilus and F. succinogenes, and grass silage enhanced R. albus, P. bryantii, and C. aminophilum. No effect of forage source was detected on total bacteria, protozoa, S. ruminantium, or methanogens or on total gas production, although grass silage enhanced methane production. This study showed that the Rusitec provides a stable system after an adaption phase that should last longer than 48 h, and that the forage source influenced several microbial species.

  17. Effect of Different Moisture Absorbents on Silage Fermentation Quality of Wet Potato Pulp

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daryoush Alipour

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Introduction Using agricultural-industrial waste is one way to overcome the shortage of animal feed. Potato is one of the most important products in the world after rice, wheat and maize. Potato pulp is a by-product which remains after extraction of starch, and can be used as animal feed. Because of the high moisture content of the potato pulp, silage is the best way to maintain it. However, its high moisture content leads to inappropriate ensilage. Adding of moisture absorbents (MA not only reduce the effluents, but also improve the silage quality. Materials with high content of cell wall are suitable candidates to be used as MA. Agro-industrial co-products including raisin wastes and pomegranate seed pulp have high cell wall and no report was found for their usage as MA. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of different absorbents on potato pulp silage fermentation quality. Materials and Methods Fresh potato pulp was obtained from Alvand potato processing company (Hamedan, Iran. After transfer, the potato pulps were immediately ensiled with MAs including wheat bran, raisin pedicles, rejected raisins, pomegranate peel, wheat straw and raisin rachis. The treatments were: 100% potato pulp (control, 80% potato pulp and 20% wheat bran, 80% potato pulp and 20% raisin pedicles, 71% potato pulp and 29% rejected raisin, 80% potato pulp and 20% pomegranate peel, 80% potato pulp and 20% wheat straw and 80% potato pulp and 20% rachis. After 74 days, the silos were opened for investigation. Chemical composition (i.e., dry matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, Fleig point, pH and lactic acid concentration were determined. In vitro gas production was used to assess fermentation parameters of treatments. Therefore, volume of gas production after 24 hours of incubation, rate of gas production, asymptotic gas production, lag phase, organic matter digestibility, metabolizable energy, partitioning factor, microbial

  18. Mechanisms for Nitrogen Oxide Formation during Ensiling of Dairy Feeds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silage (ensiled feed), as a dairy’s greatest operational cost, is its most critical feed commodity. Ensiling is the process of converting entire harvested feed plants such as corn, sorghum, or alfalfa into fermented, stable anaerobic animal feed (i.e., silage). The continued use...

  19. Avaliação das silagens de capim-elefante aditivadas com nabo forrageiro, pinhão manso e tremoço, pela técnica de produção de gases Evaluation of elephant grass silages with forage radish, jatropha and lupine cakes as additives by the gas production technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arnaldo Prata Neiva Júnior

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Objetivou-se, na condução deste trabalho, a avaliação das silagens de capim-elefante aditivadas com tortas de nabo forrageiro, pinhão manso e tremoço pela técnica de produção de gás. O experimento foi desenvolvido no Laboratório de Nutrição Animal do Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura da Universidade de São Paulo (LANA/CENA/USP. Como doadores de líquido de rúmen, foram utilizados 2 ovinos da raça Santa Inês, machos, adultos, castrados e providos de cânula ruminal permanente. A alimentação dos animais doadores foi constituída de forragem de gramínea cultivada e uma suplementação, ao final do dia, com feno de Tifton, concentrado comercial e sal mineral à vontade. Os substratos foram secos a 60ºC, moídos em moinho do tipo Willey, provido de peneira com perfurações de 2 mm. Os gases produzidos durante os diferentes períodos de fermentação (0, 4, 8, 12, 24, 36, 48, 72 e 96 h foram medidos com um transducer - medidor de pressão.O experimento foi instalado segundo um delineamento de blocos ao acaso em que os tratamentos foram arranjados em um esquema de parcelas subdivididas no tempo. Os maiores valores de produção de gás observados para os tratamentos em que adicionou-se torta de tremoço quando comparados com as outras tortas, decorreu do fato da torta de tremoço apresentar menor teor de fibras, propiciando assim, uma maior fermentação ruminal e, consequentemente, maior produção de gás em relação a outros alimentos com maior proporção de carboidratos estruturais (parede celular.As taxas de degradação da fração solúvel da matéria seca foi menor para NF 8% e PM 11% em relação às outras silagens estudadas. Foram encontradas diferenças significativas para as TNF, TPM e TT, nos diferentes níveis, em relação ao volume de gases em 96 h de incubação (PThe objective of this work was to evaluate elephant grass silages with forage radish, Jatropha and lupine cakes as additives by the gas

  20. A trial of the suitability of switchgrass and reed canary grass as biofuel crops under UK conditions. 5th interim report March 2005

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Richie, A.B.

    2005-07-01

    The Topgrass Project, established in 2002, investigated the potential of miscanthus, switchgrass and reed canary grass as biofuel crops at various sites in the UK. This interim report covers the period from the harvesting in winter 2003/04 to the harvesting in winter 2004/05. The report gives details on (i) pest and weed control and (ii) yields and associated costs per species per unit area. It was concluded that maximum potential yield has not been reached at some sites. The study was funded by the DTI and carried out by IACR Rothamstead with ADAS Consulting, Duchy College Cornwall and SCRI Invergowrie as collaborators. The project has now terminated.