Laboratory ensilage of Setaria sphacelata cv. Nandi and Chloris gayana cv. Pioneer at a range of dry matter contents

Catchpoole, V.R. (1972) Laboratory ensilage of Setaria sphacelata cv. Nandi and Chloris gayana cv. Pioneer at a range of dry matter contents. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, 12 (56). pp. 269-273.

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Abstract

Setaria sphacelata and Chloris gayana after wilting periods of 0, 6 and 26 h or 0, 4, 7 and 27 h, respectively, were ensiled in steel silos for 1, 5, 20 or 200 days. Both grasses had fairly high contents of N and low contents of soluble sugars. Unwilted silages were unstable during storage and partly decomposed to form butyric acid, but the content of volatile components was not high. Wilting the grasses to DM contents up to 35% decreased decomposition during ensilage and the silages had much lower contents of volatile acids; above 30% DM the silages had lower contents of volatile bases. Heavy wilting to above 40% DM stabilised the silages and further decreased decomposition. During ensilage of C. gayana the production of volatile components fell in the first 20 days with increase in DM but in the next 180 days the production of volatile bases decreased only when DM content at ensiling was 68% and that of volatile acids and lactic acid only when DM contents were 52 and 68%. Wilting of S. sphacelata eliminated effluent flow and total loss of DM and N, with one exception, fell with increase in DM content at ensiling. Unwilted C. gayana silage lost no effluent and wilting did not decrease loss of DM but heavy wilting decreased loss of N

Item Type:	Article
Author Affiliation:	Division of Tropical Pastures, Cunningham Laboratory, St. Lucia, Queensland
Subjects:	Animal Husbandary > Veterinary Sciences
Divisions:	Other Crops
Depositing User:	Ms K Syamalamba
Date Deposited:	02 May 2012 05:00
Last Modified:	02 May 2012 05:01
URI:	http://eprints.icrisat.ac.in/id/eprint/5033

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