The study was conducted with the objective of evaluating the nutrient content, fermentation characteristics, microbial counts, and ruminal degradability of two mixtures of Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) and winter cereal silages. Two mixtures (mixture A: Italian ryegrass, triticale, oats, wheat and barley; and mixture B: Italian ryegrass and oats) were wilted and ensiled in laboratory-scale silos without additives. At the end of 90 d fermentation mixture B silage had higher (p < .05) dry matter (DM), ether extract (EE), crude fibre (CF), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) contents than mixture A silage. The pH value of mixture B was higher (p < .05) than mixture A silage. Mixture A had higher lactate, acetate and ethanol contents than mixture B. However, mixture B had higher NH 3 -N (day 14) than mixture A silage. The mould and yeast count (Log 10 CFU g À1 ) was higher (p < .05) for mixture A than mixture B at opening day 7. The in situ incubation revealed that potentially degradable fraction (b) of DM, CP and NDF was 39.41%, 43.59%, 80.23% (mixture A) and 39.16%, 32.39%, 94.35% (mixture B). The effective protein degradability (EPD) at 0.08 rumen outflow rates was 67.26% (mixture A) and 67.19% (mixture B). These results suggest that with the proper stage of harvesting, Italian ryegrass and winter cereal mixtures were fermented well. This kind of mixtures can be ensiled without additives in the future. The high potentially degradable NDF and effective protein degradability implies that this mixture could be included successfully in high-yielding dairy cattle diets.
HIGHLIGHTSItalian ryegrass and winter cereal mixtures are well preserved without additives and it saves the cost of additives for dairy farmers. The ensiled mixtures have high potentially degradable NDF and effective protein degradability, which improve dry matter intake, milk production and increase the net return of farm. The mixture forage can be double-cropped with corn for silage making, which can have both environmental and economic benefits if the ensiled mixture yields are enough to cover expenses.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the aroma profile, microbial and chemical quality of winter cereals (triticale, oats, barley and wheat) and Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam., IRG) plus winter cereal mixture silages detected with an electronic nose. Four commercial mixtures (mixture A (40% of two cultivars of winter triticale + 30% of two cultivars of winter oats + 20% of winter barley + 10% of winter wheat), mixture B (50% of two cultivars of winter triticale + 40% of winter barley + 10% of winter wheat), mixture C (55% of three types of Italian ryegrass + 45% of two cultivars of winter oat), mixture D (40% of three types of Italian ryegrass + 30% of two cultivars of winter oat + 15% of two cultivars of winter triticale + 10% of winter barley + 5% of winter wheat)) were harvested, wilted and ensiled in laboratory-scale silos (n = 80) without additives. Both the principal component analysis (PCA) score plot for aroma profile and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) classification revealed that mixture D had different aroma profile than other mixture silages. The difference was caused by the presence of high ethanol and LA in mixture D. Ethyl esters such as ethyl 3-methyl pentanoate, 2-methylpropanal, ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate and ethyl-3-methylthiopropanoate were found at different retention indices in mixture D silage. The low LA and higher mold and yeast count in mixture C silage caused off odour due to the presence of 3-methylbutanoic acid, a simple alcohol with unpleasant camphor-like odor. At the end of 90 days fermentation winter cereal mixture silages (mixture A and B) had similar aroma pattern, and mixture C was also similar to winter cereal silages. However, mixture D had different aromatic pattern than other ensiled mixtures. Mixture C had higher (p < 0.05) mold and yeast (Log10 CFU (colony forming unit)/g) counts compared to mixture B. Mixture B and C had higher acetic acid (AA) content than mixture A and D. The lactic acid (LA) content was higher for mixture B than mixture C. In general, the electronic nose (EN) results revealed that the Italian ryegrass and winter cereal mixtures (mixture D) had better aroma profile as compared to winter cereal mixtures (mixture A and B). However, the cereal mixtures (mixture A and B) had better aroma quality than mixture C silage. Otherwise, the EN technology is suitable in finding off odor compounds of ensiled forages.
An experiment was conducted to compare a bunker silo sealing system comprising an oxygen barrier film (OB: 45μm thickness) with protective woven polypropylene with one comprising standard black polyethylene film (S; 125μm thickness) with protective tyres. Analysis of samples taken to 30 cm depth after 365 days of storage showed no differences in pH or lactic acid between the two sealing systems. There were no differences in aerobic bacterial count between silages. Whilst 2.56 log10 CFU moulds g-1 fresh weight were found in samples of silage sealed with S, no moulds were found in samples of silage sealed with OB. Aerobic stability, averaged 249 hours and 184 hours for OB and S, respectively. The OB system probably inhibited the development of the micro-organisms responsible for the initiation of aerobic deterioration to a greater extent than the standard silo sealing system.
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