Forage Preservation Method Influences Alfalfa Nutritive Value and Feeding Characteristics

Abstract

Forage preserved as baled silage can reduce dry matter and quality losses compared with hay systems if sufficient stretch wrap is layered to adequately exclude oxygen. The objectives of this study were to determine the optimum film amount for alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) preserved as round bale silage and to compare the forage quality and losses to that of dry hay. Two field trials compared alfalfa silages wrapped in two, four, or six layers of plastic film and hay controls. Bales wrapped with four or six layers had significantly lower temperatures than two layer treatments. In Trial 1 (July harvest), silage with two layers had higher post‐storage neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and acid detergent lignin (ADL) concentrations than did silage prepared with either four or six layers. No consistent differences in forage quality parameters were observed among silage treatments in Trial 2 (September harvest). After 5 mo, concentrations of ADF, NDF, and ADL in the silages with four or six layers of film were lower than hay in both trials; however, crude protein (CP) did not differ across preservation treatments. In a preference trial, cows (Bos taurus) offered all treatments from Trial 2 preferred silages preserved with four or six layers of film to the two‐layer treatment and hay control. We conclude that more than two layers of film are needed for consistent preservation of alfalfa round bale silage. The results demonstrated the potential advantage in quality for alfalfa baled silage compared with conventionally harvested and stored hay.

New Oxygen Barrier Stretch Film Enhances Quality of Alfalfa Wrapped Silage

“…The DM losses at the end of the storage period ranged from 50 to 123 g kg −1 DM (Table 3) and were affected by the type of stretch film used ( P < 0.001) and by the number of layers applied ( P = 0.035). Hancock and Collins (2006) reported that DM losses for alfalfa round bale silage at a DM content of 626 g kg −1 were generally low but highly variable, averaging 63 ± 64 g kg −1 DM, independent of the amount of PE stretch film applied (from two to six layers per bale). The pattern of weight losses during the conservation period differed from the first 36 d of conservation (Fig.…”

“…Paillat and Gaillard (2001) reported that stretching to 60% reduced the thickness from 25 to 19 μm, accelerated film wear, and decreased the service life of the film by 48% on average. Furthermore, Hancock and Collins (2006) reported that the oxygen permeability of a single layer of PE film stretched to 150% of its original length increased to values ranging from 7750 to 9810 cm 3 m −2 d −1 , varying according to the manufacturing process.…”

Effects of dairy slurry on silage fermentation characteristics and nutritive value of alfalfa

“…Generally, production of lactic acid in silages from HARV1 was minimal or undetectable in bales with an initial bale moisture <45% (0.02 ± 0.057% of DM), but increased for wetter (>45%) bales (0.57 ± 0.578% of DM). Whereas studies conducted with alfalfa balage in Kentucky (Han et al, 2004;Hancock and Collins, 2006) have reported greater lactic acid production than observed for HARV1, other studies with grasses baled at <50% moisture (Rhein et al, 2005;Borreani et al, 2007) have reported concentrations of lactic acid ranging from 0.57 to 1.20% of DM with a corresponding final pH ≥5.13. No significant effects of treatment were observed for any other measured fermentation product (P ≥ 0.182).…”

The effect of bale density and addition of formic acid on the <i>in situ</i> dry matter and crude protein degradation of lucerne, red clover and red fescue silages

“…Forty-five days after forming the bales, samples were taken from each one with a probe (ø 20 mm) at the diameter line and half height of the bale to a depth of 40 cm (Hancock and Collins, 2006). Silage samples were stored at -25°C.…”