Physical Characteristics Analysis of Complete Silage Made of Sorghum Forage, King Grass and Natural Grass

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the physical characteristics of complete silage made from forage sorghum, king grass and natural grass. This research was conducted at the Faculty of Agriculture, Timor University, Kefamenanu-East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) for 3 months, including preparation, adaptation, and data collection. The study used a completely randomized design with 3 treatments and 4 replications. Each treatment included TI: sorghum 45% + lamtoro 20% + corn flour 25% + bran pollard 10%; T2: 45% natural grass + 20% lamtoro + 25% corn flour + 10% bran pollard and T3: king grass 45% + lamtoro 20% + corn flour 25% + bran pollard 10%. The parameters measured were the physical characteristics of complete silage in the form of color, texture, aroma, and the presence of fungus using panelists and the degree of acidity measured by a pH meter. Data were analyzed based on analysis of variance procedures.The results showed that the use of different forage sources as a base material in making complete silage had a significant effect (P <0.05) on the silage color and the presence of fungus but it did not affect the texture, aroma and acidity. It was concluded that the use of sorghum in making complete silage displayed the best physical characteristics characterized by natural green/yellowish green, dense textured, acidic (still fresh), pH 4.3 and the absence of fungus.

PELATIHAN PEMBUATAN SILASE GAMAL (Gliricida sepium) DALAM MENGATASI KEKURANGAN PAKAN DI DESA KUAKEN KECAMATAN NOEMUTI TIMUR KABUPATEN TTU

“…Dalam pembuatan silase, hal penting yangperlu diperhatikan adalah bahan yang digunakan. Dimana selain memilih hijauan yang disukai ternak, juga perlu diperhatikan jenis bahan pakan karena turut mempengaruhi karakteristik silase yang dihasilkan (Tahuk et al, 2020).…”

“…Penilaian warna, tekstur, dan aroma dilakukan oleh panelis yang terdiri dari tim pengabdian dan anggota kelompok serta mahasiswa yang ikut terlibat. Penilaian secara organoleptik ini berdasarkan Tahuk et al (2020), yakni dengan memberikan penilaian (skor) yang berkisar 1-3 (Tabel 1) yang merupakan gambaran kualitas silase yang dihasilkan.…”

“…Silase yang baik dapat diketahui secara organoleptik seperti tekstur, warna, aroma, keberadaan jamur dan derajat keasaman (Tahuk et al, 2020). Dari Tabel 1 terlihat bahwa karakteristik fisik dari silase berbasis gamal yang diberi skor 1-3 tergolong tinggi.…”

Evaluating the fermentation characteristics, bacterial community, and predicted functional profiles of native grass ensiled with different additives

“…The availability of feed in terms of quality, quantity, and continuity directly influences livestock productivity (Tahuk et al, 2021 ). Native grass provides feed for a large number of ruminants to meet the demand for meat and milk for consumers.…”

“…Native grass provides feed for a large number of ruminants to meet the demand for meat and milk for consumers. Nevertheless, the quality and quantity of native grass are volatile because of seasonal changes (Tahuk et al, 2021 ; Du et al, 2022 ). The native grass production will increase during the summer, which leads to a positive effect on increasing biomass production, whereas, in the winter, low quality and feed deficiency constrained the continuous development of animal husbandry (Zhou et al, 2022 ).…”