The present study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition, profile and fermentative losses, microbial population and the aerobic stability of mixed silages of cactus pear and gliricidia. The ...treatments corresponded to the addition levels of gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Steud), in the silages of cactus pear (Opuntia ficus indica Mill.), at ratios 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% gliricidia. The data were subjected to analysis of variance and regression to evaluate the effect of the addition levels of gliricidia. The average related to the opening days were compared by the Tukey's test and the average hours of exposure to air were compared by the Student's t-test. The addition of gliricidia in cactus pear silage provided a linear increasing effect for pH, crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL), neutral detergent insoluble protein (NDIP), and increased aerobic stability (AS). The highest dry matter recovery was estimated in the silages with 58% gliricidia. Based on the fermentative, chemical composition and silage losses, all the silages tested were adequate. However, considering aerobic stability, the addition of at least 25% gliricidia is recommended to provide the animal a feed with important quality and high nutritional value.
The experiment aimed to evaluate the fermentative and nutritional profile of the silage of four soybean plant genotypes (BRS 333 RR, Pampeanas: C50, C60, and C70) ensiled with levels of sugarcane (0, ...25, 50, 75, and 100%). The experiments were conducted in a completely randomized design, in factorial scheme 4 × 5 (four soybean genotypes and five levels of sugarcane inclusion) with four replicates. Silages with 100% soybean plant presented the highest levels of butyric acid (P < 0.001) and ammoniacal nitrogen (P < 0.047); however, the intermediate addition of sugarcane contributed to lactic fermentation (P < 0.001). Besides, there was a quadratic effect (P < 0.05) for the recovery of dry matter, which ranged from 83.28 to 95.29%, with higher values observed for silage with the same proportions of soybean plant and sugarcane. It was verified that the crude protein content exhibited decreasing linear effects (P < 0.001), varying among 4.60 to 7.48% in the silages. It was concluded that the highest recovery of dry matter, the best fermentation profile, and the highest levels of crude protein and digestibility occurred in the inclusion between 25 and 50% of sugarcane in soybean silage, with the superiority of the C50 soybean genotype.
The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of cactus silage and an intermittent water supply for lambs on carcass traits and meat quality. Thirty-six crossbreed lambs with an initial average ...weight of 19.8 ± 2.1 kg and average age of 6 months were randomly assigned to a 3 × 3 factorial design comprising three addition ratios of cactus silage to the diet (0, 21, and 42% based on dry matter) and three water supply intervals (0, 24, and 48 h) with four replicates. There was no interaction (P > 0.05) between the cactus silage ratio and intermittent water supply for any of the evaluated variables, with the exception of the yield of the half carcass commercial cuts. There was no significant effect of intermittent water supply (P > 0.05) on the carcass characteristics or meat quality. The addition of forage cactus silage as a substitute for Tifton hay affected the morphometric measurements (P < 0.05) and carcass compactness index (P < 0.05). The addition of 42% cactus silage to the diet increased (P < 0.05) the rib eye area (13.98 cm2). The addition of cactus silage as a substitute for Tifton hay positively affected (P < 0.05) the carcass weight of commercial cuts of the lambs. To the physical and chemical parameters of the Longissimus lumborum, the addition of 42% cactus silage to the diet reduced the color meat parameters (P < 0.05) and pH0 and 24h, cooking losses, and shear force were not affected (P > 0.05). The addition of forage cactus silage to the lambs' diet affected (P < 0.05) the composition of some saturated fatty acids in the meat. A water supply interval of up to 48 h does not influence carcass characteristics and meat quality. Therefore, the use of cactus silage can be recommended in situations of water scarcity without harming the production or meat quality of crossbreed lambs.
The effect of different proportions of cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica Mill) silage (CPS) and intermittent water supply (IWS) to crossbreed goats' diets on carcass traits and meat quality were ...evaluated. The IWS caused a reduction (p = 0.03) in the percentage of leg fat in the animals. The rib eye area, carcass weight, and physical-chemical characteristics were not affected (p > 0.05) by the CPS or IWS. The IWS reduced (p = 0.04) the elongase enzyme activity. The CPS inclusion in the diet reduced C22:0 (p = 0.01), some branched-chain fatty acid (BCFA), C20:1 (p = 0.03), c13-C18:1 (p = 0.01) fatty acids. Therefore, in situations of water scarcity, an intermittent water supply of up to 48 h and diets with up to 42% cactus pear silage, can be adopted in goat feedlot, without affecting carcass traits and meat quality.
The objective was to evaluate the water intake and ingestive behavior of sheep fed diets containing silages of cactus pear combined with tropical forages. Forty sheep without defined breed, intact, ...with initial average weight of 22.65 ± 1.01 kg were distributed in a completely randomized design with 5 treatments and 8 replications. The experimental diets consisted of cactus pear silage (CPS), cactus pear + buffel grass silage (CPBS), cactus pear + gliricidia silage (CPGS), cactus pear + pornunça silage (CPPS), and corn silage (CS). CPGS provided higher water intake via food, total water intake, metabolic water, and excretion via feces and urine (
P
< 0.05). Animals that received diets containing CS showed higher water intake via drinking fountain, less efficient feeding and rumination of dry matter, less efficient rumination of neutral detergent fiber, grams of dry matter per cud, grams of neutral detergent fiber per cud, and the shortest average time spent in chewing per cud (
P
< 0.05). CPGS, CPPS, and CS provided longer times for rumination and numbers of cuds per day (
P
< 0.05). CPS showed animals spending more time in idleness, lower quantity of cuds per minute, higher concentration of crystals in urine, with a higher frequency of ammonia-magnesium phosphate and calcium oxalate. Silages based on cactus pear are an alternative to the supply of water via food for sheep in semi-arid.
This study aimed to evaluate the ensiling fermentation profile, chemical composition, and in-situ degradability of mixed ration silages combining babassu by-products as a nutritional alternative for ...livestock. A completely randomised design was used, with four treatments (silages) and five replications (silos), which were composed of: Sugarcane silage, SS (control); sugarcane silage with corn and soybean meal (standard diet, MRSS); sugarcane silage with corn, soybean meal, and babassu flour, MRSF; and sugarcane silage with corn, soybean meal, and babassu cake, MRSC. The highest values (p < 0.05) of dry matter recovery (DMR) were for the MRSS, MRSF, and MRSC treatments, which also had higher dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), and non-fibrous carbohydrate contents (NFC), compared to SC treatment, which showed the highest levels of neutral detergent fibre corrected for ash and protein (NDFap), acid detergent fibre (ADF), lignin (LIG), and ethanol. The MRSS, MRSF, and MRSC treatments exhibited higher potential degradability (PD) and effective degradability (ED) of DM and CP; and higher (P < 0.05) degradability of DM and CP compared to SS treatment. The inclusion of babassu concentrate and by-products in sugarcane silages in the form of total ration acted positively in the qualitative indicators of the silages.
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of inoculation with lyophilised and/or activated Lactobacillus buchneri on lactic acid bacteria populations in corn silage. Experimental treatments consisted ...of corn silage without additives or silage with the inoculants of L. buchneri (1 x 105 cfu/g) applied according to the manufacturer’s recommendations (1 g/tonne fodder) in the forms of the lyophilised inoculant and pre-activated inoculant. Purified isolates from corn silage with and without the inoculant were identified, and 93% of the isolates corresponded to the lactic acid bacteria of the species Lactobacillus plantarum. Among the isolates, no bacteria of the species L. buchneri were detected. The application of lyophilised or activated L. buchneri improved the microbiological profile and reduced ethanol production in corn silage, even without being identified among the isolates captured 70 days after ensilage. Highlights: • Lactic acid bacteria showed greater development at 7 days of fermentation. • Lactobacillus plantarum predominated at 70 days, representing 93% of the total LAB population. • Lactobacillus buchneri improved its microbiological profile with decreased ethanol production.
This study aimed to determine the nitrogen application need to optimise the Forage Sorghum yield and the quality silage in regions of humid and mesothermal climate. For the agronomic evaluations of ...the hybrids, a completely randomised block design was adopted, while for silages evaluation, the design used was completely randomised. The treatments were: 0, 50, 100, and 150 kg of N.ha
−1
, with four replications each. The results showed that there was an increasing quadratic effect (P < 0.05) for dry matter percentage (% DM) of the plant stem, plant height (PH), stem diameter (SD), and crude protein (CP) of the silage. The decreasing quadratic effect (P < 0.05) was observed for panicle size (PAS). Also, there was an increasing linear effect (P < 0.05) for the fresh matter production (FMP) and dry matter production (DMP), and linear decreasing (P < 0.05) for the levels of neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and gas losses (GL). Based on the nitrogen use efficiency of the plant and the silage quality, an application of 50 kg of N.ha
−1
is recommended for forage sorghum grown in regions of humid and mesothermal climate.
The objective was to evaluate the morphological, productive and chemical characteristics of Crotalarias juncea, spectabilis and ochroleuca, and pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) submitted to phosphate ...fertilization levels. The experimental design used was completely randomized in a 4 × 4 factorial scheme, with four doses of phosphorus (0, 100, 200, 300 kg ha
−1
of P
2
O
5
) and four legume cultivars (Crotalaria juncea, Crotalaria spectabilis, Crotalaria ochroleucaanda and Cajanus cajan), with four repetitions. There was no interaction between the levels of phosphate fertilizer and the legume species for the productive characteristics studied. There was a positive linear effect for leaf dry matter production, stem dry matter production and total dry matter production as a function of phosphate fertilization. There was a positive linear effect for the levels of leaf crude protein, with enhanced levels of phosphorus. There was greater fertilizer efficiency in legumes, at a dose of 100 kg ha
−1
, with a response of 11.46 kg ha
−1
for leaf dry matter production and 33.40 kg ha
−1
for total dry matter production. Among legumes, Crotalaria spectabilis is recommended due to the higher total dry matter and leaf productivity, greater number of nodules, and better chemical composition and digestibility.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the silage produced with different mixtures of melon biomass with urea used as an additive. It adopted a completely randomized design in a 5 × 2 factorial ...scheme with five replications. The first factor was made up of five mixtures on an as-fed basis (AF) of the melon, including plant (branch and leaf) and fruit (culled melon, after harvest), where the amount of fruit varied as follows: 0% fruit, 5% fruit, 10% fruit, 20% fruit, and 100% fruit. The second factor was represented by the use of urea in the silage as follows: 0% and 1.5% urea AF. The highest silage dry matter (DM) content (200 g/kg DM) was observed in the silage with 20% fruit. Regarding the crude protein, the highest content (69.8 g/kg DM) was found in the silage with the addition of urea. The highest loss through the gas (GAS) was observed in the silages with 0% and 100% fruit (0.6 and 1.13%), with no addition of urea. The silages made with melon biomass and the addition of 20% and 100% fruit showed differences regarding the fermentative pattern, chemical composition, and aerobic stability, thus being the most indicated mixtures for silage making.
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