Influence of forage proportion and ensiling periods on physical characteristics and qualities of Panicum maximum (Ntchisi) and Stylosanthes guianensis silage

Abstract

This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of proportion of grass-legume mixtures and ensiling periods on the physical characteristics and qualities of Panicum maximum and Stylosanthes guainensis silage. The experiment was laid in a 2×3 factorial arrangement which comprised of two (2) forage proportions (100% and 50%:50%) and three (3) ensiling periods (30, 60 and 90 days). Results showed that there was only significant (p<0.05) different on pH as affected by ensiling periods whereby the pH values decline as the ensiling periods increases. The highest (p<0.05) CP (10.75%) and NFC (15.33%) contents was observed in equal proportion of P. maximum and S. guianensis silage. The effect of ensiling period effect on the proximate composition was significant (p<0.05) whereby P. maximum and S. guianensis ensiled for 90 days recorded the highest value for dry matter (DM) (96.88%) and ether extract (EE) (5.50) while P. maximum and S. guianensis ensiled for 30 days had highest CP content of 12.70%. Effect of proportion was significant (p<0.05) on the NDF, ADF and cellulose contents. Sole P. maximum silage had higher NDF (59.67%), ADF (33.83%) and cellulose (29.17%) contents compared to other proportion. There was declined in NDF and ADF contents as the ensiling period extended from 30 to 90 days in which silage ensiled at 90 days had the least content of 54.00 and 32.25% respectively. It is therefore concluded that silage made from equal proportion of P. maximum and S. guainensis silage had the highest crude protein and low structural components.

Piloting locally made microsilos to monitor the silage fermentation quality of conserved forage in Rwanda

“…As suggested in the results, silages made of 100% grasses (Treatment 1: Brachiaria mulato and Panicum coloratum) presented relatively greater percentages of neutral detergent bers (%), acid detergent bers (%), pH, total fermentation losses (g) and dry matter (DM%) than did mixtures of Brachiaria mulato (70%) + Desmodium distrortum (30%) and Panicum coloratum (70%) + Desmodium distortum (30%). In previous studies, NDF was found to range from 53.7-70.6%, while signi cant variations among the treatments were found for NDF and ADF in mixed silages (grass * legumes); in contrast, the sole panicum maximum silage contained 59.67% NDF and 33.83% ADF (Okukenu et al, 2021). This nding indicates a certain similarity with ndings from the current studies.…”