Production performance, nutrient digestibility, and milk fatty acid profile of lactating dairy cows fed corn silage- or sorghum silage-based diets with and without xylanase supplementation

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of supplementing xylanase on production performance, nutrient digestibility, and milk fatty acid profile in high-producing dairy cows consuming corn silage-or sorghum silage-based diets. Conventional corn (80,000 seeds/ha) and brown midrib forage sorghum (250,000 seeds/ha) were planted, harvested [34 and 32% of dry matter (DM), respectively], and ensiled for more than 10 mo. Four primiparous and 20 multiparous Holstein cows were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 diets in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments and 19-d periods.Treatment diets consisted of (1) corn silage-based diet without xylanase, (2) corn silage-based diet with xylanase, (3) sorghum silage-based diet without xylanase, and (4) sorghum silage-based diet with xylanase. The xylanase product was supplemented at a rate of 1.5 g of product/kg of total DM. Corn silage had higher concentrations of starch (31.2 vs. 29.2%), slightly higher concentrations of crude protein (7.1 vs. 6.8%) and fat (3.7 vs. 3.2%), and lower concentrations of neutral detergent fiber (36.4 vs. 49.0%) and lignin (2.1 vs. 5.7%) than sorghum silage. Xylanase supplementation did not affect DM intake, milk yield, milk fat percentage and yield, milk protein percentage and yield, lactose percentage and yield, and 3.5% fat-corrected milk yield. Cows consuming corn silage-based diets consumed 13% more DM (28.8 vs. 25.5 kg/d) and produced 5% more milk (51.6 vs. 48.9 kg/d) than cows consuming sorghum silage-based diets. Milk from cows consuming sorghum silage-based diets had 16% greater fat concentrations (3.84 and 3.30%) than milk from cows consuming corn silage-based diets. This resulted in 8% greater fat yields (1.81 vs. 1.68 kg/d). Silage type did not affect milk protein and lactose concentrations. Xylanase supplementation did not affect nutrient digestibility. Cows consuming corn silage-based diets showed greater DM (77.3 vs. 73.5%), crude protein (78.0 vs. 72.4), and starch (99.2 vs. 96.5%) digestibilities than cows consuming sorghum silage-based diets. In conclusion, xylanase supplementation did not improve production performance when high-producing dairy cows were fed corn silage-or sorghum silage-based diets. In addition, production performance can be sustained by feeding sorghum silage in replacement of corn silage.

Production performance and nutrient digestibility of lactating dairy cows fed low-forage diets with and without the addition of a live-yeast supplement

“…The scope this study was to attenuate plausible nutritional disturbances when feeding relatively lowforage diets containing rapidly fermentable carbohydrates to high-producing cows in early to mid lactation. Maintaining cows' health is paramount when reducing dietary forage to concentrate ratios as a strategy for "stretching" forage inventories under drought scenarios (Yang et al, 2019). In this long-term study, production performance was adequate, despite the aforementioned feeding strategies, suggesting that there is some flexibility or adaptation of cows to challenging feeding conditions.…”

“…Despite our expectations, milk yields were satisfactory for high-producing cows (>48 kg/d), and milk fat concentrations (>3.60% fat) did not indicate signs of milk fat depression. Related to this adequate performance, sodium bicarbonate (~260 g/d) and magnesium oxide (~44 g/d) were included in these diets as dietary buffers (Yang et al, 2017(Yang et al, , 2018(Yang et al, , 2019. If the challenging rumen environmental conditions were attenuated by the inclusion of these buffers, then the action of the supplemental yeast may have been hindered.…”

“…From a nutritional perspective, finding nutritional strategies that sustain production and revenues, while maintaining cows' health, is paramount when facing a drought scenario. Reducing dietary forage to concentrate ratios can be a strategy for "stretching" forage inventories under drought scenarios (Yang et al, 2019). Also, replacing corn grain with other less expensive cereal grains can be another strategy when corn prices increase as a consequence of drought (Yang et al, 2017).…”

Lactic acid bacteria diversity in corn silage produced in Minas Gerais (Brazil)

“…Due to the nutritional quality, this forage has been extensively used to optimise the yield of milk production in order to meet the increasing demand for dairy products (Yang et al 2019). The use of corn silages has increased in several countries such as Brazil, Mexico (South and Central America) (Bernardes and do Rêgo 2014;Prospero-Bernal et al 2017), Thailand, Malaysia (Asia) (Ohmomo et al 2002;Khaing et al 2015) and Kenya and Ethiopia (Africa) (Tamir et al 2012;Makau et al 2018).…”

The Bacterial Community Associated with the Amarillo Zamorano Maize (Zea mays) Landrace Silage Process

“…Maize is one of the most ensilaged crops worldwide, due to its ease of cultivation, high yield, high energy content, and good ensiling characteristics, such as low buffering capacity and high concentration of water-soluble carbohydrates [ 40 ]. Additionally, maize silage could be used alone or in association with other crops as the diet for dairy cows, e.g., grass-maize silage, has suitable results in milk yield and its protein content [ 41 , 42 , 43 ]. In the Los Altos region of Jalisco State, the main dairy basins of Mexico, which is largely under a familiar milk production system, a high proportion of crops are sown for forage production; 70–100% of livestock feed is commonly based on the stubble or silage of maize.…”