Silage fermentation characteristics of grass-legume mixtures harvested at two different maturity stages

Abstract

The objective of our study was to investigate the diversity of individual parameters of quality of grass-legume mixture silages harvested in two stages of crop utilization and the impact of the interaction of studied factors on the quality. Legumes as an important source of protein are very difficult to ensilage. However, in mixture with grasses their fermentable characteristics are improved. During the growth and development of plants, their chemical composition changes, hence their ability and suitability for ensiling also changes. In regard to the studied factors, the phase of exploitation had a highly significant impact on almost all quality parameters in both years. By delaying the harvest period, dry matter content in silage has significantly increased and the level of crude protein and NH3-N decreased. In regard to the content of lactic acid, the studied silages fall into category of good quality silages. Its content in the first year ranged from 24.3-31.5 in the early harvest stage and from 27.9-36.2 g kg-1 DM at the late harvest stage, and in the second year from 27.4 to 31.4 in the early harvest stage and from 28.2- 31.9 g kg-1 DM at the stage of late harvest. According to the content of acetic and butyric acids, studied silages can also be considered as silages of good quality.

Cilj naših istraživanja je bio da ispitamo uticaj faze zrelosti useva u vreme kosidbe različitih travno-leguminoznih smeša, kao i interakciju faktora faza-vrsta smeše na pojedine parametre kvaliteta silaža od tih smeša. Leguminoze kao važni izvori proteina se vrlo teško siliraju. U smeši sa travama njihove fermentabilne karakteristike se popravljaju. U toku rasta i razvića biljaka menja se njihov hemijski sastav, pa i sposobnost za siliranje. Od ispitivanih faktora, faza iskorišćavanja imala je visoko značajnog uticaja na gotovo sve parametre kvaliteta u obe ispitivane godine. Odlaganjem vremena kosidbe značajno je povećan sadržaj suve materije u silaži i smanjen sadržaj sirovih proteina i NH3-N. Ispitivane silaže po sadržaju mlečne kiseline spadaju u silaže dobrog kvaliteta. Njen sadržaj u prvoj godini kretao se od 24,3-31,5 u ranoj kosidbi i od 27,9-36,2 g kg-1 SM u kasnoj kosidbi i u drugoj godini od 27,4-31,4 u ranoj fazi i od 28,2-31,9 g kg-1 SM u kasnoj fazi košenja. Po sadržaju sirćetne i buterne kiseline, ispitivane silaže se takođe mogu okarakterisati kao dobrog kvaliteta.