Qualitative Production of Mixture Silage within a Sustainable Concept

Karina Batista () and F.P. Campos
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Karina Batista: Instituto de Zootecnia—IZ, Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios—APTA, 56 Heitor Penteado St. Centro, Nova Odessa 13380-011, SP, Brazil
F.P. Campos: Instituto de Zootecnia—IZ, Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios—APTA, 56 Heitor Penteado St. Centro, Nova Odessa 13380-011, SP, Brazil

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 15, 1-14

Abstract: Climate change and seasonality in forage production have caused alterations in animal feed. Thus, this study evaluated the composition of silages from soybean ( Glycine max (L.) Merrill) mixed with tropical grasses. The experimental design was randomized blocks with four replications. Treatments were silage from soybeans, silage from soybeans with Aruana Guinea grass ( Megathyrsus maximus cv. Aruana), and silage from soybeans with Congo grass ( Urochloa ruziziensis cv. Comum). Silos were stored for 60 days in the laboratory at room temperature. The silage from soybeans with Aruana Guinea grass showed the highest contents of dry matter, crude fiber, neutral detergent fiber, insoluble nitrogen in neutral detergent fiber, and insoluble nitrogen in acid detergent fiber but the lowest levels of crude protein and ether extract. The highest content of mineral material and hemicellulose was observed in the silage from soybeans with Congo grass. The silages from soybeans and soybeans with Congo grass showed no significant differences for acid detergent fiber and lignin. In conclusion, the use of tropical grasses as a component to improve the quality of silage from soybeans is an alternative for forage conservation in ruminant production systems, especially at the dry season.

Keywords: climate change; forage conservation; mixed silage; legume-grass silage; sustainable livestock (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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