Chemical and microbiological evaluation ol elephantgrass, Cv. Taiwan A - 148 silage, prepared with sugarcane bagasse

Abstract

Elephantgrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum. Cv. Taiwan A - 148) silages were prepared cutting the forage with 63 days of maturity and adding 0%, 10, 20, 30 and 40% of sugarcane bagass (SCB) or wilting the forage for eight or twelve hours in the sunshine. The addition of 30% and 40% of SCB alleviated the problem of the excessive moisture of the elephantgrass. However, it reduced the percentage of crude protein in the ensiled mass (from 7.15% to 3.15%) and did not affect the number of viable spores of Clostridium (average of 7.2 x 106 spores/gDM). Proteic degradation was considered high (17.56% to 22.81% of NH3/N total). Wilting of the forage limited the production of butyric acid and NH3/N at satisfactory levels. The production of lactic acid (9.86% - 17.73% in the DM) was responsible for lowering the pH to values below 3.93 in all treatments. It was concluded that the addition of SCB reduced the excessive moisture without anyother benefit.