The effect of silage additives on the silage quality and different harvesting stages on the herbage yield at soybean cultivars grown as second crop in Cukurova conditions

In this study our objective was to determine the effect of harvesting at three different stages ( R2, R4, R6) on the forage yield and the effect of silage additives applications on the silage quality of soybean cultivars grown as second crop. This study was conducted at the East Mediterranean Agricultural Research Institute in between 2014 and 2015.To determine foroge yield and quality Adasoy, Derry and Yesilsoy were grownin a split block design with four replications, for 2 years. Harvest stages were full flowering (R2), full pod (R4), and full seed (R6). Experimental design to determine silage fermantation traits was randomized complete block with four replications and silage additives were molasses, cerealand inoculant. Silages were incubated for 60 days, after the silage quality analysis were conducted. According to the results of field trials, plant heigth was ranged between 106,5-203,5 cm. Green herbage of cultivars ranged between 1904,2-6035,0 kg/da while the yield highest obtained from Derry at the R4 and R6 harvesting stages. Crude protein contents ranged between 8,0-22,6 % and Adasoy and Yesilsoy had the highest crude protein content. Silage fermantation traits were investigated at the laboratorial study where pH, dry matter content and lactic acid were ranged between 3,12-5,62 %, 18,15-34,87 % and 1,17- 4,82 % respectively. The lowest pH was obtained from Derry at R6 harvesting stage and from molasses aplication. The highest lactic acid was obtained from R6 harvesting stage and the molasses and cereal additive applications from Derry variety. Acording to this results Derry has the highest forage yield, Yesilsoy and Adasoy has the good silage quality. This study reveals that approprate harvesting stage is R6 with molasses or cereal additive application to obtain good quality soybean silage.