Ensiling and nutritive value of sorghum | Siliranje in hranilna vrednost sirka
2006
Verbic, J., Agricultural Inst. of Slovenia, Ljubljana (Slovenia) | Znidarsic, T. | Verbic, J. | Babnik, D.
Ensiling experiments with sorghums indicate that grain sorghums in dough stage contain enough dry matter (297-378 g/kg) and sugars for an efficient fermentation. Regarding the acid composition, sorghum silages are similar to maize silages. There was a tendency of slightly better aerobic stability in sorghum silages in comparison with maize silage. Analyses of samples from farms indicate that in the case of ensiling of forage sorghums the problems could arise due to insufficient dry matter content. The in vitro assessed concentration of net energy for lactation (NEL) in grain sorghums ranged from 5.2 do 6.0 MJ (average 5.6), in forage sorghums from 4.2 do 4.7 MJ (average 4.4), in sudangrass from 3.9-5.2 MJ (average 4.6) and in sorghum-sudangrass cross it was 5.2 MJ per kg dry matter. The concentration of NEL in the samples of sorghums and sudangrass can be predicted by the use of equation NEL (in MJ/kg dry matter) = 7,66 - 0,0088 x crude fibre (in g/kg dry matter). In comparison with the average maize silage, grain sorghums have by about 15 % lower and forage sorgums and sudangrasses by about 30 % lower net energy value. It was concluded that grain sorghums have the appropriate characteristics for ensiling. The practical value of sorghums, especially of forage type hybrids, is limited by low energetic value.
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