Identification of Amaranthus plant as a forage resource

This study was conducted to determine the nutritive value and silage characteristics of amaranth forage (amaranthus hypochondriacus). The forage was harvested at seedling stage, chopped and ensiled in a laboratory scale, with 5 and 10% of molasses as additive. Samples of chopped forage were dried and chemically analysed and used for in vitro digestibility. Data were statistically analysed, using a non balanced completely randomized experiment with 4 treatments (6 replicates for silage and 4 replicates for forage). The concentrations of organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL), neutral detergent insoluble crude protein (NDICP), acid detergent insoluble crude protein (ADICP), calcium (Ca), phosphorous (P), sodium (Na), potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg) of the forage, respectively, were 86.6, 11.6, 44.6, 28.7, 2.9, 2.8, 0.94, 1.9, 0.26, 0.09, 5.69 and 0.59 % DM. In vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) and metabolizable energy (ME) obtained by Tilley and Terry method, respectively, were 71.2, 67.7% and 9.2 Mj/Kg DM. According to CNCPS, protein fractions A, B1, B2, B3 and C, respectively, were 39.4, 1.6, 34.9, 15.8 and 8.2 % CP. Oxalic acid and nitrate contents were, respectively, 4.44 and 0.55 % DM. Ensiling of forage significantly reduced concentration of NDF, NDICP, ADICP, Na, K, OMD, ME and B2, B3 and C protein fractions (P 0.05). Variations in ADF, ADL, Ca, Mg and oxalic acid, after ensiling of forage without molasses, were not statistically significant. The nitrate content, expressed as percentage of DM, significantly increased after ensiling the forage (P0.05). The pH value, protein nitrogen, soluble nitrogen, NH3-N and water soluble carbohydrates (WSC) of the silage, without molasses, were 3.92, 38.7 %N, 66.4 %N, 39.7 g/Kg N and 1.3 % in DM respectively. Concentration of lactic, acetic, propionic and butyric acids were 101.9, 23.8, 0.54 and 1.27 g/Kg DM respectively in silage without molasses. The addition of molasses, significantly reduced concentrations of CP, NDF, ADF, ADL, NDICP, ADICP, Ca, P, Mg, pH, protein nitrogen, NH3-N and butyric acid but increased soluble nitrogen, WSC, Na, K, DMD, OMD, DOMD, ME, lactic acid, acetic acid and propionic acid content (P 0.05). Addition of molasses also, increased concentrations of A and B1 fractions, as percentage of CP, and decreased B2, B3 and C (P 0.05). I t can be concluded that amaranth has appropriate forage quality at this stage of development and the silage made from amaranth forage had good quality however addition of molasses improed the silage quality.