On the nutritive value of alfalfa silage
2001
Kaldmae, H. | Vadi, M. (Estonian Agricultural Univ., Tartu (Estonia). Inst. of Animal Science)
The chemical composition, digestibility, and nutritive value of silage prepared from alfalfa, cut in different stages of growth, were studied. To prepare alfalfa silage with high digestibility and high nutritive value, the forage should be harvested in the stage of ear formation. The first two cuts must be made in proper time to guarantee the higher nutritive content of silage. Delay in harvesting decreases both the quality and nutritive value of silage. The content of metabolizable energy of the silage made from alfalfa cut in the stage of ear formation was 9.7 MJ/kg, that of the silage made from alfalfa cut at the beginning of flowering - 8.9 MJ/kg, and in the stage of full flowering - only 8.4 MJ/kg. Plant maturity at harvest time for ensiling affects the digestibility and assimilation of nutrients. In the silage prepared from alfalfa cut in the late growth stage the digestibility and assimilation of nutrients. In the silage prepared from alfalfa cut in the late growth stage the digestibility and assimilation of nutrients were significantly poorer and the protein digestibility was by 8.2 per cent lower, compared with the forage harvested in optimum time
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