Fermentation quality of silages from forage grasses harvested by flail-type roll baler

Hattori, I.; ; Sato, K.; ; Kobayashi, R.; ; Tadano, K.; ; Uemura, K.; ; Ohara, N.; ; Ito, N.

Fermentation quality of silages from forage grasses harvested by flail-type roll baler

2006

The flail-type roll baler for harvesting fodder rice could also be used for harvesting grass and forage crops. In our first experiment, we harvested two forage grasses by a flail-type roll baler and prepared them as wilted or unwilted silages. We then compared the fermentation qualities of the two types of silages. The fermentation quality of Italian ryegrass silage prepared by a flail-type roll baler was improved by wilting. This tendency, however, was not recognized in fodder barley silage. In the second experiment, we ensiled forage grasses (4 species, 6 varieties) harvested with either a flail-type roll baler or a conventional system (mower, tedder and cutting roll baler), and compared their fermentation qualities. Silages prepared by a flail-type roll baler generally showed higher V-score values than those by the conventional system, with higher lactic acid contents and lower values of pH and [volatile basic nitrogen]/[total nitrogen] ratio. The fermentation quality of forage grass silages harvested by the flail-type roll baler was better than that of silages from grasses harvested by the conventional system.

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