Effects of bacterial (Lactobacillus plantarum) inoculant of common reed silage and comparison with corn silage in feeding of fattening buffalo male calvesý

This study was conducted in two years to investigate the effect of different levels of lactobacillus inoculants for common reed silage and to compare this silage with corn silage in feeding of buffalo male calves. In the first year, inoculated common reed silage and corn silage were ensiled in laboratory silos (2-L- plastic jars). For this stage a completely randomized design with 8 treatments and 4 replications was used. Treatments included of common reed silage with and without bacterial inoculat (2.5 mg/kg DM) and other treatments were inoculants silages with addition bacteria in 25, 50, 75 and 100 percent above of commercial amount, respectively and corn silage with or without bacterial inoculation (2.5 and 0 mg/kg DM). Results of the first experiment indicated that inoculants of common reed silage with different levels of lactobacillus bacteria had significant effect on pH, ash and in vitro digestibility (p0.05) but did not affect CP and VFA's (p0.05). Inoculation of corn silage did not affect pH, CP, in vitro digestibility, propionic acid and butyric acid (p0.05) but it had significant effect on ash and acetic acid of silages (p0.05). At the comparison between common reed silage and corn silage, inoculants had the significant effect on pH, Ash, CP, in vitro digestibility and VFA's of silages (p0.05). According to results of experiment and considering studied factors and the inoculation influences on in vitro digestibility, pH and VFA's, it seems that bacterial inoculation of common reed silage with 75 percent above of standard level had the best results and this addition level is recommended. In the second year of the experiment, a complete randomized block design with 5 treatments and 4 replications were used to investigate the effect of feeding inoculated common reed silage (inoculated 75 percent above standard level) in fattening buffalo male calves. Treatments were including of 1- corn silage without bacterial inoculation, 2- corn silage with bacterial inoculation in standard level, 3- common reed silage without inoculation, 4- inoculated common reed silage in standard level (2.5 mg/kg DM) and 5- inoculated common reed silage in 75 percent above of standard level (obtained in the first year of experiment). Results of second experiment indicated that inoculation of common reed silage at 75 percent above standard level did not have significant effect on fattening characteristics (dry matter intake, daily weight gain and feed conversion) and cost of feed consumption per one kg of live weight gain (p0.05). Key words: Silage, Bacterial inoculants, Common reed silage, Corn silage, Buffalo fattening. : Abstract