Title: A study of the efficacy of a bacterial inoculant and formic acid as additives for grass silage in terms of milk production
Abstract: Abstract In a two‐year experiment, three silages were prepared from herbage treated either with an inoculant at 1·25 × 10 5 organisms (g fresh material (FM)) −1 . formic acid (850 g kg −1 ) at 4 1 (t FM) −1 , or no additive (untreated). In Experiment 1, unwilted and in Experiment 2, wilted silages were investigated and had mean dry matter (DM) and water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) concentrations at ensiling of 171 g kg −1 and 17·6 g (kg FM) −1 and 263 g kg −1 and 25·1 g (kg FM) −1 , respectively. In Experiment 1, 45 and in Experiment 2, 54 individually fed cows were used to evaluate the silages in three‐treatment, randomized‐block design experiments. During weeks 4‐12 of lactation the cows were offered silages ad libitum and during weeks 15‐26 a constant amount of silage was fed. There were few major differences in chemical composition of the resulting silages. Formic acid had no effect on silage digestibility. Inoculant treatment increased digestibility when the grass had been wilted. The use of formic acid resulted in increased silage DM intake of 9% during weeks 4‐12 of lactation in Experiment 1 but not in Experiment 2. The inoculant gave no increase in silage DM intake over the control in Experiment 1 but increased silage DM intake by 7% in Experiment 2. There was no significant response in milk yield to formic acid. In Experiment 2 the response in milk yield to inoculant treatment was significant both in weeks 4‐12 of lactation (4%) and in weeks 15‐26 of lactation (5%). It is concluded that the response in milk yield to the use of a specific inoculant appears to be mediated through increased intake of metabolizable energy (ME).
Publication Year: 1992
Publication Date: 1992-06-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 20
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