Inclusion of cotton gin trash to improve elephant grass silage quality Cardoso R.B.1, Silva G.C.2, Quadros D.G.2,3,*, Andrade A.P.2, Soares D.S.4, Corte I.S.5, Fernandes O. Jr.2 Animal Science Research and Extension Center, Bahia State UniversityBR-242, KM 04 s/n- Flamengo, BA-47802-682, Brazil 1Federal Univesity of Goias, Esperanfa, s/n- Chacaras de Recreio Samambaia, Goiania- GO, 74690900, Brazil 2Bahia State University, Animal Science Research and Extension Center, BR-242, KM 04 s/n - Flamengo, BA-47802-682, Brazil 3Texas A&M Agri Life Research. 7887 US Highway, 87 N, San Angelo, TX, USA 4Federal University of Lavras. Aquenta Sol, Lavras-State of Minas Gerais-37200-900, Brazil 5Bahiater/Agrarian Development State Department. Av. Dorival Caymmi, 15649-Itapua, Salvador-BA-41635-150, Brazil *Corresponding author: dquadros@uneb.br
Online Published on 28 November, 2022. Abstract Cardoso, R.B., Silva, G.C., Quadros, D.G., Andrade, A.P., Soares, D.S., Corte, I.S. and Fernandes, O. 2022. Inclusion of cotton gin trash to improve elephant grass silage quality. Animal Nutrition and Feed Technology, 22: 513–524. The present study was carried out to investigate the fermentation profile, chemical composition, in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), and aerobic stability of elephant grass silage prepared with cotton gin trash (CGT). After chopped in particles of 3 cm, the grass (with 18.1% of DM) was mixed with five proportions of CGT (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20%, as fed) and ensiled in buckets, under a randomized experimental design with five replications, for a 50-d period. The pH quadratically increased (P<0.05), and ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N) as a percentage of total nitrogen (TN) quadratically decreased (P<0.01) when the proportions of CGT were increased. The CGT linearly reduced (P<0.01) effluent losses. Gaseous losses and DM recovery (DMR) were not affected (P>0.05), although the contrast of 0 vs. 20% showed a significant (P<0.05) increase in gaseous losses and a decrease in DMR. Lactate concentrations linearly increased (P<0.01), while acetate and butyrate quadratically increased (P<0.01) and decreased (P<0.01), respectively, with CGT. The DM linearly increased (P<0.01), but the CP was not affected (P>0.05) by the CGT levels. The NDF, ADF, lignin, NDIN, and ADIN linearly increased (P<0.01), while the IVDMD linearly decreased (P<0.01) with CGT. Ensiling elephant grass with 10, 15, and 20% of CGT resulted in better aerobic stability, whereas 5% CGT and control were unstableat higher at temperatures and pH. The inclusion of 10% CGT for ensiling elephant grass can be recommended to reduce effluent losses, increase DM and aerobic stability with satisfactory nutritive value. Top Keywords Aerobic stability, Cotton gin trash, Elephant grass, In vitro digestibility, Fermentation. Top |