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EFFECT OF MATURITY
ON COMPARATIVE NUTRITIVE VALUE AND FERMENTATION CHARACTERISTICS OF
MAIZE, SORGHUM AND MILLET
SILAGES
SOHAIL HASSAN KHAN1*,
ATIYA AZIM2, MUHAMMAD
SARWAR1AND ABDUL GHAFAR KHAN2
Abstract:
This study was
conducted to compare nutritional worth of maize (Zea mays),
sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and millet (Pennisetum americanum)
silages. These fodders were manually harvested and then preserved in
laboratory scale silos at three physiological stages i.e., pre heading
(CS1), heading (CS2) and milk stage (CS3). The results showed that the
dry matter, neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre, acid
detergent lignin and water soluble carbohydrate contents increased
(p<0.05) in all three fodder silages with advancing age. However, crude
protein, total digestible nutrients and metabolizable energy contents
decreased (p<0.05) in all fodders silages with the advancement of their
growth. The water soluble carbohydrates, pH and ammonia nitrogen values
of silages prepared from three fodders decreased (p<0.05) as the plants
advanced in age. However, lactic acid contents in three fodder silages
increased (p<0.05) with the advancement of age of fodder. Based upon
nutritive value and fermentation characteristics, the milk growth stage
was the best physiological stage of the three fodder silages.
1Institute
of Animal Nutrition and Feed Technology, University of Agriculture,
Faisalabad, Pakistan
2Department
of Animal Nutrition, National Agriculture Research Centre, Islamabad,
Pakistan
*
Sohailhassan64@gmail.com
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