Potential of Ensiling Sorghum without Grain Pretreated with Enzymes or Bacterial Inoculants. Issue 5 (11th July 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Foster, Jamie L.; Thomas‐Moen, Martha E.; McCuistion, Kimberly C.; Redmon, Larry A.; Jessup, Russell W.
• Is Part Of: Crop science. Volume 59:Issue 5(2019)
• Page Start: 2258
• Page End: 2263
• Publication Date: 2019-07-11
• Subjects: Crop science -- Periodicals; Cultures -- Périodiques; Cultures de plein champ -- Périodiques; Crop science; Nutzpflanzen; Zeitschrift; Pflanzenbau; Periodicals; 633
• DOI: 10.2135/cropsci2019.02.0096
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0011-183X

Abstract

Abstract : Silage is an alternative product from sorghum [ Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] that does not make grain due to drought, disease, or pests. The objective of this experiment was to determine nutritive value and fermentation characteristics of silage made from sorghum without grain and evaluate the impact of pretreatment with fibrolytic enzymes or lactic acid bacterial inoculants. Triplicate plots (4 rows ×12.2 m) of four sorghum cultivars (Dairy Master, PS 747, Silo 700D, and MMR 381/73 [MMR]) were planted in a completely randomized block design field trial at three locations (Beeville, College Station, and Kingsville, TX). At the mid‐dough stage, sorghum was harvested and inflorescences were removed, chopped, and separated into three (5 kg) subsamples. Each subsample was treated with either distilled water (control), fibrolytic enzyme, or bacterial inoculant and ensiled for 120 d. Pre‐ensiled sorghum without grain had similar nutritive value, except Dairy Master had 25% lower crude protein and 30% lower lignin concentrations. After ensiling, water‐soluble carbohydrate concentration was lowest and crude protein concentration was greatest for MMR silage, which also had the greatest acetate concentration and lactate/acetate ratio. Silage treated with either lactic acid bacterial inoculant or fibrolytic enzyme had 40% greater water‐soluble carbohydrate concentration. Silage treated with fibrolytic enzyme had 8% lower neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber concentrations than untreated silage, and treated silage had lower pH than untreated silage. The pH of all silage was <4.0, and pretreatment did not improve silage fermentation characteristics or increase aerobic stability. The cultivar was more influential to the resulting silage product than pretreatment in this experiment.