PJB-2011-403
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.
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