Production of forage species producing grains and chemical composition of their silage

Abstract

This study was conducted with the object of evaluate forage species that produce grains and chemical composition of their silages under the conditions of the Brazilian Northeast. They were evaluated four forages: maize, millet, sorghum and sunflower. It was determined the dry dead forage mass (DDFM), total dry mass of grain (TDMG), total dry mass of leaf (TDML) and total dry mass of stem (TDMS). Silage produced with the species was rated to the ammonia nitrogen, losses gases (G), losses effluent (E), dry matter yield (DMY), dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), mineral matter (MM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF). Sorghum showed higher (p<0.05) accumulation of DDFM, TDMG and TDMS than maize, millet and sunflower. Sunflower had higher losses by G and E and lower DMY for silage production. There was no difference of silages for CP. To EE sunflower silage had a higher amount, a fact that undermines the quality of this silage for ruminants feeding. Sorghum has more appropriate characterization for silage, because of its high production of bulky, low losses and chemical composition similar to corn silage under the conditions of the Brazilian Northeast.