In vitro fermentation characteristics of corn and sorghum silages

Abstract

Aim of the study was to compare corn and sorghum forages, before and after ensiling, in terms of chemical-nutritional characteristics and fermentation kinetics, to substitute corn silage with sorghum silage. The trial was performed using sorghum (Sorghum vulgare) and corn (Zea mais) incubated in vitro at 39°C for 120 h with buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) rumen fluid. The in vitro gas production technique was used to describe the fermentation kinetics and to estimate the enery value of forages. From chemical composition and in vitro fermentation emerged that for corn the ensiling caused more modification compared to sorghum in terms of loss of soluble fractions.

Keywords

• Sorghum silage, Corn silage, In vitro gas production technique, Buffalo