Enzymes as silage additives for grass–clover mixtures |
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| Authors: | I SELMER-OLSEN |
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| Institution: | Department of Animal Science, Agricultural University of Norway, Aas, Norway |
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| Abstract: | Seven laboratory-scale experiments were carried out to study the effects of cellulases/hemicellulases on silage fermentation of herbage from mixed swards of timothy ( Phleum pratense ), meadow fescue ( Festuca pratensis ) and red clover ( Trifolium pretense ). Enzyme-treated silage (approximately 3500 HEC units kg−1 grass) reached a low pH sooner, had lower end pH, contained less NH3-N and more lactic acid than did the untreated silage ( P < 0·05). Applied with an inoculant, these effects were even stronger. With easily ensiled crops (experiments 1, 2, 5 and 6) preservation was first of all improved by inoculation of lactic acid bacteria; however, for the low-sugar crops (experiments 3, 4 and 7) enzyme treatment was more significant. The enzymes derived from Aspergillus spp. gave more acetic acid than the enzymes from Trichoderma reesei. The Trichoderma enzymes liberated 4·8 g WSC kg−1 FM gamma-irradiated grass during 60 d at pH 4·3 ( P < 0·05). On average, for all silages enzyme treatment increased the sum of residual sugar and fermentation products by 3·7 g kg−1 FM (21 g kg−1 DM) compared with the silages not treated with enzymes ( P < 0·001). Enzyme treatment increased the instantly degradable part of the feed, but total in sacco and in vitro digestibilities were not affected. |
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