Ensilage of elephant grass containing cassava meal

Abstract

This experiment was conducted to evaluate gases and effluent losses, pH and chemical composition of elephant grass ensilage with different cassava meal (CM) levels. A completely randomized design, as 2 x 4 (elephant grass without and with wilting and four levels of cassava meal: 0, 4, 8 and 12%, as-fed basis) factorial arrangement, with four replicates, was used. PVC silos with packing density of 600 kg green matter/m3 were used. The gases and effluent losses decreased as CM levels increased, with quadratic effect and estimated minimum values of, respectively, 0.8% and 2.5 kg/t, for levels of 8.6 and 8.4% of CM. Values of pH ranged from 3.70 to 3.84. It was observed quadratic effect, with minimum value 6.6% of ammoniacal nitrogen (N-NH3) referent the dose 8.4% of CM just for the silage without wilting. The CM was efficient in increasing dry matter, contributing for silage production with lower contents of acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber and cellulose, when compared to control. The hemicelulose content increased with CM addition, however, the CM levels and wilting did not affect contents of lignin, acid detergent insoluble nitrogen and neutral detergent insoluble nitrogen of silages. The level of 8.4% of CM was efficient for controlling the losses and decreasing N-NH3 content and increasing chemical composition of the silages.