Conservation characteristics of grass and dry sugar beet pulp co-ensiled after different degrees of mixing

• Published in: Irish journal of agricultural and food research 2007, Vol.46 (2), p.181-193
• Main Authors: Cummins, B, O'Kiely, P, Keane, M.G, Kenny, D.A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: aerobic conditions; aerobic stability; Agriculture; Chemical composition; chopping; digestibility; dry matter content; feed composition; Fermentation; Food science; forage crops; forage grasses; formic acid; grass silage; Grasses; lactic fermentation; mixing; Phleum pratense; Pulp and paper mill effluents; Sewage effluent; silage additives; Silage effluent; Silage making; silos; spatial variation; sugar beet pulp; Sugar beets
• ISSN: 0791-6833; 2009-9029

The objective of this experiment was to quantify the effects of the degree of mixing of dry molassed sugar beet pulp (BP) with grass on silage conservation characteristics. Herbage from a timothy (Phleum pratense) sward was precision chopped and treated with a formic acid based additive (3 l/t grass). Units of 50 kg grass, without or with 2.5 kg BP were randomly allocated among four replicates on each of seven treatments. The treatments were (1) no BP (NONE), (2) BP evenly mixed through the grass (EVEN), (3) BP evenly mixed through the lower 25 kg grass (LOWH), (4) BP evenly mixed through the lower 12.5 kg grass (LOWQ), (5) 0.625 kg BP mixed through the top 25 kg grass and 1.875 kg SBP mixed through the lower 25 kg grass (25/75), (6) BP placed in 0.5 kg layers beneath each 10 kg grass (LAYR), and (7) BP placed in a single layer under all of the grass (BOTM). Laboratory silos were filled and sealed, and stored at 15 °C for 163 days. Effluent was collected and weighed from each silo throughout the ensilage period. At opening, silage composition and aerobic stability measurements were made. Total outflow of effluent was reduced (P