Determination of Fermentation and Digestibility Characteristics of Corn, Sunflower and Combination of Corn and Sunflower Silages

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine in vivo digestibilities and fermentation property of various silages made of green herbage of Sunflower (SF), Corn (C) and corn-sunflower mixtures at different rates [75% com+25% sunflower (75C25SF), 50% corn+50% sunflower (50C50SF), 25% corn+75 sunflower (25C75SF)] ensiled in 120 1 plastic barrels for 90 days. PH values of C and mixture silages were lower than that of SF silage (p<0.05). Concentrations of lactic, acetic, propionic and butyric acids were higher in SF silage than C silage (p<0.05). Lactic and propionic acid concentrations increased in mixture silages as the sunflower ratio increased, whereas decreases in butyric acid concentration were observed as corn ratio incresed in the mixture (p<0.05). While digestibility of DM, OM, ADF and NDF were high in C silage, digestibility of CP and EE were high in SF silage. The digestibility of DM, OM, ADF and NDF in mixture silages increased with the increases in corn ratio in mixture and digestibility of CP and EE of increased as sunflower ratio increased in mixture. It can be concluded that high quality silages could be obtained from green herbage of corn or sunflower alone, however their nutritive values could be improved if they are mixed at 50% ratio.