PERFIL FERMENTATIVO E VALOR NUTRICIONAL DA SILAGEM DE MILHO EXCLUSIVA E COM ADIÇÃO DE CAPIM-TAMANI

Abstract

The use of silage has been an efficient alternative to supply the shortage of roughage in the dry period, providing quality food, widely used in ruminant feeding. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the fermentative characteristics, bromatological composition and in vitro digestibility of dry matter of corn silage with addition of Tamani grass (Panicum maximum BRS cv. Tamani). The experiment was conducted at the Goiano Federal Institute, Campus Rio Verde, in a completely randomized design with four replications. The treatments consisted of silage: exclusive corn; corn with 10% tamani grass; corn with 20% tamani grass; maize with 30% tamani grass and maize with 40% tamani grass, totaling 20 experimental silos. For ensiling, corn was harvested with 320 g kg-1 MS and Tamani grass in the 30-day development cycle. After 50 days of silage, the silos were opened to analyze the fermentative and bromatological characteristics of the silages. The results showed that addition of tamani grass to corn silage increased pH, buffering capacity and reduced dry matter and lactic acid concentration, but did not compromise the fermentative characteristics of the silages, staying within the appropriate standard. The addition of the 40% level of tamani grass in maize silage provided higher levels of CP and DIVMS, resulting in better quality silage. Therefore, mixed silages can be indicated as an alternative for feed quality roughage supplementation.