The feed sugar minimum as a precondition of good quality silage

Abstract

Minimal amount of sugar sufficient to create so much lactic acid as it could permanently maintain pH value of 4.2 to 3.9 we are calling »sugar minimum«. The aim of this work was to investigate sugar minimum of feeds that are used or could be used for ensilage at different combinations of feeds.

Fourteen samples have been used for determination of sugar minimum. On the basis of the results obtained it may be found that the lowest sugar minimum have those feeds which are most often used in practice for silage making, because they have sufficient dry matter, high amount of sugar, and low buffering capacity. Barley in the phase of graining having dry matter content of 29.57% had the sugar minimum of 1.42%. Samples of grain and whole plant of maize as that of field pea with dry matter of 45.32%, 2.86% and 3.69% which enables quality ensilage. Samples of sugar beet tops because of low dry matter content of 7.98% had the sugar minimum of 4.75%. In other feeds (alfalfa, Jerusalem artichoke and red clover( due to high buffering capacity the sugar minimum was from 5.53% to even 10.21%.