FERMENTATIVE CHARACTERISTICS AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF ELEPHANT GRASS SILAGES WITH OR WITHOUT Lactobacillus plantarum AND WHEAT MEAL ISOLATED OR IN ASSOCIATION

Abstract

To evaluate the addition effects of Lactobacillus plantarum or wheat meal, or both on the losses by gases, dry matter recovery, pH, N-NH3, lactic acid and chemical  composition of elephant grass silages, this research was carried out. The experimental design was entirely randomised, with four treatments: Elephant grass silage; Elephant grass silage inoculated with Lactobacillus plantarum; Elephant grass silage + 10% of wheat meal in natural matter; Elephant grass silage inoculated with Lactobacillus plantarum + 10% of wheat meal in natural matter, with four replicates per treatment. The grass was ensiled in 5 liters buckets, with bunsen valve for escape of the gases. There was effect (P>0,05) of the wheat meal addition and of the inoculation on the losses by gases, dry matter (DM) recovery, pH and lactic acid of silages, and the combination of wheat meal and inoculant presented the smallest pH value, increased lactic acid content and decreased gas losses. The largest values of dry matter and smaller of NDF were observed in the silages with wheat meal, with or without inoculant. The inoculation reduced hemicellulose (HEM) content, in the silages with or without wheat meal, resulting in smaller NDF values, when compared to the non inoculated silages. Increases were fund in the protein content of the silages with the tested additives, being the highest value observed when both additives were present. One concludes that the inoculation with both Lactobacillus    plantarum and wheat meal reduces dry matter losses and improve the quality of elephant grass silage, being the largest improvement observed when these addictive are combined.

Key-words: Additive, inoculants, Penisetum purpureum, silage conservation.