Inclusion levels of white clover in annual ryegrass mixtures: characteristics of fresh and ensiled material
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-6891v26e-81553EAbstract
Abstract: Legumes can contribute to reducing the use of nitrogen fertilization, with improvements in the nutritional value of the diet. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the inclusion of white clover in diets based on fresh ryegrass and for silage production at two developmental stages. The treatments consisted of four levels of white clover addition: 0, 200, 400, and 600 g/kg DM, when ryegrass was at the vegetative and flowering stages. The chemical composition did not vary with the level of white clover inclusion when annual ryegrass was in the vegetative stage, but crude protein levels increased, and NDF and ADF contents decreased with the inclusion of the legume when ryegrass was at the flowering stage. Including the legume at levels above 400 g/kg DM did not result in additional benefits for fiber reduction, both in fresh material and silage. The density of the ensiled material increased with legume inclusion regardless of the grass's developmental stage, while pH values decreased when the grass was at the flowering stage, regardless of the level of clover inclusion. Aerobic stability was maintained across all treatments up to seven days after silo opening, but the fermentation parameters evaluated could not be sufficient to explain this result. The inclusion of 400 g/kg DM of white clover in ryegrass-based diets at the flowering stage is a practice that can be recommended, including for silage production. However, the absence of organic acid measurements constrains the interpretation of the results.
Keywords: aerobic stability, chemical composition, Lolium multiflorum, silage, Trifolium repens.
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