2001 Volume 72 Issue 2 Pages 134-138
The effects of an additive containing cell wall degrading enzyme on the ensilage losses were estimated under a farm condition. At ensiling Italian ryegrass with and without the additive, the nylon-net bags containing grasses were placed into each of the silage bulks. The bags were retrieved when the silages were unloaded, and their contents were subjected to the chemical analyses, in vitro digestion with rumen microbes and microscopic observation. Enzyme treatment improved the silage fermentation. The ensilage loss of cell wall components was highest in hemicellulose. In hemicellulosic monosaccharides, the loss of xylose was lowest, followed by uronic acids, arabinose, galactose and glucose. The losses in treated silage were significantly higher than the control silage in almost all the cell wall components. The losses of digestible-dry matter (DM) and digestible-neutral detergent fiber (NDF) in vitro were also significantly higher in the treated silage. The selective degradations of the readily digestible plant tissues (e. g. mesophyll and pith parenchyma) were observed in the treated silage.
