Studies on Job's-tear as Forage Crop : II. Silage quality and feeding values of soiling crop and silage in Job's-tear millet

Abstract

This experiment was undertaken to clarify the silage quality and the feeding value of soiling crop and silage in Job's-tear millet. Fodder Job's-tear millet which have mentioned in the previous paper was harvested at the heading and the flowering stage for soiling, and at the heading and the milk-ripe stage for silage in the first and the second cropping, respectively. Each digestibility of chemical composition was estimated by the conventional collection trials with sheep. The results are summarized as follows: 1) Each silage quality which were prepared at the heading and the milk-ripe stage was ranked "good" or "excellent" grade without reference to the first or the second cropping. 2) Each digestibility of chemical composition except crude fat in soiling crops and silages decreased with advancing maturity. The digestibility of crude protein in silages was higher in the first cropping than in the second one. 3) In the digestible nutrients of soiling crop, each DCP and TDN content of the first and second cropping was 7.7 and 7.2%, and 62.9 and 60.0% at the heading stage, and 6.4 and 5.8%, 55.6 and 55.0% at the flowering stage, respectively. On the other hand, each DCP and TDN content of silages at the heading stage was 8.0 and 59.6% in the first cropping, and 6.8 and 58.1% in the second one. Also, each DCP and TDN content at the milkripe stage was 6.4 and 53.4% in first cropping, and 5.4 and 53.4% in the second one, respectively. Therefore, DCP and TDN contents in soiling crops and silages decreased with advancing maturity. 4) Each range of NDF, ADF, AD-lignin and silica contents in soiling crops was 65.3 to 71.4%, 40.3 to 49.3%, 6.1 to 10.1% and 4.9 to 10.2%, respectively and increased with advancing maturity. Each digestibility of NDF and ADF in soiling crops and silages decreased rapidly with advancing maturity.