Changes of Chemical Composition of Plant Parts and Nutritive Value of Silage in Male Sterile Rice Plant (Oryza sativa L.).

Abstract

Experiments were carried out to investigate on chemical compostition and nutritive value of silages of normal and male sterile rice plants (Oryza sativa L. cv. Akihikari, Fujisaka 5, Kochihibiki, Toyonishiki). The contents of organic cell wall and acid detergent fiber of leaf and stem fractions in the normal rice plant were consistently higher than those in male sterile rice, as compared at dough and yellow ripe stages. The pH value of the silages ranged from 4.45-4.96, showing no significant differneces of lactic acid, butyric acid, acetic acid, and volatile basic nitrogen as a percentage of total nitrogen (%). The digestibility of crude protein in the sterile rice silages were higher than those in the normal rice silages. On the other hand, the digestibilities of dry matter and content of gross energy in the normal rice silages were higher than those in the male sterile rice silages. The normal rice silages had also higher amount of total digestible nutrients, digestible energy and metabolizable energy than the sterile rice silages. This result suggests that male sterile rice silages had a lower nutritive value than normal rice silages.