Abstract
Round bale silages were made from densely planted forage sorghum using 4 different methods. In the first method (no wilting), forage was cut by a flail-type harvester and immediately ensiled without wilting. In the second method (natural wilting), forage was cut by a flail-type harvester and ensiled after 24-hour wilting without tedding. In the third method (promoted wilting), forage was cut by a flail-type harvester and ensiled after 24-hour wilting accompanied by 2 teddings. In the fourth method (conventional method), forage was cut by a disk mower and ensiled by a cutting round baler after 24-hour wilting with 2 teddings. The moisture content of the silage material was lowest in the promoted wilting, followed by the natural wilting and the conventional method. The bale density was similar among the 4 methods. Silages made by the 3 methods using a flail-type harvester showed lower pH values and higher lactic acid contents than that made by the conventional method. The results show that silages with good quality and enhanced lactic acid fermentation can be made from densely planted forage sorghum by using a flail-type harvester.
