Round bale silages were made from Italian ryegrass and rye using 3 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 (conventional method), forage was cut by a rotary mower and ensiled by a cutting round baler after 24-hour wilting with 2 teddings. The moisture content of the silage material was similar between natural wilting and conventional method of processins Italian ryegrass. For rye, moisture content after natural wilting was lower than that under the conventional method. Silages made from Italian ryegrass and rye using a flail-type harvester showed lower pH values and higher lactic acid concentrations than that made by the conventional method. However silages processed without wilting produced butyric acid in the rye. These results show that silages with good quality and enhanced lactic acid fermentation can be made from Italian ryegrass and rye by using a flail-type harvester. However 24-hour wilting is necessary for rye.

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We investigated the influence of tree canopies on the subcanopy microclimate and the spatial distribution of cool-temperate forage plants in a warm region. We measured the microclimate environment inside and outside the canopy in a pasture that had been surface-seeded with cool-temperate forage plants 25 years before. The belt transect method was applied to investigate the relationship between the trees and the spatial distribution of the target plants in the same pasture and in a meadow that had not been surface-seeded with the target plants. The subcanopy climate was cooler and more humid than that outside the canopy. The target plants common to both those grassland areas exhibited almost similar distribution pattern. Festuca arundinacea, Dactylis glomerata, and Poa pratensis showed significantly higher frequency within the canopy than outside. Although the frequency of Lolium multiflorum was not significantly higher, it tended to occur at a higher frequency within the canopy than outside. Conversely, Agrostis alba and Trifolium pratense occured at significantly higher frequencies outside the canopy. However, no large difference in the frequency of Trifolium repens was observed between the two locales. It is concluded that the trees' moderating effect on heat and drought stress influences the spatial distribution of cool-temperate forage plants, and this influence differs with the plant species. We classified the target plants into four categories based on the extent of canopy dependence.

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Corn silage in the yellow ripening stage, prepared by adding a lactic acid bacterial inoculant or mixture of inoculant and enzyme was fed to sheep, and its influences on the fermentation quality of silages and the nutritive value and nutrient intake were examined. The experiment was conducted twice in different years. The fermentation quality of silage was good in each treatment in both experiments 1 and 2. In experiment 1, the NFE and energy contents were significantly higher (P<0.05) in the silage treated with lactic acid bacterial inoculant1132 (Lactobacillus plantarum, Enterococcus faecium) and mixture of inoculant (Lactobacillus rhamnosus) and enzyme than in the control. In experiment 2, the crude protein content was significantly higher (P<0.05) in the silages treated with lactic acid bacterial inoculant 11C33 (L. plantarum, Lactobacillus buchneri, E. faecium) or 11C38 (Lactobacillus casei, L. buchneri) than in the control. The crude protein, crude fat and NFE digestibility were significantly higher (P<0.05) in the silage treated with 1132 than in the control. The TDN and DE contents and their intakes were significantly higher (P<0.05) in the silage treated with 1132 and the mixture than in the control. The TDN and DE intakes in the silages treated 11C33 or 11C38 did not significantly differ from those in the control. The increases in the TDN and DE intakes in the silage treated with 1132 may be due to the effects of the high TDN and DE contents.

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This study aims to determine the effects of enzyme supplementation of TMR on in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), dry matter intake (DMI), rumen fermentation, and lactation performance. 1) We compared the IVDMD of TMR from four treatments: control, EA (xylanase and pectinase), ED (cellulase, pectinase and protease), and EN (cellulase and pectinase). The enzyme supplement was added at 2% of the TMR dry matter. The IVDMD of EA was significantly (P<0.05) higher than that of the controls after 3h of incubation, and tended to be higher than that of the control after both 6h and 48h of incubation. 2) Seven Holstein cows in early lactation were used in the experiment (control: n=3, EA: n=4). EA was added at 2% of the TMR dry matter. The percentage of propionic acid in the rumen fluid was higher in EA than in the control at 2wk (P<0.05) and 14wk (P<0.01) postpartum. The DMI, milk yield and milk composition% with EA-supplemented TMR were greater than those of the controls. These results suggest that addition EA to TMR improves DMI and lactation performance because of improvement of rumen fermentation.

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The forage paddy rice of 4 cultivars was mowed for approximately 15 days and 28 days after heading. The dry matter (DM) content of the forage paddy rice was within the range of 24-39%, and its water-soluble carbohydrate content was within the range of 1.5-5%. The rice plants were packed into polyethylene/nylon bags (270mm×400mm) without chopping (control silage) or into bottle silos (capacity, 300ml) with high DM density (194-283kg/m^3) after chopping into the lengths of approximately 13mm (chopped silage). The fermentative quality of the forage paddy rice silage was evaluated after 50 days of storage. In the control silage, lactic acid production was always low, while the butyric acid and volatile basic nitrogen (VBN) productions were low when the DM content was 30% or higher. Ethanol production by the chopped silage tended to be lower than that by the control silage. However, butyric acid and VBN productions by the chopped silage were high even when the DM content was 30% or higher. Thus, the results showed that fine chopping and high-density ensiling are not effective in improving the fermentative quality of ensiled foraghe paddy rice with a DM content of less than 40%.

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The chemical compositions (CP, ADF and NDF) of mowed grass were estimated by hyperspectral imaging. ImSpector V10 (Spectral Imaging Ltd.) was used as a hyperspectral imaging sensor, which is an integrated combination of an imaging spectrograph and a matrix camera. The spectral range of this sensor is the wavelengths between 360 and 1010nm, and the spectral resolution is 10nm. The sensor was mounted on the roof of a vehicle (AEBI, TT33), which has a drum mower attached in the front. The hyperspectral images of a meadow field were acquired by moving the vehicle. The estimation models of grass chemical compositions were obtained by spectral data sampled from hyperspectral images and by actual grass chemical compositions. The multiple regression analysis with stepwise selection of variables was used for obtaining estimation models. The cross validation (leave-one-out method) was applied to the validation of the estimation models, and the EI (evaluation index) method was applied to the confirmation of the practical accuracy of the estimation models. In conclusion, the cross validation and the EI method showed efficacy of all estimation models.

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