Use of Bacterial-Enzymatic Inoculant Improves Silage Quality and Reduces Fermentation Losses in Intercropped Systems

Abstract

The ensiling potential of Tamani guinea grass (Panicum maximum cv. BRS Tamani) and Stylosanthes cv. Bela in monoculture or intercropped systems, and the effect of two treatments on ensiling (with and without inoculant) on fermentation quality and nutritional composition of the silage after 50 days of ensiling, were evaluated. The experiment was conducted at the Instituto Federal Goiano, Campus Rio Verde, Goiás, Brazil, using a randomized block design with four replications in a 3 × 2 factorial scheme, totaling 24 experimental silos. The forage was harvested during a 28-day regrowth cycle. Results indicated that silages without inoculants showed inadequate fermentative characteristics, compromising nutritional preservation. The addition of microbial inoculants improved the fermentation process, ensuring proper preservation of silage. The intercropping of Tamani guinea grass with Stylosanthes cv. Bela resulted in higher dry matter production and improved the nutritional value of the silage, with increases of 3.46% in crude protein content, 20.96% in ADIP (acid detergent insoluble protein), 6.31% in soluble carbohydrates, and 10.06% in starch compared to the silage of Tamani guinea grass in monoculture. Therefore, the use of silage from intercropped Tamani guinea grass and Stylosanthes cv. Bela with the addition of inoculants can be recommended as a productive and sustainable practice, reducing costs associated with protein and mineral supplementation.