Effects of Potassium Fertilizer on Water-Soluble Carbohydrate Content of Timothy ( Phleum pratense L.), Silage Fermentation, Nutritive Values, and Nutrient Intake

Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of potassium fertilizer (standard (S) and high (H) levels) on water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) content of timothy (Phleum pratense L.), silage fermentation, nutritive values, and nutrient intake. The silage treatments were as follows: S level without inoculant (SC), S level plus inoculant (SI), H level without inoculant (HC), and H level plus inoculant (HI). The K content was increased by 14.5% in timothy grown with the H level compared with the S level. The WSC contents of the S and H treatments were 75.9 and 66.1 g∙kg−1 dry matter (DM), respectively. The silage fermentation quality was low with both SC and HC treatments. The addition of inoculant significantly improved the fermentation quality in SI and HI treatments. The addition increased the DM and organic matter digestibilities of silage. The total digestible nutrient (TDN) content of silage was highest with the HI treatment.