Chemical changes during ensilage and in sacco degradation of two tropical grasses: Rhodesgrass and guineagrass treated with cell wall-degrading enzymes

Abstract

Effects of the cell wall-degrading enzymes derived from Acremonium cellulolyticus and Trichoderma viride on the silage fermentation and in sacco degradation of tropical grasses i.e. rhodesgrass (Chloris gayana Kunth. cv. Callide) and guineagrass (Panicum maximum Jacq. cv. Natsukaze) were investigated in laboratory-scale experiments. These two grasses were either treated with or without the enzymes before ensiling. Untreated rhodesgrass produced acetate fermentation silage (lactate, 13.0 g kg-1 DM; acetate, 38.7 g kg -1 DM) with high final pH value and NH3-N content (5.84 and 215 g kg-1 DM). Addition of enzymes significantly increased (p<0.01) the lactate production (lactate, 45.6; acetate, 34.0 g kg-1 DM) and decreased (p<0.01) the pH and NH3-N (4.80 and 154 g kg-1 DM) in the ensiled forages when compared with the control silages. Untreated guineagrass was successfully preserved with a high lactate proportion (lactate, 45.5; acetate, 24.1 g kg-1 DM), and the addition of enzymes further enhanced the desirable fermentation (lactate, 57.5 g kg-1 DM; acetate, 19.4 g kg-1 DM). The content of NDF was lowered (p<0.05) by enzymes in both silages, but the extent appeared greater in the enzyme-treated rhodesgrass (rhodesgrass, 48 g kg-1 DM; guineagrass, 21 g kg-1 DM). Changes in the kinetics of in sacco degradation showed that enzyme treatment increased (p<0.01) the rapidly degradable DM (rhodesgrass, 299 vs. 362 g kg-1 DM; guineagrass, 324 vs. 343 g kg-1 DM) but did not influence the potential degradation, lag time and degradation rate of DM and NDF in the two silages.