Chemical and biological additives in the ensiling of sugar cane. 1. Chemical composition, dry matter intake, digestibility and ingestive behavior

Abstract

The effect of the addition of additives in the ensiling of sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum L.) on chemical composition of silages, ingestive behavior, voluntary feed intake and digestibility by beef steers. Five rumencannulated Nelore steers were allotted to a 5 x 5 latin square design. The steers were placed in metabolic cages and they were fed with diets with 65% forage (%DM). Five silages were evaluated (wet basis): Control - sugar cane, no additives; Urea - sugar cane + 0.5% of urea; Benzoate - sugar cane + 0.1% of sodium benzoate; LP - sugar cane inoculated with - Lactobacillus plantarum (1 x 106 cfu/g forage); LB - sugar cane inoculated with L. buchneri (3.6 x 105 cfu/g forage). During 90 days, before the animal feeding, the forage was stocked in vertical silos. The chemical composition of sugar cane changed after the ensiling, as compared to fresh sugar cane, with reduction of water soluble carbohydrates and in vitro digestibility and relative increase in the NDF and ADF content. Ethanol (0.30% DM) and organic acids (0.99% of lactic and 2.31% of acetic acid) contents were low and similar among silages. The additives applied in the ensiling did not promote alterations in the voluntary intake and apparent digestibility of DM that showed average values of 7.2 kg/day and 63.6%, respectively. The ingestive behavior of the animals also was not altered, with average time spent in feeding, rumination and idleness were: 230.6, 519.6 and 672.8 minutes/day activities, respectively.So, the additives applied in the sugar cane forage resulted in slightly changes in most of the studied variables. © 2007 Sociedade Brasileira de Zootecnia.