CROP RESIDUES AND FRUITS TO PRODUCE GOOD QUALITY SILAGE

Abstract

Silage is a cattle feed which can be used during dry season when there is no pasture or fodder to feed them. Crop residues are also valuable source of cattle feed. Utilizing the residues is very effective in returning plant nutrients to the soil. Almost any crop residue obtained from the crops such as maize, sugar cane, sorghum, soybean, groundnut and pulses are usually used as animal feed. Improving silage quality opens the door to increased feed intake and milk production. Thus, aim of this study is to identify the nutritional status of silage produced using different combinations of crop residues and to select the best combination of crop residues to produce good quality silage. Three different combinations of different crop residues were used to prepare silage as three treatments. Treatment 1 was the combination of Gliricidia sepium, Leucaena leucocephala, Maize and Hybrid napier (variety CO3) fodder grass while Treatment 2, the Gliricidia sepium, Leucaena leucocephala, Maize, Hybrid napier (variety CO3) fodder grass and Borassus flabellifer and the Treatment 3, the combination of over ripened Banana (Musa spp.) fruit, straw of Oriza sativa and the leaves of Borassus flabellifer. The combination of Gliricidia sepium, Leucaena leucocephala, Maize and Hybrid napier (variety CO3) fodder grass (Treatment 1) andGliricidia sepium, Leucaena leucocephala, Maize, Hybrid napier (variety CO3) fodder grass and leaves of Borassus flabellifer (Treatment 2) showed that 8.11% and 8.13% Crude protein whereas the Treatment 3 with over ripened Banana (Musa spp.), straw of Oriza sativa and the leaves of Borassus flabellifer was showed very low percentage of (4.12%) crude protein. Based on the quality parameter analysis of pH, lactic acid, dry matter%, ammonium-N, treatment1 and 2 showed the excellent quality while treatment 3 with moderate quality