The importance of compression level as a factor in silage quality

Abstract

The results of experiments where lucerne, maize, sunflower and sorghum were ensiled and the importance of compression level on the quality of obtained silages were presented in the paper. Level of compression is more important in silages with higher dry matter content, with more mature material which is also cut in longer particles. With the higher level of silage mass compression the higher degree of anaerobic condition is provided and therefore higher production of lactic acid with lower production of acetic acid, which results in lower pH values. With higher compression of silages the total loss of nutrients is reduced, although it may be higher when moisture content is higher. That is why with perennial legumes and grasses it is better to wilt the material, while maize and sorghum are cut at the optimum maturity phase, prior to ensiling.

U radu su prikazani rezultati eksperimenata siliranja lucerke, kukuruza, suncokreta i sirka, i značaj stepena sabijenosti za kvalitet silaža od različitog materijala. Stepen kompresije je utoliko značajniji ukoliko materijal koji se silira ima veći sadržaj suve materije, potiče od zrelijeg materijala i krupnije je seckan. Pri većem stepenu sabijanja silomase u startu se obezbeđuje veći stepen anaerobnosti, te je veća produkcija mlečne i manja produkcija sirćetne kiseline, odnosno potižu se niže pH vrednosti. Pri boljem stepenu sabijenosti smanjuju se i ukupni gubici u hranljivim materijama, mada oni mogu da budu veći kod vlažnijeg materijala. Zato se kod višegodišnjih leguminoza i trava vrši provenjavanje a za kukuruz, suncokret i sirak siliranje se obavlja u optimalnoj fazi zrelosti.