ARS | Publication request: INTAKE AND DIGESTION OF ORCHARDGRASS AND ALFALFA SILAGES TREATED WITH CELLULASE, FORMIC ACID, AND INOCULANT

Submitted to: Conference on Rumen Function
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: November 15, 1996
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Cellulase can decrease cell-wall concentration and subsequently increase the soluble and rapidly digestible portion of silage dry matter. This study determined the effects of cellulase (Multifect CL, Trichoderma longibrachiatum) alone or combined with a bacterial inoculant (Biomate SI, Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus cerevisiae) or formic acid on intake and digestion of orchardgrass and alfalfa silages. Intake and in vivo digestibilities were determined on lambs and rumen in situ digestion kinetics were determined on cows. Because of improved silage characteristics in terms of greater sugar and lower acetic acid and NH3-N concentrations, cellulase combined with formic acid or inoculant increased dry-matter intake by 13 and 8% compared with control silage when averaged across plant species. As a result of an extensive cell-wall degradation by cellulase during ensiling, cellulase-treated orchardgrass and alfalfa silages had 34 and 15% lower cellulose intakes than control silages. Total cell-wall disappearance during early hours of rumination was, however, greater for cellulase + formic acid treated silage than for the control, with a greater effect in orchardgrass than in alfalfa.