Z. Mir et al., EFFECTS OF MICROBIAL INOCULANT AND MOISTURE-CONTENT ON PRESERVATION AND QUALITY OF ROUND BALED ALFALFA, Canadian journal of animal science, 75(1), 1995, pp. 15-23
The effects of microbial inoculant and moisture content of alfalfa, st
ored as large round bales, on preservation and quality were examined i
n a 3-yr study. Alfalfa was round baled at 18, 45 and 60% moisture wit
h 45 and 60% moisture bales stored in 23-m-long plastic tubes. At each
moisture level, half the bales were treated with a microbial inoculan
t (Lactobacillus plantarum) during baling. All bales were weighed and
sampled prior to storage (into storage) and prior to feeding (out of s
torage) with a core sampler. Field recovery and crude protein content
of forage at 18% moisture were significantly lower than for forage at
45 and 60% moisture levels. ADF contents were decreased (P < 0.01) by
moisture content in year 1, while the NDF contents were affected simil
arly in all the 3 yr. Storage recoveries were not affected by either m
oisture content or inoculant. Nutritive value of forages was evaluated
, using completely randomized designs, in feeding trials with 96 steer
s and digestibility trials with 36 wethers. Dry matter intake by steer
s and nutrient digestibility in sheep were not affected (P < 0.05) by
either moisture level or inoculant treatment. Feed conversion efficien
cies and average daily gain of steers receiving 45 and 60% moisture fo
rage were higher than for those fed 18% moisture forage. Results from
this study indicated that harvesting alfalfa at 45 and 60% moisture as
silage produced a better-quality product for steers than at 18% moist
ure dry hay and that treatment with microbial inoculant was not benefi
cial in preserving high moisture forage.