EFFECT OF UREA-MOLASSES AND LACTIC CULTURE ON SILAGE FERMENTATION OF CENCHRUS-CILIARIS

To study the effect of additives, urea, molasses and lactobacillus cul tures, on silage fermentation of Cenchrus ciliaris in arid regions, 5 treatments with different proportions of urea (1 and 2% DM) and molass es (8%) were studied in laboratory silos. Molasses addition showed a s ignificant effect (P < 0.01) on lactic acid production, pH and colifor m population, while crude protein levels of the silage increased to 9. 29% and 12.27% (DM) on addition of 1% and 2% urea, respectively. Unifo rm addition of LAB culture at the rate of 6% (cell concentration 1.15 x 10(6) cells gm(-1)) affected final silage quality only in the presen ce of added molasses