Produção de silagens de milho e sorgo, por diferentes períodos de armazenamento, com uso de inoculante composto

Abstract

Due to the intensification of the livestock sector, the need for food supply has been increased. This search for food occurs mainly in periods such as winter, where there is low supply of forage or in summers with a rainfall shortage. During these periods alternatives are sought, like the production of preserved foods to supply the demand. Silage is one of the most widespread forms of food preservation in production systems and aims to maintain the nutritional characteristics of ensiled fodder by providing quality food to animals. Corn cultivation is considered a reference for silage production due to its high nutritional value and characteristics that favor fermantation. However, other crops such as sorghum is a featured product due to characteristics that resemble corn. There is great speculation surrounding the utilization of contributing additives to fermentation of silages produced. The most widely uded additives are complexes of compound inoculants. The use of this product has the purpose to improve conservation and maintain nutrient values of the ensiled material. Thus, the aim of this project is to measure productivity and nutritional potential of maize and sorghum materials for silage under soil and climatic conditions of the western frontier, Uruguayana of Rio Grande do Sul, as well as to measure the qualitative changes of these crops under long periods of storage with or without the use of compound inoculants. According to the results obtained, all sorghum cultivars have the potential to be ensiled. Long storage periods did not interfere with silage quality, but aerobic exposure has nutritionally deteriorated the silages not inoculated. The inoculation of corn silages and sorghum had a positive effect on the fermentative quality of the silages in relation to the maintenance of low pH and N-NH3, nutritionally altering the silages obtained.