In situ degradability of BRS Capiaçu elephant grass silage with or without inoculant compared to in natura roughage

Abstract

In Brazil, the pasture-based animal production system is widely adopted, mainly due to the country's vast territorial extension. However, climatic seasonality affects forage availability throughout the year, with abundance during the rainy season and scarcity during the dry period. Thus, forage conservation strategies such as silage become essential to maintain animal performance. Total mixed ration (TMR) silage stands out for promoting ingredient homogenization, better nutrient utilization, and reduced daily labor in feed supply. In this context, the present study aimed to evaluate the in situ degradability of dry matter (DM) and nutrients from TMR silage based on BRS Capiaçu elephant grass, with or without natural inoculant, as a replacement for a diet with fresh forage. Six crossbred male sheep (Santa Inês × Dorper), rumen-cannulated, were used in a double 3×3 Latin square design, with three treatments: TR1 = TMR silage with inoculant; TR2 = without inoculant; TR3 = fresh BRS Capiaçu + concentrate. The TMR silage showed greater utilization of the soluble and potentially degradable fractions of DM, crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF), with higher CP and ADF contents compared to fresh forage. The use of inoculant increased the degradability of the soluble protein fraction and the effective degradation rate of fiber, even without a direct effect on DM. It is concluded that the inoculant improves fiber utilization and preserves the protein characteristics of ensiled BRS Capiaçu grass.