Fermentative Characteristics and Nutritional Value of Elephant Grass Silage with the Addition of Jureminha Forage

This article evaluated the fermentative characteristics and nutritional value of elephant grass [ Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone] silage enriched with jureminha ( Desmanthus virgatus L.) forage. A completely randomized design was used with four inclusion levels of jureminha (0, 100, 200, and 300 g/kg) and six replicates. Forages were manually mixed based on fresh matter weight and stored in polyvinyl chloride silos (10 cm diameter × 50 cm height) equipped with Bunsen valves for gas release during 110 days of storage. Increasing jureminha inclusion led to a linear rise in silage pH ( p = 0.01) and a decrease in ammonia nitrogen content ( p  = 0.01). The carbohydrate fraction A + B1 increased with up to 300 g/kg jureminha, and nitrogen fraction A increased with up to 200 g/kg inclusion. Total and hydrolyzable tannins increased linearly with jureminha addition. Up to 300 g/kg inclusion of jureminha improved dry matter, crude protein (CP), and nonfibrous carbohydrate contents, reduced neutral detergent fiber corrected for ash and protein, and enhanced ruminal CP degradability, attributed to the low tannin levels in the silages.