Quality of reed canary-grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) silage produced using glucose, formic acid, and tannic acid

We determined the effects of adding glucose, formic acid, and tannic acid on the quality of reed canary-grass (RCG) silage. For each of the silage types, we measured chemical components, degradability in the rumen, and in vitro digestibility in sheep. The RCG was harvested at the pre-blooming stage of regrowth and stored in a plastic bag for 39 days. All of the additions inhibited ammonium-nitrogen production, but only formic acid lowered silage pH. Although all of the additions decreased acetic acid production in the silage, addition of glucose stimulated butyric acid production. The lactic acid content was lower in the silage produced with tannic acid than the other silages. Addition of tannic acid reduced the degradability of silage protein in the rumen of sheep. The in vitro dry matter digestibility of silage was improved by the addition of glucose.

Author(s): Norio Tokita, Motohiko Ogata, Shirou Oshiro, Nobuyuki Hirayanagi, Motozi Hatori, Shuhei Sato, Toyoji Kurita, Itaru Yoshimura and Teruaki Tokita

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