In Situ degradation of whole-plant soybean silage produced with or without molasses and harvested at different phenological stages

• Grant number: 19/02653-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: April 01, 2019
• End date: March 25, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal Investigator: Francisco Palma Rennó
• Grantee: Lucas Ghedin Ghizzi
• Supervisor: Luiz Felipe Ferraretto
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Florida, Gainesville (UF), United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 16/23132-8 - Forage soybean silage (Glycine max L. Merrill) on feeding lactating dairy cows, BP.DR

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of molasses addition in whole-plant soybean ensiling with different phenological stages on crude protein (CP) in situ degradability. The hypothesis of the experiment is that molasses as a water soluble carbohydrates source increase soybean silage CP in situ degradation regardless the phenological stage. Treatments were arranged in a 3 × 2 factorial design, to evaluate either phenological stages of whole-plant soybean (R5, R6, and R7) or molasses addition (MOL; 0 and 40 g/kg of fresh forage). Chopped forage was ensiled into 60 experimental silos (polyvinyl chloride) pipe with 0.5 m height and 0.1 m i.d., equipped with reservoir to retain effluents. Silos were weighted, filled with 2,400 g to achieve 650 kg/m3 of bulk density, sealed with sailcloth 200 µm weighted and stored at room temperature for 90 d. The CP in situ degradation of soybean silage will be performed at the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA under supervision of Prof. Dr. Luiz Felipe Ferraretto.