Table 2.
Fermentation characteristics of alfalfa-corn mixed silage during ensiling.
| Parameters | Treatment (T) | Ensiling time (E) | SEM | p-value | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Day 3 | Day 5 | Day 7 | Day 15 | Day 30 | T | E | T × E | |||
| DM, g/kg FM | M1C1 | 228.99 | 229.11 | 235.51 | 234.76 | 238.59 | 241.13 | 0.348 | <0.001 | <0.001 | 0.507 |
| M1C0 | 234.89 | 236.07 | 236.26 | 237.83 | 242.26 | 247.68 | |||||
| M0C1 | 228.53 | 230.42 | 232.68 | 236.43 | 239.12 | 241.5 | |||||
| WSC, g/kg DM | M1C1 | 33.94Ca | 33.57Ca | 33.20Ca | 30.24Cb | 28.15c | 28.11c | 0.207 | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 |
| M1C0 | 41.76Ba | 40.28Ba | 35.79Bb | 32.92Bc | 32.51c | 29.13d | |||||
| M0C1 | 48.52Aa | 44.73Aab | 42.55Ab | 38.29Ac | 33.11d | 29.68d | |||||
| CP, g/kg DM | M1C1 | 156.63Ca | 154.74a | 154.23Aa | 151.44Bb | 149.66ABb | 149.77Bb | 0.164 | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 |
| M1C0 | 167.91Aa | 156.47b | 153.67ABc | 153.16Ac | 151.27Ad | 152.54Acd | |||||
| M0C1 | 161.12Ba | 154.08b | 153.21Bb | 152.23ABb | 147.49 Bd | 149.90Bc | |||||
| NDF, g/kg DM | M1C1 | 478.4 | 502.2 | 479.13 | 476.73 | 463.73 | 462.47 | 3.233 | 0.399 | 0.001 | 0.418 |
| M1C0 | 479.8 | 499.67 | 497.2 | 490.87 | 431.07 | 427.27 | |||||
| M0C1 | 476.09 | 500.22 | 489.76 | 484.69 | 456.24 | 452.82 | |||||
| ADF, g/kg DM | M1C1 | 284.87 | 296.27 | 288 | 287.8 | 286.8 | 278.8 | 2.482 | 0.437 | 0.001 | 0.311 |
| M1C0 | 274.4 | 313.47 | 310.6 | 297.07 | 290.33 | 269.53 | |||||
| M0C1 | 291.93 | 305.47 | 303.73 | 295.27 | 257.87 | 255 | |||||
| pH | M1C1 | 4.69Aa | 4.51Ab | 4.19Ac | 4.19Ac | 3.99Ad | 3.93Ad | 0.004 | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 |
| M1C0 | 4.40Ca | 4.05Cb | 3.91Bc | 3.79 Bd | 3.61Ce | 3.59Ce | |||||
| M0C1 | 4.58Ba | 4.35Bb | 4.23Ac | 4.17Ad | 3.79Be | 3.78Be | |||||
| Ammonia-N, g/kg TN | M1C1 | 61.59Ad | 99.10Ac | 100.55Ac | 133.75Ab | 142.86Aa | 134.27Ab | 0.412 | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 |
| M1C0 | 57.59 Bd | 68.76Bc | 88.94Bb | 99.01Cb | 120.32Ba | 118.23Ca | |||||
| M0C1 | 61.04Ae | 92.62Ad | 97.11Ad | 117.59Bc | 144.02Aa | 127.59Bb | |||||
| Lactic acid, g/kg DM | M1C1 | 20.12Bc | 21.72Bbc | 23.07Bbc | 24.59Bbc | 27.66Cab | 33.61Ba | 0.485 | <0.001 | <0.001 | 0.006 |
| M1C0 | 33.73Ad | 34.64Ad | 36.30Acd | 40.80Ac | 50.18Ab | 61.89Aa | |||||
| M0C1 | 21.93Bc | 24.32Bc | 28.53ABbc | 29.39Bbc | 34.23Bab | 37.29Ba | |||||
| Acetic acid, g/kg DM | M1C1 | 6.84d | 8.36Acd | 8.95Abcd | 9.32bc | 11.20Bab | 12.87Aa | 0.158 | <0.001 | <0.001 | 0.035 |
| M1C0 | 5.99b | 6.09Bb | 6.29Bb | 6.87b | 8.63Ca | 9.89Ba | |||||
| M0C1 | 7.87d | 9.03Acd | 9.44Abcd | 10.76bc | 14.96Aa | 11.54ABb | |||||
| Propionic acid, g/kg DM | M1C1 | 0.00d | 8.78Ac | 8.97Ac | 10.03Ac | 13.47Bb | 22.27Aa | 0.16 | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 |
| M1C0 | 0.00b | 0.00Bb | 0.00Bb | 0.00Bb | 8.13Ca | 0.00Bb | |||||
| M0C1 | 0.00d | 0.00 Bd | 9.61Ac | 13.12Ab | 19.19Aa | 20.72Aa | |||||
DM, dry matter; FM, fresh matter; WSC, water soluble carbohydrates; CP, crude protein; NDF, neutral detergent fiber; ADF, acid detergent fiber; M1C1, non-irradiated alfalfa (50%) and non-irradiated corn (50%); M1C0, non-irradiated alfalfa (50%) and irradiated corn (50%); M0C1, irradiated alfalfa (50%) and non-irradiated corn (50%); SEM, standard error of mean; A–CIndicate differences between values within the same column at p < 0.05; a–dIndicate differences between values within the same row at p < 0.05.