Table 3.
Chemical composition of fresh faba bean before and after ensiling for 4 and 8 months without or with formic acid (0.5% of fresh material)
| Components, percentage of dry matter | Fresh | Ensiled without additives | Ensiled with formic acid | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month 0 | Month 4 | Month 8 | Month 4 | Month 8 | |
| Dry matter, % | 24.4 | 24.7 | 25.7 | 25.8 | 24.8 |
| WSCa | 5.9 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 8.2 | 18.3 |
| Glucose | 3.6 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 3.6 | 13.4 |
| Fructose | 1.8 | X | X | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Galactose | X | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.5 |
| Arabinose | X | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.2 |
| Glucansb | 29.1 | 24.0 | 28.0 | 33.4 | 30.0 |
| Cellulose | 16.8 | 8.5 | 13.4 | 15.2 | 16.9 |
| Arabinoxylan | 8.1 | 8.1 | 6.5 | 7.6 | 7.2 |
| Galactan | 1.9 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 1.1 |
| Galacturonic acid | 4.3 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.1 |
| Lignin | 12.5 | 12.6 | 13.8 | 13.2 | 13.2 |
| Protein | 18.8 | 18.8 | 18.8 | 19.4 | 19.4 |
| Ash | 7.0 | 5.9 | 6.0 | 5.4 | 5.1 |
Samples were extracted with acetone. Water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) and fructose were determined from the filtrates of the blended crop.
aNon-structural carbohydrates expressed as total monosaccharides.
bGlucans from non-cellulose parts.
X = < 0.5% of dry matter.