• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.50-55
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• 2023

The present study investigated the effects of forage cutting and baler mixing on the chemical compositions, fermentation indices, and aerobic stability of whole crop rice (WCR) haylage. The WCR ("Youngwoo") was harvested at 48.4% dry matter and ensiled into a 300 kg bale silo with forage cutting (whole crop without cutting vs. 5 cm of cutting length). The WCR forages were ensiled without baler mixing process (CON) or with (MIX). The concentrations of dry matter, crude protein, ether extract, crude ash, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber of whole crop rice before ensiling were 48.4, 9.70, 2.57, 6.11, 41.2, and 23.5%, respectively. The forage cutting did not affect the chemical compositions, fermentation indices, microbes, and aerobic stability of WCR haylage (p>0.05). The CON haylages tend to be higher in NDF content (p<0.10). The MIX haylages had lower in lactate (p=0.019), and lactate:acetate ratio (p<0.001). The MIX haylages had higher in lactic acid bacteria (LAB) (p=0.010). Therefore, this study concluded that the fermentation quality of WCR haylage improved by baler mixing, but had no effects by forage cutting.