• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.697-701
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• 1998

In order to improve silage quality and utilization of napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) by goats, the grass was ensiled with molasses (MOL) and/or defatted rice bran (DRB). Napier grass was harvested at the growing stage in July and cut into 3 cm length. The grass was mixed with 4% MOL and/or 15% DRB, ensiled 15 kg each into plastic bags and stored for 9 months. Dry matter content of the silage ensiled with MOL (MOL-silage) was 13.4%, but increased to 20% with DRB addition. The addition of MOL decreased pH value and ammonia nitrogen content, but increased lactic acid content. MOL-silage contained about 6% spoilage, but addition of DRB decreased spoilage to less than 1%. Goats were fed the silage at a level of 2.25% (DM basis) of their body weight. Goats fed DRB- or MOL/DRB-silages maintained nitrogen retention, but goats fed MOL-silage did not. The rumen fluid of goats fed DRB-silage tended to be higher in acetic acid and lower in propionic acid than those fed the other silages. Ammonia in the rumen fluids, urea nitrogen in the blood and the urinary nitrogen excretion were the lowest in goats fed MOL/DRB-silage. As the result, the ratio of retained nitrogen to nitrogen intake was the highest in goats fed MOL/DRB-silage. In conclusion, addition of DRB to napier grass increased DM of silage and decreased the volume of spoilage. The combination of MOL and DRB can improve the fermentation quality and thus enhance the utilization of the silage by goats, more than the MOL or DRB being as a single treatment.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.28-35
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• 1999

The effects of addition of celulases (A cremonium cellulolyticus and Trichoderma viride, CE), a commercial inoculum containing lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus casei, LAB), fermented green juice (macerated napier grass with water was incubated anaerobically with 2% glucose for 1 day, FGJ) and glucose (G), and regional difference of ensiling on napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) silage were studied by using 900 ml laboratory glass bottle silos under 30 and $40^{\circ}C$ storage conditions in 1995 and 1996. Experiment 1 was carried out to compare the addition of CE, LAB, FGJ and the combinations. Silages were stored for 45 days after ensiling. Experiment 2 studied the effects of applications of CE, LAB, FGJ and G. Experiment 3 was carried out using the similar additives as experiment 2 except for LAB. Silages were stored for 60 days in the experiments 2 and 3. Experiments 1 and 2 were done in Nagoya, and experiment 3 in Okinawa. Sugar addition through CE or G improved the fermentation quality in all the experiments, which resulted in a greater decrease in the pH value and an increased level of lactic acid, while butyric acid contents increased under $30^{\circ}C$ storage condition in CE addition. LAB and FGJ additions hardly affected the silage fermentation quality without additional fermentable carbohydrate. But the combination of LAB, FGJ and glucidic addition (CE and G) improved the fermentation quality. The effect of the regional difference of ensiling between temperate (Nagoya; $35^{\circ}$ N) and subtropical (Okinawa; $26.5^{\circ}$ N) zones on silage fermentation quality was not shown in the present study.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.591-596
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• 1994

Chemical composition and nutritive values of napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) silages subjected to two cutting intervals were studies; 1st harvest in July (A), and 2nd (B) and 1st (C) harvests in November. Each forage was ensiled with 4% molasses in plastic bags and stored for 5 or 9 months. A feeding experiment with castrated goats was conducted from April to June of the following year. Dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) content of the harvests varied from 9.5 to 22.8% and 6.6 to 13.6% of DM, respectively. The dry matter content of the silages fed to the goats were 13.0 to 24.4%, because some effluent was removed from each silage before the feeding trial. The pH values of the silages were between 4.03 and 4.29. Goats were given sufficient silage to meet maintenance nitrogen requirements from napier grass silage. Silage C was not completely consumed, and the silage had low digestibilities of DM, CP, hemicellulose and cellulose. Nitrogen balance was slightly positive for goats consuming silage B and was negative for goats consuming silages A and C. Nitrogen utilization was discussed in terms of ruminal $NH_3-N$ and volatile fatty acid concentration in the rumen fluids. It is concluded that goats could not maintain N-equilibrium not only when a younger forage was consumed at a level of N requirement by a restricted feeding, but also when an older forage could not be consumed enough for N requirement because of feed intake limitation.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.823-829
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• 2003

Four different types of silage from new cultivars of Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum), cv. NG 1 and NG 2, were fed to eight wethers in order to evaluate their preference and intake by sheep. The silages were prepared from direct-cut NG 1 herbage; pre-wilted NG 1 herbage; NG 1 herbage with maize meal (5% inclusion) and NG 2 herbage with maize meal (5% inclusion). All silages were palatable to sheep. Maize-treated silage had high quality fermentation, characterized by high Fleig scores and low pH, volatile fatty acids (VFA) and ammoniacal nitrogen contents. The pH, Fleig score, in vitro digestible organic matter (IVDOMD) and ammoniacal-N contents for maize-treated cv. NG 1 silage were 3.7, 78, $540g\;kg^{-1}$ dry matter (DM ) and $0.18g\;kg^{-1}$ DM whereas, in maize-treated cv. NG 2 they were 3.6, 59, $^458g\;kg{-1}$ DM and $0.18g\;kg^-1$ DM, respectively. The superior quality of maize-treated silages made them more preferable to sheep. Among the maize-fortified silages, palatability and intake were significantly (p<0.001) greater with cv. NG 1. Although direct-cut silage had better fermentation quality compared to wilted silage, wilted silage was significantly (p<0.001) more preferable to sheep. However, there were no significant differences (p<0.05) in the levels of preference and intake of wilted silage compared to maize-treated cv. NG 2 silage, even though the latter tended to be more palatable. There were indications that high pH (4.6 vs 3.5) and IVDOMD content (476 vs $457g\;kg^{-1}%$ DM) of wilted silage contributed to higher intake, compared to direct-cut silage. It was generally concluded that pre-wilting and treatment of Napier grass with maize meal at ensiling enhances intake and palatability.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.6
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• pp.1301-1313
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• 2021

This study investigated the effects of applying cellulase and starch on the fermentation characteristics and microbial communities of Napier grass silage after ensiling for 30 d. Three groups were studied: No additives (control); added cellulase (Group 1); and added cellulase and starch (Group 2). The results showed that the addition of cellulase and starch decreased the crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and pH significantly (p < 0.05) and increased water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) content (p < 0.05). The addition of additives in two treated groups exerted a positive effect on the lactic acid (LA) content, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) population, and lactic acid / acetic acid (LA/AA) ratio, even the changes were not significant (p > 0.05). Calculation of Flieg's scores indicated that cellulase application increased silage quality to some extent, while the application of cellulase and starch together significantly improved fermentation (p < 0.05). Compared with the control, both additive groups showed increased microbial diversity after ensiling with an abundance of favorable bacteria including Firmicutes and Weissella, and the bacteria including Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Acinetobacter increased as well. For alpha diversity analysis, the combined application of cellulase and starch in Group 2 gave significant increases in all indices (p < 0.05). The study demonstrated that the application of cellulase and starch can increase the quality of Napier grass preserved as silage.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.411-420
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• 1996

Asia Triple HIn this study an attempt was made to determine the cost of producing fodders at Savar Dairy Farm (SDF). For this purpose, all seasonal fodders, such as Maize, Jowar, Cowpea and Oat and all perennial fodders, such as Para and Napier were studied. The highest acreage of land was allocated to high-land Para (33.8%) and the lowest acreage (2.7%) was devoted to Cowpea. Jowar attained the highest yield (74.2 tons) per hectare and Maize attained the lowest yield (25.8 tons/h). The highest cost per hectare was attributed to Jowar (TK. 20944.18) while the lowest cost was attributed to low-land para (TK. 10349.86). The cost of production of fodder per kilogram was the highest (TK. 0.66) for Maize and the lowest for Oat (TK. 0.24). The cost of production of low-land Para was much lower than that of high land Para. The per kilogram cost of silage production was the highest (TK. 0.71) for Maize and the lowest (TK. 0.31) was for Napier. The gross return analysis further showed that the highest net margin and B:C ratio were observed for Napier followed by Low-land Para, Jowar, Oat, Cowpea, High-land Para and Maize. Therefore, those fodders whose B:C ratios and yield/ha were higher should be allocated more area of land to stimulate increased returns to SDF in the future is suggested.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.1063-1067
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• 2000

The effects of acremonium cellulase (AC) additive and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculant on effluent production and aerobic stability of silage were investigated. Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum) was treated with AC at the rates of 0.05 ($AC_1$) and 0.1 g/kg $(AC_2)$ and/or with LAB at the rate of $1.0{\times}10^8cfu/kg$ fresh grass at ensiling. The treatments of LAB, $AC_1$, $AC_2$, $LAB+AC_1$ and $LAB+AC_2$ significantly (p<0.01) decreased pH and contents of volatile basic nitrogen and butyric acid, and significantly (p<0.01) increased lactic acid content compared with the control. All treated silages were well preserved with pH of lower than 4.2. There were no significant differences in fermentation quality between the application rates of AC ($AC_1$ and $AC_2$) and between the mixtures ($AC_1+LAB$ and $AC_2+LAB$). AC ($AC_1$ and $AC_2$) and AC plus LAB ($AC_1+LAB$ and $AC_2+LAB$) resulted in more silage effluent than the control and LAB inoculant alone. When the experimental silos were opened, the silages treated with AC and/or LAB were not as stable as the control silage, as shown by pH increase and lactic acid decomposition.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.996-1002
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• 2003

A 6 (accession)${\times}$5 (cutting interval) factorial experiment was conducted over two years to investigate the effect of stage of growth on herbage production, nutritive value and water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) content of Napier grass and Napier grass${\times}$Pearl millet hybrids (hybrid Pennisetum). The purpose of the experiment was to determine the optimum stage of growth to harvest the Pennisetums for ensilage. Two Napier accessions (SDPP 8 and SDPP 19) and four hybrid Pennisetum (SDPN 3, SDPN 29, SDPN 38 and Bana grass) were compared at five harvest intervals (viz. 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 weeks). Basal fertilizers were similar in all treatment plots, although nitrogen (N) top-dressing fertilizer was varied proportionately, depending on the harvesting interval. The application was based on a standard rate of 60 kg N/ha every six weeks. Stage of growth had significant effects on forage yield, WSC content and nutritive value of the Pennisetums. Herbage yields increased in a progressively linear manner, with age. Nutritive value declined as the harvesting interval increased. In particular, crude protein content declined rapidly (p<0.001) from $204g\;kg^{-1}$ DM at 2 weeks to $92g\;kg^{-1}$ DM at 8 weeks of growth. In vitro dry matter digestibility decreased from 728 to $636g\;kg^{-1}$ DM, whilst acid and neutral detergent fibre contents increased from 360 and 704 to 398 and $785g\;kg^{-1}$ DM, respectively. Rapid changes in nutritive value occurred after 6 weeks of growth. The concentration of WSC increased in a quadratic manner, with peaks ($136-182g\;kg^{-1}$ DM) at about 6 weeks. However, the DM content of the forage was low ($150-200g\;DM\;kg^{-1}$) at 6 weeks. Therefore, it was concluded that Pennisetums should be harvested between 6 and 7 weeks, to increase DM content and optimize herbage production without seriously affecting nutritive value and WSC content. Accessions SDPN 29 and SDPP 19 appeared to be most suited for ensilage. It was suggested that WSC content should be incorporated as a criterion in the agronomic evaluation and screening of Pennisetum varieties.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.203-209
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• 1991

Collection, evaluation and preservation of tropical forage grasses, napier grass breeding, tissue culture of pangola grass and alfalfa selection were conducted in Taiwan. The results showed that some species such as pangola grass (Digitaria decumbens) with good performance and wide adaptability were selected and released. Forage yield and quality of napier grass have been improved and have good results in animal performance. Embryogenic callus cultures from young inflorescences and stem segments of pangola grass could provide an alternative method for rapid propagation and improvement. Three better varieties of alfalfa were selected. They maintain satisfactory stands for two or three years on well-drained sand loam and loam soil, and used only as annual crop in flat area and acid soil. However, more studies in forage breeding for acid soil arc required to maximise the forage quality and animal production. Thus, animal fed with forages of high quality and a few grains supplement will be the future achivement in livestock industry.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.673-679
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• 1992

To investigate the effects of molasses addition at ensiling on nutritional quality of wilted napier grass, chemical quality and nutrient composition of the silages, digestibility and nitrogen retention at feeding trials were analysed using 4 goats in a cross over design. The results are as follows : 1. Molasses addition at ensiling decreased pH value (3.99) and ammonia nitrogen, and increased lactic acid content by 285% compared to non-additive silage (83.5 g/kg dry matter). 2. There were no differences in digestibilities of dry matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, hemicellulose and cellulose between the silage ensiled with molasses (MS silage) and the silage ensiled without molasses (WS silage). Urinary nitrogen excretion, however, significantly (p<0.05) decreased in goats fed the MS silage, and nitrogen retention was positive in goats fed the MS silages, but negative in goats fed the WS silage. 3. Acetic acid concentration in remained fluids in goats fed the MS silage was lower and propionic and butyric acid concentrations were higher than those in goats fed the WS silage. As water soluble carbohydrate content was higher in the MS silage than in the WS silage, a part of added molasses was still remained in the silage at the feeding trials and could be utilized for energy sources by the goats. Nitrogen may be also effectively utilized in goats fed the MS silage, because the silage were inhibited in proteolysis during ensiling.