Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.33128/k.59.2.4
THE NUTRITIVE VALUE OF FERMENTED GRASS ON FAMILY FARMS OF NORTHWESTERN CROATIA
Božica Lukšić
; Agronomski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Krešimir Bošnjak
; Agronomski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Ivana Čačić
; Agronomski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Marina Vranić
orcid.org/0000-0001-6280-0116
; Agronomski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Abstract
Besides genetic predisposition, the amount of milk produced and the percentage of milk fat in milk, also depend on the supply of dairy cows with energy and proteins. In this study, we wanted to determine the nutritive quality of fermented grass (FG) samples from 5 family farms (FF) of Northwestern Croatia, major milk producers, during 4 years (2013 - 2016). The total of 130 FG samples was firstly analyzed on dry matter (DM) concentration. The NIR spectroscopy was applied to predict the corrected DM (CDM), crude protein (CP), degradable CP, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), metabolic energy (ME), organic matter OT, residual sugar, digestibility of OM in the DM (D-value), acidity (pH value) and ammonia nitrogen content (NH3-N). The analyzed FG samples were of moderate to low quality and highly variable in all chemical parameters describing nutritive and fermentation quality. FG fodder was of variable chemical composition due to a number of factors
affecting its quality. Based on the investigated chemical parameters and keeping in mind the weather conditions of the Northwestern Croatia, as a basic limitation for the production of high quality first cut FG, it can be concluded that the nutritive value of analyzed FG samples is a result of later grass/clover maturity stage at harvest than optimal for the production of FG fodder high in nutritive value that supports high milk production.
Keywords
grass silage; NIR spectroscopy; family farms; nutritive value
Hrčak ID:
200470
URI
Publication date:
20.4.2018.
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