Microbial and Chemical Additives in Alfalfa-Timothy Silage

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Abstract
Mature alfalfa-timothy forage to which were added 0.125, 0.25 or 0.5% ammonia, 1 of 2 combinations of microbial additives, a microbial carrier, formic acid, or nothing (control) was ensiled in evacuated or nonevacuated double polyethylene bags to simulate good and poor ensiling. Forages were allowed to ferment for 28 days after which they were sampled and analyzed to characterize differences in fermentation, protein and carbohydrates. Forages from evacuated and unevacuated bags appeared properly fermented. Microbial additives had no significant effect on response variables. It is unlikely that forage ensiled under good conditions will benefit from the microbial additives used in this experiment. Added ammonia increased the crude protein content from 9.2 to 15.1% of the dry matter at the largest addition. Recovery of added ammonia was high ranging from 86-100% except for relatively low recovery (59%) from evacuated bags at the highest (0.5% of wet forage) ammonia. Dry matter concentration was less in ammonia-treated silage than in silages treated with microbes or microbial carriers. In contrast to ammonia-treated silates, formic acid treatment increased concentration of dry matter. Formic acid silage had the lowest concentration of lactic acid, indicating that addition of formic acid, indicating that addition of formic acid limited the extent of fermentation.