Abstract
A study was conducted to determine the influence of intensity of mechanical conditioning on the nutritive value of alfalfa conserved as hay or silage. Fresh alfalfa was mowed and conditioned at three levels of maceration prior to field wilting during 45 h for silage (29–39% DM) or 94 h for hay (87% DM, after barn-curing), under light rain conditions during the first 2 d. The conditioning treatments were: control (conventional mowing-conditioning), light maceration (one passage through three knurled steel rolls), medium maceration (two passages), and intense maceration (three passages). Concentrations of NDF, ADF, hemicellulose, CP-NDF, and CP-ADF increased linearly (P < 0.001) with the level of maceration. Silage pH, acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid increased, while lactic acid decreased (P < 0.001), with the level of maceration. The effective rumen degradabilities of DM, CP, and NDF, measured with fistulated cows, were not affected (P > 0.10) by the level of mechanical conditioning. Forty-eight male sheep (46.8 ± 6.7 kg BW) were fed a 100% forage diet according to a completely randomized design with a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement of treatments (two storage methods and four levels of conditioning). Under restricted feeding, DM, NDF, ADF, and hemicellulose digestibilities decreased linearly (P < 0.001) with the level of maceration. However, the digestibility of CP-NDF increased with the level of maceration; the effect was more important in hay than in silage (P < 0.001 for the interaction). When silages were fed ad libitum to 24 sheep, daily DMI was 2.31, 2.88, 2.76, and 2.41% of BW and DM digestibility was 60.8, 60.1, 56.2, and 46.7%, for control, light, medium, and intense maceration, respectively (P < 0.01). The results suggest that light maceration increases DM intake while maintaining digestibility of forages fed to sheep. Because of humid conditions and potential soil contamination due to multiple windrow pickup, intense maceration caused severe nutrient loss, which might be avoided under dry field wilting and good storage conditions. Key words: Alfalfa, hay, silage, digestion, degradability, intake
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Claims 13
Claim · model-written summary
Fibre fractions NDF, ADF and hemicellulose increased linearly with maceration level
- Taxon
- alfalfa
Medicago sativat0 - Treatment
- the level of maceratione1
- Outcome
- NDF, ADF, hemicellulosee1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Qualifier
- linearly (P < 0.001)e1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“intensity of maceration on digestibility and intake of alfalfa hay and silage fed to sheep”
e1“Concentrations of NDF, ADF, hemicellulose, CP-NDF, and CP-ADF increased linearly (P < 0.001) with the level of maceration”
Claim · model-written summary
CP-NDF and CP-ADF concentrations increased linearly with maceration level
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- the level of maceratione1
- Outcome
- CP-NDF, and CP-ADFe1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Qualifier
- linearly (P < 0.001)e1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“intensity of maceration on digestibility and intake of alfalfa hay and silage fed to sheep”
e1“Concentrations of NDF, ADF, hemicellulose, CP-NDF, and CP-ADF increased linearly (P < 0.001) with the level of maceration”
Claim · model-written summary
Silage pH, acetic acid and propionic acid increased with maceration level
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- the level of maceratione2
- Outcome
- Silage pH, acetic acid, propionic acide2
- Direction
- increasede2
- Qualifier
- P < 0.001e2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“intensity of maceration on digestibility and intake of alfalfa hay and silage fed to sheep”
e2“Silage pH, acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid increased, while lactic acid decreased (P < 0.001), with the level of maceration”
Claim · model-written summary
Silage butyric acid increased with maceration level
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- the level of maceratione2
- Outcome
- butyric acide2
- Direction
- increasede2
- Qualifier
- P < 0.001e2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“intensity of maceration on digestibility and intake of alfalfa hay and silage fed to sheep”
e2“Silage pH, acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid increased, while lactic acid decreased (P < 0.001), with the level of maceration”
Claim · model-written summary
Silage lactic acid decreased with maceration level
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- the level of maceratione2
- Outcome
- lactic acide2
- Direction
- decreasede2
- Qualifier
- P < 0.001e2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“intensity of maceration on digestibility and intake of alfalfa hay and silage fed to sheep”
e2“Silage pH, acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid increased, while lactic acid decreased (P < 0.001), with the level of maceration”
Claim · model-written summary
Effective rumen degradabilities of DM, CP and NDF were not affected by mechanical conditioning
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- mechanical conditioninge3
- Outcome
- effective rumen degradabilities of DM, CP, and NDFe3
- Direction
- not affectede3
- Qualifier
- P > 0.10e3
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“intensity of maceration on digestibility and intake of alfalfa hay and silage fed to sheep”
e3“The effective rumen degradabilities of DM, CP, and NDF, measured with fistulated cows, were not affected (P > 0.10) by the level of mechanical conditioning”
Claim · model-written summary
DM, NDF and ADF digestibilities decreased linearly with maceration level under restricted feeding
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- the level of maceratione4
- Outcome
- DM, NDF, ADFe4
- Direction
- decreasede4
- Qualifier
- Under restricted feedinge4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“intensity of maceration on digestibility and intake of alfalfa hay and silage fed to sheep”
e4“Under restricted feeding, DM, NDF, ADF, and hemicellulose digestibilities decreased linearly (P < 0.001) with the level of maceration”
Claim · model-written summary
Hemicellulose digestibility decreased linearly with maceration level under restricted feeding
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- the level of maceratione4
- Outcome
- hemicellulose digestibilitiese4
- Direction
- decreasede4
- Qualifier
- Under restricted feedinge4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“intensity of maceration on digestibility and intake of alfalfa hay and silage fed to sheep”
e4“Under restricted feeding, DM, NDF, ADF, and hemicellulose digestibilities decreased linearly (P < 0.001) with the level of maceration”
Claim · model-written summary
CP-NDF digestibility increased with maceration, more so in hay than in silage
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- the level of maceratione5
- Outcome
- digestibility of CP-NDFe5
- Direction
- increasede5
- Qualifier
- more important in hay than in silagee5
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“intensity of maceration on digestibility and intake of alfalfa hay and silage fed to sheep”
e5“However, the digestibility of CP-NDF increased with the level of maceration; the effect was more important in hay than in silage (P < 0.001 for the interaction)”
Claim · model-written summary
Daily DM intake of silage ranged from 2.31 to 2.88% of BW across control and maceration levels
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- light, medium, and intense maceratione6
- Outcome
- daily DMIe6
- Value
- 2.31, 2.88, 2.76, and 2.41% of BWe6
- Comparator
- controle6
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“intensity of maceration on digestibility and intake of alfalfa hay and silage fed to sheep”
e6“daily DMI was 2.31, 2.88, 2.76, and 2.41% of BW and DM digestibility was 60.8, 60.1, 56.2, and 46.7%, for control, light, medium, and intense maceration, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
DM digestibility of silage was 60.8, 60.1, 56.2 and 46.7% for control, light, medium and intense maceration
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- light, medium, and intense maceratione6
- Outcome
- DM digestibilitye6
- Value
- 60.8, 60.1, 56.2, and 46.7%e6
- Comparator
- controle6
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“intensity of maceration on digestibility and intake of alfalfa hay and silage fed to sheep”
e6“daily DMI was 2.31, 2.88, 2.76, and 2.41% of BW and DM digestibility was 60.8, 60.1, 56.2, and 46.7%, for control, light, medium, and intense maceration, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Light maceration increases DM intake while maintaining digestibility of forage fed to sheep
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- light maceratione7
- Outcome
- DM intakee7
- Direction
- increasese7
- Qualifier
- while maintaining digestibility of forages fed to sheepe7
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“intensity of maceration on digestibility and intake of alfalfa hay and silage fed to sheep”
e7“The results suggest that light maceration increases DM intake while maintaining digestibility of forages fed to sheep”
Claim · model-written summary
Intense maceration caused severe nutrient loss in humid conditions
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- intense maceratione7
- Outcome
- nutrient losse7
- Direction
- increaseinferrede7
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“intensity of maceration on digestibility and intake of alfalfa hay and silage fed to sheep”
e7“intense maceration caused severe nutrient loss”
The same questions in other papers
processing · nutrient: content · Medicago sativa (alfalfa)Positive and negative results
3 papers in the same direction as this paper · 10 in the opposite direction
- no effect
- positive
- positive
10 papers more in this group
See all 14 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.