Abstract
Cenchrus fungigraminus (Juncao) is a high-yielding, fast-growing forage crop with considerable potential for livestock feed; however, optimizing its processing is essential for cost reduction and quality enhancement. This study comprised three components: (1) a comprehensive analysis of 25 on-farm silage samples from five locations in Southwest China using Grey Relational Analysis (GRA); (2) an assessment of the effects of three cutting heights (low: 100–150 cm; mid: 150–200 cm; high: 200–250 cm) on silage quality; and (3) a comparison of silage quality between natural fermentation and microbial inoculant treatments using mature Juncao (250–300 cm). The results showed that: (1) in the on-farm silage samples, carbon supplementation was significantly positively correlated with total digestible nutrients (TDN), relative feed value (RFV), ether extract (EE), and sensory evaluation (p < 0.05), and the GRA identified the top-ranked treatments, including J2, J3, J6, X6, and J5; (2) in the cutting height trials, fiber content increased significantly with cutting height (p < 0.05), while crude protein (CP) and TDN decreased significantly (p < 0.05). The 200–250 cm group exhibited optimal fermentation quality, characterized by the highest total volatile fatty acids (total VFA) and lactic acid concentrations, alongside the lowest pH and ammonia nitrogen/total nitrogen ratios (NH3-N/TN); (3) in the inoculant comparison, the natural fermentation group demonstrated significantly higher degradation rates of acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent lignin (ADL) compared to the microbial inoculant group, while also maintaining a lower pH, higher total VFA and lactic acid. Consequently, for on-farm production, carbon supplementation is recommended to improve silage quality. Although cutting Juncao below 200 cm provides higher nutritional value, a height of 200–250 cm is advised to ensure optimal fermentation characteristics. Furthermore, natural fermentation proves superior to microbial inoculant treatment for mature Juncao. Together, these measures offer an effective strategy for producing high-quality Juncao silage.
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Claims 13
Claim · model-written summary
In on-farm Juncao silage samples, carbon supplementation was significantly positively correlated with total digestible nutrients, relative feed value and ether extract.
- Taxon
- Cenchrus fungigraminusCenchrus fungigraminust0
- Treatment
- carbon supplementatione0
- Outcome
- total digestible nutrients (TDN), relative feed value (RFV), ether extract (EE)e0
- Direction
- positively correlatede0
Verbatim
t0“Cenchrus fungigraminus Silage”
e0“carbon supplementation was significantly positively correlated with total digestible nutrients (TDN), relative feed value (RFV), ether extract (EE), and sensory evaluation (p < 0.05)”
Claim · model-written summary
In on-farm Juncao silage samples, carbon supplementation was significantly positively correlated with sensory evaluation.
- Taxon
- Cenchrus fungigraminusCenchrus fungigraminust0
- Treatment
- carbon supplementatione0
- Outcome
- sensory evaluatione0
- Direction
- positively correlatede0
Verbatim
t0“Cenchrus fungigraminus Silage”
e0“carbon supplementation was significantly positively correlated with total digestible nutrients (TDN), relative feed value (RFV), ether extract (EE), and sensory evaluation (p < 0.05)”
Claim · model-written summary
Grey Relational Analysis of the on-farm Juncao silage samples identified J2, J3, J6, X6 and J5 among the top-ranked treatments.
- Taxon
- Cenchrus fungigraminusCenchrus fungigraminust0
- Outcome
- top-ranked treatmentse0
- Value
- J2, J3, J6, X6, and J5e0
Verbatim
t0“Cenchrus fungigraminus Silage”
e0“the GRA identified the top-ranked treatments, including J2, J3, J6, X6, and J5”
Claim · model-written summary
Fiber content of Juncao silage increased significantly with cutting height.
- Taxon
- Cenchrus fungigraminusCenchrus fungigraminust0
- Treatment
- cutting heighte0
- Outcome
- fiber contente0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
t0“Cenchrus fungigraminus Silage”
e0“fiber content increased significantly with cutting height”
Claim · model-written summary
Crude protein and total digestible nutrients of Juncao silage decreased significantly with cutting height.
- Taxon
- Cenchrus fungigraminusCenchrus fungigraminust0
- Treatment
- cutting heighte1
- Outcome
- crude protein (CP) and TDNe0
- Direction
- decreasede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
t0“Cenchrus fungigraminus Silage”
e0“crude protein (CP) and TDN decreased significantly (p < 0.05)”
e1“cutting height trials”
Claim · model-written summary
Juncao cut at 200-250 cm gave the highest total volatile fatty acids and lactic acid concentrations in silage.
- Taxon
- Cenchrus fungigraminusCenchrus fungigraminust0
- Treatment
- 200–250 cme0
- Outcome
- total volatile fatty acids (total VFA) and lactic acid concentrationse1
- Direction
- higheste1
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
t0“Cenchrus fungigraminus Silage”
e0“The 200–250 cm group exhibited optimal fermentation quality”
e1“the highest total volatile fatty acids (total VFA) and lactic acid concentrations”
Claim · model-written summary
Juncao cut at 200-250 cm gave the lowest pH and ammonia nitrogen to total nitrogen ratio in silage.
- Taxon
- Cenchrus fungigraminusCenchrus fungigraminust0
- Treatment
- 200–250 cme0
- Outcome
- pH and ammonia nitrogen/total nitrogen ratios (NH3-N/TN)e1
- Direction
- loweste1
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
t0“Cenchrus fungigraminus Silage”
e0“The 200–250 cm group exhibited optimal fermentation quality”
e1“the lowest pH and ammonia nitrogen/total nitrogen ratios (NH3-N/TN)”
Claim · model-written summary
Mature Juncao silage under natural fermentation showed significantly higher degradation rates of ADF, NDF and ADL than with microbial inoculant.
Verbatim
t0“Cenchrus fungigraminus Silage”
e0“the natural fermentation group demonstrated significantly higher degradation rates of acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent lignin (ADL) compared to the microbial inoculant group”
Claim · model-written summary
Natural fermentation of mature Juncao silage maintained a lower pH than microbial inoculant treatment.
Verbatim
t0“Cenchrus fungigraminus Silage”
e0“the natural fermentation group”
e1“while also maintaining a lower pH”
e2“microbial inoculant group”
Claim · model-written summary
Natural fermentation of mature Juncao silage gave higher total VFA and lactic acid than microbial inoculant treatment.
Verbatim
t0“Cenchrus fungigraminus Silage”
e0“the natural fermentation group”
e1“higher total VFA and lactic acid”
e2“microbial inoculant group”
Claim · model-written summary
Cutting Juncao below 200 cm provides higher nutritional value.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
t0“Cenchrus fungigraminus Silage”
e0“cutting Juncao below 200 cm provides higher nutritional value”
Claim · model-written summary
For on-farm production, carbon supplementation is recommended to improve silage quality.
- Taxon
- Cenchrus fungigraminusCenchrus fungigraminust0
- Outcome
- carbon supplementation is recommended to improve silage qualitye0
Verbatim
t0“Cenchrus fungigraminus Silage”
e0“for on-farm production, carbon supplementation is recommended to improve silage quality”
Claim · model-written summary
A cutting height of 200-250 cm is advised for Juncao silage to ensure optimal fermentation characteristics.
- Taxon
- Cenchrus fungigraminusCenchrus fungigraminust0
- Outcome
- a height of 200–250 cm is advised to ensure optimal fermentation characteristicse0
Verbatim
t0“Cenchrus fungigraminus Silage”
e0“a height of 200–250 cm is advised to ensure optimal fermentation characteristics”