The effect of nitrate content in forage on quality of silage fermentation

Abstract

Nitrate content in fresh herbage is one of the factors affecting fermentation in silage. Hein (1970) observed that ensiling of forages with low nitrate content often results in silages with high butyric acid contents. Butyric acid is an undesirable product of clostridia in silages indicating low silage nutritional quality (Pahlow et al., 2003). The effect of nitrate on butyric acid formation is derived from its degradation products. Nitrate undergoes reduction to nitrite which can be further converted to nitric oxide which is considered to be toxic for clostridia (Spoelstra, 1983). Therefore, crops high in nitrate decreases clostridial activity and, hence, butyric acid formation. The effect of nitrate content in fresh crops on butyric acid formation was summarized by Weissbach (1996). The summary shows high occurrence (78%) of butyric acid in silages made from crops low (

Keywords

silage fermentation; nitrate content; quality

Published in

Title: Proceedings of the 8th Nordic Feed Science Conference, Uppsala, Sweden
Publisher: Department of Animal Nutrition and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Conference

8th Nordic Feed Science Conference

SLU Authors

• Knicky, Martin

  • Salinity AB

• Spörndly, Rolf

  • Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Animal and Dairy Science

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/89446