Reduction of protein losses when laying sainfoin haylage using probactil biological preservative

Abstract

It is of the most urgent importance to find ways of reducing protein losses when laying haylage of perennial protein forage crops (sainfoin, sweet clover, alfalfa). In the freshly cut herbage, plant cells continue to live under the conditions of “starvation exchange” due to the conversion of sugars into carbon dioxide and water. At the same time, the destruction of proteins occurs. Thus, the loss of nutrients during the period of “starvation exchange” may account for more than 20% of the total harvested protein mass in the composition of the dry matter of the forage. The faster the conservation process proceeds, the shorter the period of “starvation” is, the less protein is lost. Biological preservatives have been widely used to reduce protein losses but there are few literature sources where the amount of nutrient losses would be determined. One of the expensive components of perennial legume haylage is protein. In this regard, the search for the optimal method of perennial legume forage crop preservation which allows reducing protein losses is of urgent importance. To improve the technology of sainfoin haylage preservation, it is proposed to use the biological preservative Probactil in suspension form (80 mL of preservative and 20 mL of enzyme) at a dose of 100 mL per ton of haylage mass which reduces protein losses by 19-20% and significantly reduces the cost of purchasing protein additives.