Comparative evaluation of chemical composition and nutritional value of herbage and silage in the European North of Russia

Abstract

The findings of a comparative assessment of the chemical composition, nutritional value, and fermentation quality of herbage and silage from forage grasses and crops of different botanical composition under the conditions of the European North of Russia are discussed. The studies were conducted in 2023 and 2024 on typical breeding farms of the Republic of Karelia. Forage samples were collected and tested according to standard animal science methods with determination of the main indices of chemical composition and nutritional value. Perennial grass-legume mixtures were characterized by higher content of crude protein (up to 13.43%) and crude ash (up to 7.58%), whereas annual cereal crops showed higher dry matter (DM) content (up to 35.66%) and crude fiber (up to 24.87%). After ensiling, differences became more pronounced: silage from perennial grass mixtures had higher dry matter (33.54%) and metabolizable energy (10.33 MJ kg DM) compared to annual crops (up to 27.76% and up to 10.10 MJ kg DM). Silage from vetch-oat mixture was similar to perennial grass mixtures (32.50% and 10.37 MJ kg DM). The most favorable fermentation characteristics were observed in perennial grass mixtures and maize (pH 4.0–4.3, butyric acid 0.03–0.06%), indicating high-quality silage. Triticale silage was characterized by increased pH (up to 4.8) and higher butyric acid content (up to 0.66%), indicating reduced quality. The feasibility of using perennial grass-legume mixtures and combined mixtures of annual crops for forage production was determined.