The ensilage of sorghum at a range of crop maturities

Abstract

This study, using miniature silos, bas shown that sorghum cut at the booting stage can produce acid silage. Such early harvesting produced silage with a crude protein content of 10 per cent of its dry weight, did not significantly reduce the yield per acre of silage protein, but reduced the yield of silage by some 40 per cent. Sorghum cut before the booting stage failed to produce satisfactory acid silage. Thic could not he explained by low initial sugar contents. Also, a comparison of the fermentation behaviour over the range of crop maturities in miniature silos and water slurries suggests that physical conditions, such as moisture contents and the release of cell constituents, had little influence on the development of acidity.