NUTRITIONAL VALUE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF ELEPHANT GRASS SILAGE WITH DIFFERENT PROPORTIONS OF COFFE HULLS

Abstract We evaluated the nutritional value and the bromatological characteristics of elephant grass (EG) silages, cut at 70 days of regrowth, adding four levels of coffee hulls (1-EG; 2-EG + 10%; 3-EG + 20%; and 4-EG + 30%). A randomized block design with four treatments and six replicates was used. The lignin, cellulose, caffeine, IVDDM, pH, N-NH3 and effluent and gas losses were determined in the silages. The DM values increased as pH decreased linearly with the increase of coffee hulls in EG silage. The effluent production occurred only in the silage without coffee hulls on the first five days, with higher production on the first three days. The N-NH3 values decreased linearly with the increase of the coffee hulls. There was an increase in CP content as the coffee hulls increased. There was an increase of NDF and reduction of the ADF and IVDDM linear decrease with the increase of the coffee hulls. These results show that the coffee hulls as an additive was effective in improving the characteristics of elephant grass silage cut at 70 days of age

摘要 本研究评估了再生期70天刈割的象草（Elephant Grass, EG）青贮料的营养价值与饲用理化特性，设置4个咖啡果壳（Coffee Hulls）添加梯度：1组为纯EG青贮；2组为EG添加10%咖啡果壳；3组为EG添加20%咖啡果壳；4组为EG添加30%咖啡果壳。试验采用随机区组设计，设置4个处理组与6次重复。测定了青贮料的木质素、纤维素、咖啡因、体外干物质消化率（In Vitro Dry Matter Digestibility, IVDDM）、pH值、氨态氮（Ammonia Nitrogen, N-NH3）以及渗出液与气体损失量。结果表明，随EG青贮料中咖啡果壳添加量的提升，干物质（Dry Matter, DM）含量呈线性升高，pH值呈线性降低。渗出液仅在未添加咖啡果壳的青贮组中产生，且集中于发酵前5天，其中前3天的渗出液产量更高。氨态氮（N-NH3）含量随咖啡果壳添加量的提升呈线性降低。粗蛋白（Crude Protein, CP）含量随咖啡果壳添加量增加而升高。中性洗涤纤维（Neutral Detergent Fiber, NDF）含量随添加量提升呈线性升高，酸性洗涤纤维（Acid Detergent Fiber, ADF）与体外干物质消化率（IVDDM）则呈线性降低。本试验结果证实，以咖啡果壳作为添加剂可有效改善再生期70天刈割的象草青贮料的品质特性。