An investigation on usage possibilities of sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench var. Saccharatum) and black eyed-pea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) mixture for silage

This study was conducted to assess silage and forage values of sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor var. saccharatum) silage when ensiled with different proportions of black-eyed pea [Vigna unguiculata]. Keller cv. of sweet sorghum and Karagöz cv. of black-eyed pea were used as crop material. Sweet sorghums were cut 3 different harvesting stages (panicle emergence, anthesis and doughy) and were mixed with black-eyed pea at sorghum crop:black-eyed pea ratios of 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, and 0:100% on dry matter bases. All crops were chopped using a conventional chopper, and for each mixture 500 g of fresh material was vacuum sealed in a plastic bag and fermented for an average of 40 days, four bags per mixture. There were significant differences between harvest stages and mixture rates. Delaying harvest stage affected positively total DM yield and fermentation quality but not forage value. Crude protein (CP) increased as proportion of black-eyed pea increased in the mixture. In addition, pH and AA increased when black-eyed pea was added. Silage with 100% black-eyed pea without sweet sorghum had the highest pH and AA rates.