Evaluation of silage quality and nutrient composition of white goosefoot (chenopodium album L.) ensiled with molasses and inoculant

This study was aimed to investigate the forage potential of white goosefoot silage in animal nutrition. In this study, physicochemical characteristics and in vitro digestibility of white goosefoot silage were evaluated. The study was conducted using a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement of molasses (0, 3, 4, and 5%) and 1 ´ 1011 cfu/g of Lactobacillus buchneri (LB; added or not according to manufacturer recommendation). A total of 8 experimental groups were set up and each group comprised of 4 replicates. White goosefoot was harvested in July 2023 from Burdur lake basin and wilted for 24 h. Wilted plant was cut to a particle size of 2.5-5 cm and vacuum packed in plastic bags (200 g/bag) for ensiling after respective application of silage additives. After the ensiling, bags were opened, quality traits of silage were measured in terms of physical characteristics, ammonia nitrogen and pH, nutrient composition, feed value, and in vitro digestibility. The data were analyzed by applying the general linear model (GLM) procedures to assess the differences between molasses and LB supplementation. Physical quality traits (odor, color, structure, and DLG score) were not different among the treatments. While silage pH reduced and ammonia nitrogen remained unaffected with the molasses, LB increased silage pH as well as ammonia nitrogen. Nitrogen free extract and non-structural carbohydrate contents increased with molasses application whereas, these fractions decreased with the addition of LB. Groups treated with molasses had lower crude protein, crude ash, crude fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber contents. Crude ash, crude fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and hemicellulose contents increased in groups with LB supplementation. Addition of molasses increased all the traits related to feed value (dry matter intake, digestible dry matter, relative feed value, net energy for lactation, total digestible nutrients, and Flieg point), while dry matter intake, relative feed value, and Flieg point were negatively affected due to LB addition. Addition of molasses had no effect on in vitro true organic matter digestibility, in vitro true dry matter digestibility, in vitro true neutral detergent fiber digestibility. Although in vitro true neutral detergent fiber digestibility increased, digestibility of other fractions was not responsive to supplemental LB. Improvement in some quality traits of silage was seen with the use of additives. White goosefoot can prove to be an important alternative that can be used in ruminant nutrition.