In this experiment a laboratory ensiling technique was developed to inves- tigate the effect of biological treatment (ensiling), on the nutritive value of poor quality by-products such as groundnut-hulls (G.N.H.), and wheat straw (W.S.). Twenty four hours prior to packing into plastic bags, (lab. silos) the G.N.H. and W.S. were reconstituted with distilled water to a D.M. content of 45% and then ensiled for three weeks with and without molasses, bagasse or sugar-cane-tops (S.C_T.), added at 5 and 10% level on DM basis of the ensiled substrate. The average quantity of the ensiled material in each sac was 450 and 300 gms for G.N.H. and W.S. respectively. G.N.H. silage with and without additives was of good quality shown by lower pH, higher lactic acid, higher ammonia nitrogen content and lower DM loss, compared with that of W.S. which did not benefit from ensiling without additives. However molasses and bagasse added at 5 and 10% levels lowered the pH of W.S. sil- age by 20 and 17%, 20.6 and 15.7% respectively. The lactic acid content (L.A.) was significantly increased in the W.S. silage due to additives.

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NADYA A. G. BADR* and M. G. ELHAG

Faculty of Agriculture Shambat, University of Khartoum

SUMMARY

 In this experiment a laboratory ensiling technique was developed to inves- tigate the effect of biological treatment (ensiling), on the nutritive value of poor quality by-products such as groundnut-hulls (G.N.H.), and wheat straw (W.S.). Twenty four hours prior to packing into plastic bags, (lab. silos) the G.N.H. and W.S. were reconstituted with distilled water to a D.M. content of 45% and then ensiled for three weeks with and without molasses, bagasse or sugar-cane-tops (S.C_T.), added at 5 and 10% level on DM basis of the ensiled substrate. The average quantity of the ensiled material in each sac was 450 and 300 gms for G.N.H. and W.S. respectively. G.N.H. silage with and without additives was of good quality shown by lower pH, higher lactic acid, higher ammonia nitrogen content and lower DM loss, compared with that of W.S. which did not benefit from ensiling without additives. However molasses and bagasse added at 5 and 10% levels lowered the pH of W.S. sil- age by 20 and 17%, 20.6 and 15.7% respectively. The lactic acid content (L.A.) was significantly increased in the W.S. silage due to additives.

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