Study on Comparative Economics of Silage Additives on Green Maize and Wheat Straw Based Silage

Abstract

Huge amount of low quality feedstuff is available in Saurashtra region and wheat straw is one of them and is of poor quality but available locally and inexpensive. It’s use in silage along with additives may improve its quality and there by its utilization in animal feeding. Thus, it is essential to develop silage preparation methods to use these locally available feed resources effectively. The current investigation was carried with the objective to study various combinations of biological and chemical additives on cost of silage production for green maize and wheat straw based silage and to evaluate cost effective additives for green maize and wheat straw based silage. Different silages were prepared using green maize fodder and wheat straw as such in the proportion of 10:0 & 7:3 ratio in plastic jar of 3 kg capacity (3 replication in each) by adding common salt @ 0.5%, urea @1% and molasses @ 1.5% in each silages with seven different treatments viz. Control (only green maize), WS (green maize and wheat straw in 7:3 ratio), X (WS added with Xylanase), LP (WS added with  L. plantarum ), LF (WS added with L. fermentum), LPLF (WS added with both bacterial inoculants) and XLPLF (WS added with Xylanase and both bacterial inoculants).  Xylanase, L. plantarum and L. fermentum were used @ 1500 IU/g, 1 x 10⁶ cfu/g and 2 x 10⁶ cfu/g, respectively. All silages were evaluated in terms of quality parameters of silage on 45 days of ensiling to compare the nutritive value of silage, cost of silage production and hence, to evaluate cost effective silage additive. Cost of silage production was noticed lower in Xylanase treated silage with higher cost saving (7.30 %) as compared to all other inoculated silages. Thus, keeping in mind, advantage of Xylanase inoculated silage, it is concluded that Xylanase can be used as a cost effective feed additive when green maize and wheat straw are principal fodder for silage production in the ratio of 7:3 to improve nutritive values of silage, nutrient utilization and for overall economic benefits in feeding of animals as Xylanase is cost effective feed additives as compared to others. It reduces the cost of silage production when green maize and wheat straw are used in 7:3 proportion for maximum benefits.