[Investigations on the fermentation quality of silage from low-nitrate green forage]

In 3-year-experiments green forage from Dactylis glomerata and Festuca species, produced by differentiated cutting frequencies, was ensiled under laboratory conditions. The forage was almost without nitrate. Because of the higher content of water-soluble carbohydrates the fermentability coefficients of Festuca species were above of Dactylis glomerata. The fermentability coefficients of both plant species were inferior in the second and third cut, even if the first cut was delayed until July. Despite of similar fermentability coefficients of the two plant species silages contained different amounts of lactic and butyric acid. The portion of lactic acid amounted to 52 to 57% and 60 to 73% of total acids, the proportion of butyric acid 30 to 35% and 18 to 25% for Dactylis glomerata and Festuca species, respectively. According to the high fermentability coefficients silages free of butyric acid would be expected, however, by both species butyric acid always was formed, in some cases at high concentrations. In the contrary the amounts of ammonia, acetic acid and alcohol as well as the pH-value were almost extremely low. It can be concluded that the quality of silages produced of green forages with low nitrate cannot be assessed adequately by the current evaluation key.