Ensiling Characteristics of Coastal Bermudagrass Harvested at the Prehead and Full-Head Stages of Growth

Abstract

Four 8-by 24-ft. tower silos were rapidly filled with Coastal Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) at the (a) prehead and (b) full-head stages. In a study of the influence of growth stage at harvest on changes occurring during ensiling. Ground shelled corn was added at the rate of 100 lb per ton of forage. The younger forage contained more protein and less NFE, but the levels of crude fiber and dry matter were not materially affected by harvesting stage. Level of ammoniacal N and pH were approximately the same for silages made from the prehead and full-head Coastal Bermuda grass. The percentages of organic acids were quite low for all silages with prehead silage containing somewhat more lactic acid. On a dry matter basis total organic acids were 4.2 and 4.1% for the prehead and full-head silages. Nutrient losses by both fermentation and spoilage, as determined by the input-output method, were larger for the more mature material.