Conservation of wilted and unwilted grass ensiled in air‐tight metal containers with and without the addition of molasses

Abstract

Abstract Italian ryegrass was ensiled in gas‐tight silos in unwilted (21% dry matter) and wilted (42% dry matter) conditions without an additive and with the addition of molasses at a mean level of 8% in the dry matter. The total dry matter losses were 8·7, 7·2, 4·5 and 5·0% for unwilted, molassed unwilted, wilted, and molassed wilted grass silages respectively. The silages were all well preserved but the extent of fermentation had been reduced in the wilted silages. The losses of individual sugars during the silage process and the products of fermentation were used to assess the pathways of fermentation. The dominant pathway of fructose utilisation was by heterolactic fermentation. The addition of molasses reduced the ratio of fructose: glucose in the ensiled material and reduced the amount of mannitol produced during the ensilage process.