Composição bromatológica de silagens de sorgo (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) aditivadas com forragem de leucena (Leucaena leucocephala (LAM.) DEWIT)

Abstract

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of the addition of increasing levels of leucaena forage on the chemical composition of sorghum silage. A completely randomized experimental design was used with five treatments and three replicates. The ensiled material consisted of unmixed sorghum and sorghum with 10, 20, 30 and 40% of leucaena green forage. Forage sorghum AG 2002 was harvested at 110 days after planting. The leucaena was cut on the same day by harvesting branches with a diameter of up to 10 mm. The material remained ensiled for 30 days in laboratory minisilos of PVC tubes. The values for pH, buffering capacity (BC), DM, CP, NDF, ADF and ammonium nitrogen (N-NH3) were determined. The increase in the ratio of leucaena resulted in positive linear effect for CP, BC and N-NH3, and negative linear effect for DM, NDF and ADF contents. The addition of up to 40% of leucaena forage should be a viable alternative to the improvement of the chemical composition of sorghum silage.