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Effects of wilting and mechanical conditioning on proteolysis in sainfoin ( Onobrychis viciifolia Scop) wilted herbage and silage
Author(s) -
Cavallarin Laura,
Antoniazzi Sara,
Borreani Giorgio,
Tabacco Ernesto
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.2022
Subject(s) - wilting , silage , dry matter , chemistry , agronomy , fermentation , forage , zoology , butyric acid , aeration , nitrogen , biology , food science , organic chemistry
Ensiling legumes allows conservation of high‐quality forage. However, severe protein degradation occurs during ensiling of legumes. A field study was carried out in 1999 on sainfoin ( Onobrychis viciifolia Scop) to investigate the effects of wilting and mechanical conditioning on proteolysis in wilted herbage and silage. The herbage was cut with both a rubber roll conditioning machine (C) and with a mower without conditioner (U). It was wilted in the field to three dry matter (DM) levels (220, 330 and 440 g kg −1 ) and ensiled in laboratory glass silos. The herbages and the silages were analysed for ensilability characteristics, fermentation quality and nitrogen fractions. During wilting the non‐protein nitrogen (NPN) values increased ( p < 0.05) in both U and C treatment. The free amino acid (free AA) values increased ( p < 0.05) from 2.4 to 12.9 and from 2.4 to 7.2 mol kg −1 total nitrogen, in the U and C treatments, respectively. Low wilted silages (DM content <320 g kg −1 ) underwent butyric acid fermentation and extensive proteolysis in both treatments, with lower ( p < 0.05) NPN and free AA values in the C treatment. Mechanical conditioning may limit protein breakdown and catabolism of some essential amino acids by reducing the field wilting time in both sainfoin wilted herbage and silage. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry