Alpha‐tocopherol and β‐carotene in legume–grass mixtures as influenced by wilting, ensiling and type of silage additive

Effects of wilting, ensiling and type of additive on α‐tocopherol and β‐carotene contents in legume–grass mixtures were examined. Swards of birdsfoot trefoil + timothy (Bft + Ti), red clover + timothy (Rc + Ti) and red clover + meadow fescue (Rc + Mf) were harvested as a first regrowth in August 2005. Forage was wilted to a dry‐matter (DM) content of 273 g kg −1 and ensiled without additive or with an inoculant or acid. Wilting decreased α‐tocopherol concentration by 30% in the Bft + Ti mixture ( P  =   0·015). Untreated Bft + Ti silage had higher α‐tocopherol content than red clover silages (56·9 vs. 34·2 mg kg −1 DM; P  =   0·015). The α‐tocopherol concentration of Bft + Ti forages increased during ensiling from 41·1 mg kg −1 DM in wilted herbage to 56·9, 65·2 and 56·8 mg kg −1 DM in untreated, inoculated and acid‐treated silage respectively ( P  =   0·015). The inoculant increased α‐tocopherol content in the red clover silages (50·1 vs. 34·2 mg kg −1 DM; P  =   0·015) compared with untreated red clover silages. Red clover mixtures had lower β‐carotene content than Bft + Ti (32·3 vs. 46·2 mg kg −1 DM; P  =   0·016), averaged over treatments. In conclusion, wilting had small effects but the use of bacterial inoculant as an additive and a Bft + Ti mixture increased α‐tocopherol concentration in the silage.