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A Comparison of the Digestibility of Atlas Sorgo Silages with Corn Silage^{1, 2,}

Department of Animal Industry and Veterinary Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

ABSTRACT

Silages made from component parts of Atlas sorgo plants were compared in digestion trials to silages made from two corn hybrids and RS 301, a sterile hybrid sorghum. Of the silages tested, Coker 911 corn silage had the most TDN. The Dixie 82 corn silage and RS 301 sorghum silage were very similar in TDN content. The removal of the heads from Atlas sorgo plants did not lower the crude protein content of the resulting silage. However, the Atlas sorgo silage in all preparations was inferior to the corn silages and the RS 301 sorghum silage as a source of both crude and digestible protein. The protein in Atlas sorgo stalks fed as silage is largely unavailable to the animal.

The addition of grain sorghum heads to Atlas sorgo plants did not improve the TDN value of the resultant silage. The energy from the extra heads from grain sorghum plants was apparently not utilized very efficiently, as they passed through the animals undigested in large quantities.

High-quality silage can be made from a sorghum which sets no seed, as shown with the RS 301. The grain in Atlas sorgo silage is apparently not essential for making good quality silage.

Corn, unlike the sorghums, depends on the grain for a large proportion of its TDN value. The coefficients of digestibility of all nutrients studied were larger for the corn silage having the greater proportion of ears.

¹ Published with the approval of the Director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station.

² Results presented in this paper are from a thesis submitted by the senior author to the faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Arkansas in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Science Degree.