Determination of the nutritive value and investigation of the possibility of ensiling by-product pumpkin using wheat straw, wheat bran and urea

The aims of this experiment were to determine the nutritive value and investigate the possibility of ensiling pumpkin by-product (PBP) using wheat straw, wheat bran and urea. The data were analyzed in acompletely randomized design with factorial arrangement 3×4. Chemical composition of PBP before ensiling was determined. Before silage preparation, wheat straw, wheat bran and urea were mixed (90, 8 and 2 percentages, respectively). After that PBP was ensiled with mixed ingredients in different proportions including the ratios of 70, 75, 80and 85 percent PBP and 30, 25, 20 and 15 percent of mixed ingredients respectively. Silages were opened at 30 and 60 days after ensiling. Nutritive value of silages was determined using gas production test at the 0, 30 and 60 days of ensiling. Water soluble carbohydrate, dry matter, ash, crude protein and ether extract of PBP were 6.8, 9.68, 11.46, 21.69 and 5.87 percent respectively. As the proportion of PBP in the silages increased, pH and NH3 decreased but buffering capacity and residual water soluble carbohydrate content increased. Data of in vitro gas production test indicated that potential gas production (b) and lag time (L) were not affected by the levels of PBP, however fractional rate of gas production (c) was influenced (P<0.05). Overall results showed that ensiling PBP with wheat straw, wheat bran and urea for a period of 30 days is a suitable method for preservation of nutritive value of PBP.