Study the silage characteristics of Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) fodder using of different levels of molasses

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different levels of molasses on fermentation and chemical composition of Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) fodder (JAF). A complete randomized design with three treatments and five replications was used. The treatments were as follows: JAF silage, JAF silage mixed with 50g molasses/kg fresh forage, and JAF silage mixed with 100g molasses/kg fresh forage. The forage was cut at early flowering stage and chopped in a stationary machine. The chopped fodder was ensiled in experimental silos (12 liter capacity), equipped with nylon for gas escape. The material was compacted manually, placing approximately 10 kg fresh forage in each silo. The silos were open 60 days after closing for apparent evaluation (color, smell and tissue) and sampling. When silos were opened sub-samples of approximately 50 g were collected to analyze for pH, ammonia-N and organic acids (acetic, propionic, butyric, iso-butyric, valeric, iso-valeric lactic acid). Another 50 g sub-sample was used for determining chemical composition (DM, total nitrogen, Ash, water soluble carbohydrate, NDF and ADF). Results showed that pH, ammonia-N, NDF, and ADF were decreased and content of DM, OM and water soluble carbohydrate of silage increased (P