The effect of Different Levels of Molasses as Silage Additives on Fermentation Quality of Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica) Silage

The Effects of Different Levels of molasses (0, 2.5, 5, 7.5 percentage of fresh forage) additives on whole plant Foxtail millet, on chemical composition and aerobic stability were determined in CRD experimental design. Degradation and nutrition value survived by application of 3 male sheep. The results of appearance evaluation and evaluation based on contents of dry matter and pH (Flieg's method) indicated that all of the levels of molasses additives produced good and very good silages. In this experiment percentages of dry matter, CP, DDM, ME, DE, TDN and amounts of TVFA increased with increasing molasses (P<0.05). There were significant differences pH between control and treated silages, pH of control group was more than treated silages (P<0.05). Amounts of ADF, NDF, WSC decreased with increasing level of molasses (P<0.05). The ability degradation of DM, in silages content of 7.5% molasses were more than control and other treatments groups (P<0.05), but totally added molasses increased degradation of millet silages. Added molasses increased aerobic stability of silages therefore their pH and raising temperature were lower than control after these were to exposure of air for 144h (P<0.05), however, there were not significant differences between treatments. The results of the present research indicated that by adding 7.5% molasses to foxtail millet silage, the nutrition quality and aerobic stability of were improved.