Determination of the silage quality of Lenox (Brassica rapa) product harvested in different periods

The objective of this study was to identify the impact of making silages using Lenox (forage turnip, Brassica rapa L.) harvested in two different stages of vegetation with bacterial inoculant+enzyme mixtures (0, 2.5, 5, and 7.5 mg.kg-1) on the quality, in-vitro digestibility, and energy parameters of the silages. The vegetation period affected the examined variables significantly except for neutral detergent fiber (NDF), (p<0.005), and further into the vegetation period, dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), ether extract (EE), NDF, acid detergent fiber (ADF), NH3-N, pH, and Fleig score increased, whereas ash, crude protein (CP), lactic acid (LA), acetic acid (AA), and propionic acid (PA) decreased (p<0.005). The effect of additive levels added to the silages was found to be significant in terms of LA, AA, pH and fleig scores (p<0.05). The effects of the vegetation period and additives were found to be significant in terms of in vitro DM (DMD) and OM digestibility (OMD) and energy contents of Lenox silages (p<0.05). Further into the vegetation period, DMD and OMD values decreased. Compared to the control group, the greatest DMD, metabolic energy (ME), and net energy for lactation (NEL) results were found in the group with 2.5 mg.kg-1 of additive. It was concluded that the VFA, DMD, OMD, SE, ME, and NEL results of the silage samples dropped as the vegetation period progressed, and when forage turnip was ensiled in its flowering period with the bacterial inoculant+enzyme mixture at a ratio of 2.5 mg.kg-1, the quality of the obtained silages was high, and these can be utilized as alternative, quality roughage sources for feeding ruminants.