FERMENTATION CHARACTERISTICS, CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND PROTEIN FRACTIONING OF GLIRICIDIA SILAGE SUBMITTED TO DIFFERENT FERMENTATION PERIODS

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of fermentation time on the qualitative and chemical characteristics of Gliricidia sepium silage grown in the agreste of Sergipe. A completely randomized experimental design with five treatments and six replicates was used. The treatments were the different opening times of the silos (7, 14, 30, 42 and 60 days after the dosing date). Mini PVC silos measuring 10 cm in diameter and 30 cm in length were used. The production of lactic add was influenced (P = 0.01) by fermentation time, which showed a positive quadratic effect. Fermentation time exerted a linear effect (P=0.02) on the buffering capacity and a negative quadratic effect (P=0.01) on pH values. A positive quadratic effect (P<0.01) was observed on ammoniacal nitrogen in silage. There was a positive quadratic effect (P=0.04) on EE concentration during the fermentation times analyzed. There was no effect (P>0.05) of fermentation time on the other chemical variables, with mean values of 230.2, 66.4, 514.8, 407.6, 66.7, 107.2, 447.4 and 213.4 g/kg DM for DM, MM, NDF, ADF, lignin, hemicellulose, cellulose and NFC, respectively. No effect (P>0.05) of fermentation time was observed for crude protein content or protein fractions, with mean values of 204.2, 356.2, 128.8, 353 and 162.6 g/kg for crude protein, fraction A, fraction B1 + B2, fraction B3 and fraction C, respectively. Gliricidia showed potential as a food source in the form of silage, as fermentation preserved its bromatological characteristics. It is suitable for consumption by the animals at 60 days of fermentation.