Forage Yield of Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauvois) and Its Some Quality and Nutritional Values of Fodder and Silages Obtained from Different Morphological Parts and Silages with Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)

Abstract

The research was carried out in the 2022 and 2023 summer growing seasons in Muğla province, which is under the influence of the Coastal Mediterranean Climate, according to the randomized complete block design with three replications. The 2022 and 2023 summer growing seasons to determine the forage yield of foxtail millet and some of its nutritional values of its fodder and silages, obtained from different morphological parts and in combination with alfalfa. The fresh fodder yield (t ha-1), dry fodder yield (t ha-1), crude ash ratio (%) crude protein ratio (%), dry matter ratio (%), ADF (%), NDF (%), digestible dry matter (DDM, %), dry matter intake (DMI, %), total digestible nutrients (TDN, %), net energy-lactation (Nel, Mcal lb-1), net energy-maintenance (NEm, Mcal lb-1), net energy-gain (Neg, Mcal lb-1), relative feed value (RFV, %), pH, fleig score were determined from dry fodder, silage and foxtail millet-alfalfa silages. The characteristics which were examined in the study determined statistically significant at P˂0.01. Fresh fodder yield and dry fodder yields were varied between 14.50-20.95 t ha-1 and 4.71-7.31 t ha-1 respectively. The highest crude protein ratio (16.76%), dry matter ratio (42.06%), crude ash ratio (7.83%), DDM (67.95%), DMI (2.71%), TDN (65.42%), NEl (0.68 Mcal lb-1 ), NEm (0.73 Mcal lb-1 ) NEg (0.40 Mcal lb-1), RFV (142.92%) and the lowest ADF (26.89%) and NDF (44.23%) were determined from spike of foxtail millets‘s dry fodder. The highest crude protein (14.82%) was determined in silage from leaf, the lowest ADF (38.80%) and NDF (54.76%), the highest TDN (51.73%), DDM (58.67%), DMI (2.20%), Nel (0.52 Mcal lb-1 ), NEm (0.55 Mcal lb-1) and RFV (100.49%) were determined in silage from spike, the highest dry matter ratio (92.61%) was determined in stem, the lowest pH (4.56, 4.93 and 5.92) and the highest flieg score (207.06, 192.53 and 186.49) were determined in whole plant, leaf and spike of foxtail millet silages. The highest crude protein (22.92%), dry matter ratio (93.13%), TDN (60.15%), DDM (64.62%), DMI (2.48%), Nel (0.62 Mcal lb-1), NEm (0.66 Mcal lb-1) and RFV (124.42), the lowest ADF and NDF (31.71% and (48.33%) were determined in %100 alfalfa silage. The highest fleig score (215.27) was determined in 75% Seteria + 25% Alfalfa silage. It can be concluded that; the foxtail millet hay is seen to be sufficient on its own when evaluated in terms of some forage quality aspects and nutritional value. Foxtail millet can be ensiled into reasonable silage, but the quality can be improved with the addition of alfalfa or different legumes or other protein sources.

Keywords

• Foxtail millet
• hay
• silage
• forage quality
• nutritive value

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