PHYSICAL QUALITY OF ELEPHANT GRASS SILAGE UNDER DIFFERENT ADDITIVE COMBINATION TREATMENTS

Abstract

Ruminant livestock plays a crucial role in global food security and economic sustainability, yet feed availability remains a major constraint, particularly during the dry season. Elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) is a promising forage due to its high biomass yield, but its quality is strongly influenced by seasonal variation and preservation methods. Silage technology offers an effective solution to maintain forage availability, and its quality can be enhanced through the use of additives. This study aimed to evaluate the physical quality of elephant grass silage using combinations of rice bran, molasses, and EM4 at different levels. The experiment using a completely randomized design (CRD) consisted of three treatments (control, bran + EM4, and molasses + bran + EM4).Parameters observed included colour, aroma, texture, and pH, assessed by trained panelists and measured with a pH meter. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant effects (P<0.05) of additive combinations on most parameters. The best results were obtained with the combination of 3% molasses, 5% bran, and 5% EM4, producing silage with a boiled-leaf green colour, firm texture, strong sour aroma, and low pH, indicating optimal fermentation. These findings suggest that the combination of molasses, bran, and EM4 can serve as a practical reference for farmers in silage production. However, this study is limited to physical quality assessment; therefore, future research should analyze nutrient composition to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the nutritional value of elephant grass silage.