In the experiment, we investigated the influence of plant additives on the stability of silage. Tannin extract from chestnut wood (Farmatan®; FAR) was chosen as a plant additive. FAR was mixed into corn silage at different concentrations (5, 15 and 45 g FAR/kg fresh sample). We had a total of 17 samples. 8 samples were exposed to air for 5 days, another 8 for 10 days and 1 sample not exposed to air. At the end of the experiment, all samples were analyzed and the chemical composition of the silage, the in vitro true and apparent degradability of the dry matter (DM) and the in vitro degradability of the neutral detergent fiber (NDF) were determined. Using the Gompertz function, we estimated the gas production parameters A, B and C, calculated the times of maximum fermentation rate (TMFR), maximum fermentation rate (MFR) and gas production in 24 hours (Gas24). The concentrations of volatile fatty acids, lactic acid, ethanol and methanol were determined by gas chromatography. Addition of FAR increased the contents of dry matter. The addition of FAR did not affected the protein content in the silage. Tannins have been shown to reduce protein degradation during ensiling and DM losses due to reduced microbial activity. Addition of FAR reduced lactic acid concentration when silages were exposed to air for 5 and 10 days, while the ammonia content decreased only when silages were exposed to air for 10 days. The MFR decreased with the addition of FAR and prolonged the TMFR. In the analysis of in vitro degradability and digestibility, in vitro true and apparent DM degradability (IVTDMD and IVADMD) and in vitro NDF degradability (IVRNDF) decreased with the addition of FAR. Fermentation parameters A, B and C showed a decreasing trend with increasing FAR.
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