FERMENTATION QUALITY EVALUATION OF ITALIAN RYEGRASS SILAGES BY USING THE BUFFER INDEX CURVE

This study was conducted to demonstrate the practical use of the buffer index curve as a criterion of silage quality evaluation, Forty five samples of the ensiled Italian ryegrass were collected from farms in Okayama, Japan. Silages were devided into 4 groups by the pattern of buffer index curve. Heavy wilting silages (A group) showed no peak on buffer index curve and Flieg's score of 95.6. However, moderate or weak wilting silages (B group) with moisture content of 63.3 showed a peak at pH 4.0 and a Flieg's score of 67.8. Both of A and B groups were regarded as a good quality silage. Silages (C group) with a peak at pH 4.5 were of a medium quality with Flieg's score of 45.3. Poorly preserved silages (D group) with Flieg's score of 12.0 had a peak at pH 5.0. There was a high positive correlationship (p<0.01) between the peak value of buffer index curve and the organic acid content.