THE EFFECT OF CELLULASE ADDITION ON NUTRITIONAL AND FERMENTATION QUALITY OF BARLEY STRAW SILAGE

Three experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of cellulose addition on high (Exp. I) and low (Exp. II and III) dry matter barley straw silages. In Exp. I : 1 kg barley straw + 16 g glucose + 600 g water + 0 g as control (E0G), + 2 g (E2G), + 4 g (E4G), + 6 g (E6G), and + 8 g (E8G) of cellulose as treatments were ensiled. In Exp. II and III, 10 g glucose was and was not added, respectively, into 2 kg barley straw + 0 g (E8W, E8T) of cellulose as treatments. Samples were stored for 10 (Exp. I) and 7 (Exp. II and III) months at $21^{\circ}C$. The effect of cellulose addition on the fermentation and breakdown of the polysaccharides component in the silos at ensiling occurred more markedly at low dry matter silages rather than at the high ones. All cellulose treated silages were well preserved (pH below 5 in Exp. I and below 4 in Exp. II and III), while lactic acid and ethanol concentration increased. The fibrous fraction (ADF, NDF, crude fiber, hemicellulose, and cellulose) significantly (p<0.01) decreased (except hemicellulose content in Exp. I) compared with corresponding untreated silages. In vitro dry matter digestibility values (IVDMD) were similar for all silages. The present study showed that cellulose addition improved the potential nutritional and fermentation quality of barley straw silage.