Chemical Composition of Elephant Grass (Pennisetum purpureum) Silage Ensiled for Different Durations

Abstract

Elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) is a key tropical forage for ruminant livestock, but its conservation as silage requires understanding the optimal fermentation period to preserve nutritional quality. The study was conducted at Federal Polytechnic Bauchi Livestock Teaching and Research Farm to evaluated the effect of different ensiling durations (2, 3, 4, and 5 weeks) on the chemical composition of elephant grass silage. Elephant grass was harvested, wilted, chopped, and ensiled in polythene silo bags for 2, 3, 4, and 5 weeks (T1–T4). After each period, silage samples were analyzed for dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), ash, nitrogen free extract (NFE), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) . DM content remained high across all treatments (96.43–97.50%). CP ranged from 10.10 to 11.17%,. EE decreased significantly (p = 0.04) from 1.42% (2 weeks) to 0.80% (5 weeks). ADF also decreased significantly (p = 0.03) from 55.80% (3 weeks) to 49.26% (5 weeks). NFE increased numerically from 47.23% to 54.60% (p = 0.07), while NDF increased from 64.78% to 69.38%. Ash content fluctuated (5.20–8.50%) without a clear trend. Based on the findings of this study, recommendation drawn that a farmer can use a 4-week fermentation period for elephant grass silage to achieve a balance between protein retention, fiber digestibility, and fat preservation.