Table 1 Physico-chemical characteristics and microbial populations of barley, oat, triticale and intercropped forages, 90day silages and aerobically exposed silages (n = 3)

pH

7.57^b

6.28^d

6.52^c

6.57^c

0.143

<0.001

4.50^b

3.98^c

3.93^c

3.94^c

0.070

<0.001

4.39^d

8.71^b

6.29^c

8.43^b

0.548

<0.001

DM

48.08^b

30.21^e

41.65^c

38.48^d

23.390

<0.001

47.02^b

29.87^e

39.06^c

37.85^d

22.060

<0.001

57.88^b

35.63^d

53.80^b

46.95^c

2.671

<0.001

DM loss (%)

3.10^c

1.65^c

7.07^b

2.11^c

0.879

0.009

 OM

93.61^b

92.99^c

93.92^b

93.11^c

0.114

0.002

93.38^b

92.58^d

92.98^c

92.12^e

0.144

<0.001

 CP

14.20^b

11.71^c

11.60^c

11.91^c

0.059

0.003

13.41^b

11.48^c

13.63^b

12.43^bc

0.049

0.018

 NDF

53.10^d

58.73^b

51.28^d

55.59^c

0.878

<0.001

49.34^c

57.12^b

56.06^b

58.00^b

1.121

0.003

 ADF

27.04^d

36.89^b

30.51^c

30.89^c

1.116

0.001

24.89^d

34.89^b

33.30^c

33.14^c

1.189

<0.001

 ADIN

 (% total N)

4.43 ^bc

5.19^b

3.74^c

4.78^b

0.188

0.013

 Starch

21.54^b

9.14^d

7.41^e

10.76^c

1.709

<0.001

19.20^b

7.04^cd

5.54^d

8.30^c

1.651

<0.001

 WSC

 (mg/g DM)

4.66^e

31.51^d

74.60^b

46.33^c

7.305

<0.001

0.99^c

2.52^c

29.20^b

12.01^bc

7.821

0.031

 Lactic acid

NM

44.64^e

77.87^b

64.56^c

52.12^d

3.913

<0.001

43.69^b

6.60^d

28.27^c

5.86^d

4.935

<0.001

 Acetic acid

NM

28.92^b

17.06^c

16.85^c

10.32^d

1.895

<0.001

26.63^b

1.19^c

1.33^c

0.87^c

3.331

<0.001

 Propionic acid

NM

0.09

ND

ND

ND

NA

NA

0.11

ND

ND

ND

0.015

NA

 Butyric acid

NM

ND

0.01

ND

0.03

0.031

0.156

ND

0.03^b

0.02^b

0.02^b

0.004

0.021

 La:Ac ratio

NM

1.54^d

4.56^b

3.83^c

5.05^b

0.404

<0.001

1.64^c

5.38^c

21.42^b

6.69^c

2.487

0.002

 Total VFAs

NM

29.09^b

17.21^c

17.08^c

10.42^d

1.892

<0.001

26.82^b

1.35^cd

1.93^c

1.07^d

3.314

<0.001

 NH₃-N

0.13^c

0.10^d

0.19^b

0.11^cd

0.011

0.001

2.34^b

2.27^d

2.13^c

1.43^d

0.109

<0.001

1.27^b

0.22^d

1.13^b

0.61^c

0.134

0.001

 Total bacteria

7.71^bc

7.47^c

7.97^b

7.85^b

0.085

0.0288

8.92^b

8.40^c

7.22^d

8.05^c

0.198

0.0011

7.75^d

9.50^b

8.78^c

9.56^b

0.223

<0.001

 LAB

6.23

5.82

6.68

6.98

0.193

0.1267

8.98^b

8.52^c

7.83^d

8.21^cd

0.143

0.0017

7.78^c

9.37^b

9.28^b

9.09^b

0.216

0.003

 Molds

6.22

6.06

5.99

6.12

0.051

0.4966

ND

ND

ND

ND

NA

NA

ND

8.00^b

ND

7.18^c

7.180

<0.001

 Yeasts

7.1

7.04

7.09

7.03

0.021

0.4055

<1.00^c

5.84^b

6.34^b

6.75^b

0.481

0.0002

4.28^c

8.82^b

9.19^b

8.63^b

0.631

0.001

Aerobic Stability^a

>336.00^d

51.14^c

142.91^b

39.10^c

17.379

0.001