ABSTRACT
Effect of refused melon fruit inclusion on sorghum ensilage

Palloma Vitória Carlos de Oliveira1, Lerner Arévalo Pinedo1, Liz Carolina da Silva Lagos Cortes Assis1, Salenilda Soares Firmino1, Thiago Luís Alves Campos de Araújo1*, Dorgival Morais de Lima Junior1, and Patrícia de Oliveira Lima1
 
Ensilage of refused fruit with forage is a viable approach to increase resource use in ruminant feed. The use of refused melon (Cucumis melo L. subsp. melo var. inodorus H. Jacq.) fruit (RMF), ensiled at 0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, or 8% of natural matter with sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), was assessed in terms of chemical-bromatological composition and fermentative profile. Experimental silos filled with mixtures and hermetically sealed were used. After 34 d of fermentation, the silos were opened, and samples were analyzed. Dry matter concentration shows a quadratic increase (P < 0.05) with RMF inclusion in sorghum silage rising from 30.83% to 32.08% at 4% of RMF inclusion, followed by a reduction in the subsequent levels. There was a linear increase (P < 0.05) in ether extract, total digestible nutrients, digestible energy, metabolizable energy, and in vitro digestibility of DM and organic matter, increasing respectively 3.96%, 5.32%, 0.25 Mcal kg-1, 0.19 Mcal kg-1, 1.89% and 0.74% from 0% to 8% of RMF inclusion. There was a linear reduction (P < 0.05) of neutral detergent fiber, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin with RMF inclusion. We also observed a linear increase (P < 0.05) in ammoniacal N, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, and lactic acid concentrations in silage with the addition of RMF. The inclusion of RMF improved the chemical-bromatological composition and fermentative profile of sorghum silage, and an inclusion level of 8% is recommended.
Keywords: Cucumis melo subsp. melo var. inodorus, dry matter loss, fermentative profile, mixed silage, sorghum, Sorghum bicolor.
1Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, Departamento de Ciências Animais, Mossoró, RN, Brasil.*Corresponding author (thiagotor4@hotmail.com).