Características da silagem de Grãos Úmidos de Destilaria – WDG com diferentes tempos de pré-secagem

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate the characteristics of Distillers’ Wet Grain (WDG) silage subjected to different pre-drying times in the sun. The study was conducted at the Animal Nutrition Laboratory (LABNUTRI) of the Federal University of Alagoas (UFAL), using four treatments (0, 2, 4 and 6 days of sun drying) with five replicates each. The samples were ensiled for 125 days and subsequently analyzed for bromatological, microbiological and sensory characteristics. Statistical analyses indicated that increasing the pre-drying time promoted significant improvements in the nutritional composition, especially in the dry matter content and in the reduction of contaminants such as fungi and larvae, from the treatment with four days of pre-drying. Microbiological and sensory analyses of WDG silage showed that increasing the sun drying time significantly improves its quality. The control treatment, without pre-drying, showed high yeast contamination, presence of larvae, rotten odor and dark color, indicating deterioration. The treatments with four and six days of pre-drying showed better conservation, absence of undesirable microorganisms, uniform color and mild odor, in addition to adequate pH and temperature. Thus, pre-drying of WDG resulted in silage with better stability, fermentation quality and absence of undesirable microorganisms. The treatment with four days of sun drying, before ensiling, provided the best silage for use in feeding ruminants.