Biomass yield, quality, nutrient composition, and feeding value of oat (Avena sativa) silage subjected to different wilting durations and/or inoculant application

In this study, we evaluated the biomass yield, physico-chemical characteristics, nutrient composition, and feeding value of oat (Avena sativa) grown without irrigation ensiled with or without supplemental inoculant following different wilting durations. Oat forage at early dough stage (79 days after sowing) were harvested to assess the biomass yield, nutrient contents, and mineral composition. Oats were ensiled with or without the addition of inoculant and different wilting durations (0, 24, and 48 h) in 3 x 2 factorial arrangement. After the ensiling (120 days), the oat silages were opened, quality was measured in terms of pH, ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), smell, structure, color, and Flieg point. Nutritional composition and feeding values were analyzed in oat silages. Oat grown without irrigation yielded 32 ton/ha fresh matter. Mean dry matter (DM), organic matter, crude protein (CP), crude fiber, crude ash, ether extract, nitrogen free extract, acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent lignin, non-structural carbohydrates, hemicellulose, and in vitro dry matter digestibility of oat forage were 32.77%, 90.41%, 11.31%, 28.69%, 9.59%, 3.99%, 46.43%, 36.32%, 63.98%, 7.22%, 11.14%, 27.67%, and 74.81%, respectively. Addition of inoculant had no effect on the quality, nutritional composition, and feeding values of oat silages. Increasing wilting durations linearly increased the pH (P = 0.005) and decreased the smell score (P = 0.028) of ensiled oat. A linear increase was seen in the DM content of ensiled oat after increasing wilting durations (P = 0.001). Oat ensiled without wilting had greater CP content (P = 0.010 and linear P = 0.011) and lower ADF content than those ensiled after 24 or 48 h of wilting (P = 0.013 and linear P = 0.007). Silages subjected to 24 or 48 h of wilting had lower hemicellulose content (P = 0.019 and linear P = 0.012) and digestible DM (P = 0.013 and linear P = 0.007) than those without wilting. In conclusion, inoculant may not affect the quality, composition and feeding values of ensiled oat grown without irrigation whereas, wilting at different durations may negatively affect the pH, smell, CP, ADF, and feeding values of ensiled oats.