AUTHOR=Abdelrahman Mohamed , Wang Wei , Lv HaiMiao , Di Zhou , An Zhigao , Lijun Wang , Shaukat Aftab , Bo Wang , Guangsheng Zhou , Liguo Yang , Guohua Hua 

TITLE=Evaluating the Effect of Forage Rape (Brassica napus) Ensiling Kinetics on Degradability and Milk Performance as Non-conventional Forage for Dairy Buffalo

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Veterinary Science

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2022.926906

DOI=10.3389/fvets.2022.926906

ISSN=2297-1769

ABSTRACT=The recent increasing demand for animal protein sources raised the emergency to introduce non-conventional feed sources and opened the space to study the feeding management and its effect on animal productivity. Forage rape (Brassica napus L.) is a high-quality forage crop with remarkable nutritional value and a productive and fast growth ability; however, the studies examining the processing methods are limited. The present study evaluates the ensiling process's effect on rape silage quality kinetics, in situ degradability, and milk responses in dairy buffalo. Firstly, the whole-plant forage rape was ensiled, and si-lage samples were collected 30, 60 and 90 days after ensiling to determine pH, sensory characteristics evaluation, and chem-ical composition. Then, samples were taken for further chemical analysis from day 30, day 60, and day 90. After that, the si-lage's dry matter and crude protein degradability was evaluated by in situ degradability experiment using three fistulated buffalos (550 ± 20 kg body weight, 4.7±0.76 years old). Finally, whole-plant rape silage (after 60 days) was included in a dairy buffalo diet at 10%, 20%, and 30% of dry matter in the lactating-buffalo ration. The results showed that silage pH did not significantly change during the ensiling process (P>0.05); however, the silage achieved the optimum comprehensive sensory-characteristic score from day 30 to day 60. Also, there was a significant change in the neutral detergent fiber content and the acid detergent fiber content, which decreased significantly (p = 0.001 and p <0.001, respectively). Ensiling the whole-plant rape significantly reduced the effective dry matter degradability (P <0.05) without altering the crude protein de-gradability (P>0.05). Furthermore, Forage rape silage inclusion linearly (p =0.03) increased the milk fat and protein contents and did not affect the milk yield, lactose, and urea nitrogen contents in raw buffalo milk. In conclusion, the whole-plant rape silage could significantly maintain the optimal ether extract (EE) protein content without affecting crude protein degradability, besides improving milk fat and milk protein. Therefore, ensiling may be an efficient method for utilizing forage rape, and forage rape silage can be recommended as a good forage source for dairy buffalo.