Nutritive value and silage quality of barley grown in winter fallow fields and harvested at different growth stages

Planting annual forage crops in winter fallow fields is a main way to solve the problem of roughage shortage in southern China. In this study, the yields, nutritive value, and fermentation quality of barley (Hordeum vulgare) were determined. The main results were as follows: 1) Dry matter yield of barley increased with maturity. Relative feed value and dry matter digestibility of barley at the milk stage were 107.19 and 63.84%, respectively, and were significantly higher than those at other stages (P<0.05). 2) The fermentation quality of barley silage was increased with the maturity of barley. 3) Lactobacillus plantarum CCZZ1 inoculation significantly reduced pH values and ammonia-nitrogen content of barley silages at all stages of maturity, and markedly increased lactic acid content (P<0.05), but was apt to aerobic deterioration after silo was opened. Inoculating L. parafarraqinis ZH1 improved aerobic stability of silages at all maturity stages. From these results we can infer that barley grown in winter fallow fields should be harvested in the milk to early dough silage, which will be beneficial for the development of southern China.