Study on mixed Caragana korshinskii and maize straw silage with enzymes and their associative effects

In order to improve the shortage of forage supply in China, we examined the variables that need to be addressed to expand the sources of foraged food. This study was designed to test two factors: the mixing ratio of Caragana korshinskii and maize straw (70∶30, 50∶50, 30∶70) and enzyme dosage (0.05%, 0.1%, 0.15%). The nutrient change, DMI, PED, and associative effects were comprehensively analyzed. The results showed: 1) The OM content of the mixed microbial silage was increased and the NDF and ADF contents of the mixed microbial silage declined significantly (P<0.05). 2) The DMI of the mixed microbial silage was significantly higher than that of the single forage without processing (P<0.05). 3) The value of PED of the nutritional indexes could be improved to a certain extent after microbial silage. Among them, the PED value of OM in the 70% C. korshinskii + 0.15% enzymes, the PED value of DM and OM in the 30% C. korshinskii + 0.05% enzymes) and the PED value of DM, OM and ADF in the 30% C. korshinskii + 0.15% enzymes were significantly higher than that of the CK1 (no microbial silage added to C. korshinskii) and CK2 (no microbial silage added to maize straw) (P<0.05). 4) By associative effects analysis, the degradation rate of DM and NDF in the rumen of 30% C. korshinskii + 0.05% enzymes showed positive associative effects and the degradation rate of DM in the rumen of 70% C. korshinskii + 0.15% enzymes and 50% C. korshinskii + 0.15% enzymes showed positive associative effects. Taking various indexes into consideration, C. korshinskii and maize mixed microbial silage can improve the nutritional value of forage and dry quality intake rate to some extent, improve the palatability of forage effectively, and improve the degradation rate of nutrients, and the optimum condition for mixed microbial silage is 30% C. korshinskii+ 70% maize straw + 0.05% enzymes.