Effects of different additives on the quality and nutritional value of the stem and leaf silage of Helianthus tuberosus

In this study, the stems and leaves of matured Jerusalem artichoke plants were used as raw materials to develop and utilize the stem and leaf resources of Helianthus tuberosus. The effects of the addition of 0.28% lactic acid bacteria (lactic acid bacteria group) and 0.28% inulin (inulin group) on the silage quality of H. tuberosus stem and leaf were studied. To provide a reference for fodder utilization of H. tuberosus stems and leaves, the nutritional value of H. tuberosus was evaluated using a bipolar in vitro method. The results are as follows: 1) The sensory evaluation of the lactic acid bacteria and inulin groups was superior to that of the control group (no additive). 2) The pH, butyric acid content, and ammonia nitrogen content in total nitrogen (NH₃-N/TN) in the lactic acid bacteria group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05); however, acetic and lactic acid contents were significantly higher than those in the control group. The pH in the inulin group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05), but the acetic and lactic acid contents were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The pH and butyric acid content in the lactic acid bacteria group were significantly lower than those in the inulin group (P < 0.05), whereas the acetic acid content and NH₃-N/TN in the lactic acid bacteria group were significantly higher than those in the inulin group. 3) The crude ash content in the lactic acid bacteria and inulin groups was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05), but the water-soluble carbohydrate content was significantly higher than that in the control group. 4) Compared with that in the control group, the digestibility of dry matter and neutral detergent fiber in the lactic acid bacteria and inulin groups were significantly higher (P < 0.05); however, the digestibility of acid detergent fiber was significantly lower than that of the control group. The digestibility of neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber in the lactic acid bacteria group was significantly higher than those in the inulin group; however, the digestibility of dry matter was not significantly different between groups (P > 0.05). In summary, the addition of 0.28% lactic acid bacteria and 0.28% inulin improved the fermentation quality and nutritional value of the stem and leaf silage of artichoke plant, and the improvement effect of lactic acid bacteria was better than that of inulin at the same concentration.