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Effect of Purple Turnip ( Brassica rapa L.) Levels on Fermentation Characteristics, Nutritive Value and In Vitro Dry Matter Degradability of Sorghum ( Sorghum bicolour L.) Silage

Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Sorghum ( Sorghum bicolour L.) is widely used for silage production because of its high biomass yield and adaptability to water‐limited environments. However, its relatively high fibre content and moderate crude protein (CP) levels may limit its nutritional value when used alone. This study evaluated the effects of incorporating purple turnip ( Brassica rapa L.) at different inclusion levels on fermentation characteristics, chemical and mineral composition and in vitro dry matter degradability (IVDMD) of sorghum silage. The experiment was conducted as a completely randomised design (CRD), with four purple turnip inclusion levels (20%, 30%, 40% and 50%) and four replicate 1‐L glass‐jar mini‐silos per treatment, each containing 500 g of fresh material. Analysis was conducted for fermentation characteristics, chemical and mineral composition and IVDMD. Lactic acid (LA), acetic acid (AA) and butyric acid (BA) were affected by treatment ( p < 0.05). While silage pH was not affected by treatment ( p = 0.631) and remained within the range of 4.02–4.09, indicative of well‐preserved silage. CP increased ( p < 0.05) with increasing turnip inclusion. Neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) declined ( p < 0.05) as the proportion of turnip increased. IVDMD was not significantly affected by treatment ( p = 0.068), although the 40% purple turnip inclusion level produced the numerically highest IVDMD (57.09% ± 2.57%). In conclusion, incorporating purple turnip into sorghum silage improved nutritional quality and mineral profile while maintaining favourable fermentation characteristics.
DOI: 10.1155/aia/1517233
Language: English
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $860
OpenAlex ID: W7204933599
FWCI:
Cites: 41
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Related to: 10