Euphytica, cilt.220, sa.12, 2024 (SCI-Expanded)
This study aimed to determine the silage characteristics of oat lines developed through a rigorous 10-year selection process. During this period, 100 plants with high biomass yield were meticulously chosen from oat lines obtained from the Louisiana State University gene bank. Researchers designed experiments using an incomplete randomized block format across two growing seasons: 2014–2015 and 2015–2016. Oat plants were carefully harvested at the milk stage, chopped into pieces using a specialized plant chopper, and ensiled in plastic vacuum bags for subsequent analysis. The samples were then stored at room temperature for a period of 60 days. The comprehensive analysis conducted over this two-year research period revealed significant variations in the silage yields of the genotypes, ranging from 5.71 to 24.42 t ha−1. Moreover, notable variations were observed in the content of crude ash (ranging from 3.952 to 9.380%), ADF (ranging from 27.899 to 40.782%), NDF (ranging from 40.688 to 63.999%), crude protein (ranging from 6.673 to 11.470%), dry matter (ranging from 14.954 to 41.817%), pH levels (ranging from 3.812 to 5.668), in vitro gas production (ranging from 49.793 to 67.847 ml), methane production (ranging from 15.036 to 18.442 ml), as well as concentrations of acetic acid (ranging from 0.000 to 0.144%), lactic acid (ranging from 1.974 to 2.599%), butyric acid (ranging from 0.000 to 0.064%), and propionic acid (ranging from 0.000 to 0.306%). The study clearly indicated that many oat lines showed promising silage properties. Consequently, it is inferred that the utilization of high-yield lines in silage production holds considerable potential in providing a valuable feed source for livestock.