Effect of enzyme addition to forage at ensiling on silage chemical composition and NDF degradation characteristics

Data from this study suggest that adding fibrolytic enzymes to forages at ensiling can solubilise some of the easily digestible parts of cell wall carbohydrates and thereby supply substrates for lactate fermentation. Therefore enzyme addition could be efficient to improve silage quality in forages which are difficult to ensile due to low sugar concentration and/or high protein concentration and buffer capacity. Further, treatment with the enzymes reduced the NDF concentration and thereby might increase the energy value and enzyme treatment might be beneficial to increase DM digestibility in high producing dairy cattle with short rumen retention time.