Nutritional Value of Ensiled Guizotia Abyssinica (L. F.) Cass. (Noug: Niger) Treated with Salt, Molasses, Urea or Barley

Abstract

The research aimed to assess the nutritional value of ensiled Guizotia abyssinica (L. f.) Cass. (GA), also known as Noug or Niger, when treated with various additives, including urea, salt, molasses, and barley. The eight treatment groups were as follows: (I) GA forage without any supplementation (control), GA with supplement (II) 1% salt, (III) 2.5% molasses, (IV) 2.5% urea, (V) 5% barley, (VI) 2.5% molasses + 1% salt, (VII) 2.5% urea + 1% salt, (VIII) 5% barley + 1% salt supplement with GA. Silage samples were analyzed using physical, chemical, and microbiological methods to determine their nutritional composition, sensory characteristics, and microbial content. The objective of this analysis was to provide a comprehensive and objective evaluation of the silage samples. Based on the assessment of relative feed value (RFV) and relative forage quality (RFQ), it was determined that GA forage supplemented with 2.5% urea produced the highest-quality silage. The findings suggest that GA forage has the potential to serve as a high-quality silage. It is recommended that GA forage be ensiled with various additives at different inclusion rates. Further research is required to establish its in vitro digestibility and assess animal preference in vivo.