The use of silage sugar cane has a benefit that has aroused the interest of producers and researchers. However, some limitations mainly related to its fermentation pattern, has become the challenge for forage use. To evaluate the inclusion of maniçoba on silage fermentation characteristics of sugar cane, it was prepared an experiment in a completely randomized design with four treatments (inclusion levels: 0, 20, 30 and 40% ) and six replications. After 90 days of the silos closing o were resoluted losses in the form of gases, total loss and recovery of dry matter production and effluent. The silos were opened and then obtained the aqueous extract of the silages, determined levels of organic acids (acetic, butyric, lactic and propionic), ethanol, NH3-N, NT and pH values. As the level of inclusion of maniçoba was increased, it was observed a 67% reduction in the losses of gases and 23.3% in the effluent production, while the ethanol concentration was reduced from 25.6 to 2.7%. The maximum concentration of lactic acid (2.4%), acetic acid (2.2%) and propionic (0.03%) were found in silages containing 40% of maniçoba, while for butyric acid it decreased linearly. In all silages the pH found was adequate to silage (range 3.4 to 3.7). The highest level of maniçoba inclusion in sugar cane silages improves the fermentation of the silage and reduces fermentation losses.
fermentative losses; effluent; alcoholic fermentation.
