A mixture sunflower and elephant grass has been used for ensiling. Elephant grass was harvested manually 70 days after a plot leveling a height of 10cm from soil surface. For silage making, the sunflower hybrids M-742 and M-92007 were utilized. The mixtures of sunflower and elephantgrass were done at the following ratios of green matter 100 and 0%; 75 and 25%; 50 and 50%; 25% and 75%;0 and 100%, of grass and sunflower, respectively. Plants were chopped mechanically in particles of 2.0 to 3.0 cm in size, ensiled for 30 days in PVC silos 10 centimeters in diameter and 40 centimeter height. The evaluated variables were as follow: Percentages of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) in vitro digestibility of dry matter (IVSDM) and pH values of the silage. The experimental design utilized was the completely randomized with four replicates. It was concluded that the elephantgrass silages mixture with sunflower plant presented the highest percentages of DM, CP, EE and pH values, increases in the IV DDM and a lower percentage of NDF in the dry matter with increasing levels of replacement.
hibrid; replacement levels; pH
