Effect Of Effective Microorganism (EM) On The Nutritive Quality Of Coffee Husk Silage

Abstract

The experiment was conducted to study the effect of Effective Microorganisms (EM) on the nutritive quality of coffee husk sil ages. Eight treatment silages were produced by ensiling chopped grass hay in combination with 10, 20, 30 and 100% of dry processed coffee husk with and without the use of EM as biological inoculants. The nutritive quality of the treatments silage was evaluated on the basis of fermentation characteristics, chemical composition and in-vitro dry matter digestibility. The results obtained showed that the best silages were prepared by ensiling pure coffee husk and chopped grass hay in combination with 30% coffee husk with the use of EM as me asured by visual appraisal and pH value. The pH value (4.2) obtained from the treatment silage contai ning 100% coffee husk with the inoculation of EM is significantly lower (P< 0.001) than that of all the others and similar to the acidity limit recommended for good quality s ilage. According to the results of the laboratory chemical analysis, there was significant improvement in the total ash, ether extract(EE) and crude protein(CP) content of pure coffee husk ensiled with the use of EM. The EE and CP content of the 100% coffee husk tended to decrease whe n it ensiled with grass hay. On the contrary, there was significant (P