An Investigation on the Effect of Adding Different Levels of Molasses on the Silage Quality of Pistachio (<i>Pistachio vera</i>) by Product and Wheat Straw Mixture Silages

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of adding different levels of molasses (1-5%) on the silage quality, <em>in vitro</em> methane production and<em> in vitro</em> organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) of pistachio (<em>Pistachio vera</em>) by-product and wheat straw mixture silages. For this purpose, silages were prepared with pistachio by-product (85%) and wheat straw (15%) without molasses (control group), and with addition of molasses from 1% to 5% (treatment groups). All the treatments consisted of five replicate silos, and they were prepared in 1.5 L glass jar silos. While silage pH and acetic acid values decreased with addition of molasses levels (P<0.05), silage lactic acid values increased (P<0.05). Butyric and propionic acid were not detected in any of the silages. Addition of all levels of molasses increased <em>in vitro</em> methane production, IVOMD and metabolizable energy (ME) values (P<0.05). As a result, fresh pistachio by-product can be ensiled with addition of wheat straw and molasses to produce good quality silage. It can be concluded that this by product can be ensiled well and used as a roughage source with mixture of other roughage sources for animal nutrition in the regions where fresh pistachio by product is available.