Silage quality of faba-bean alone or with triticale growing organically. I: Effect of wilting.

The aim of this work has been to evaluate the effect of wilting on ensilability parameters, chemical composition and effluent production in winter intercrops and their silages. An intercrop of triticale (x Triticosecale Wittm.) and fava bean (Vicia faba L.) grown organically was carried out in experimental assays during winter 2004. The total yield was divided in half, with one half prepared for ensiling immediately and the other half wilted for 24 hours before ensiling. Both parts were subdivided in half again to provide laboratory silages of an intercrop of fava bean and triticale and fava-bean alone. The results showed that 24 hours of wilting were enough to improve the fermentability coefficient without significant changes on forages chemical composition and to avoid effluent production and the lost of nutrients during the fermentation process. Wilting forages induced an important fall in the proportion of ammonia nitrogen (p<0.001), with the ammonia synthesis lower in the intercrop than in silage made from only fava bean (p<0.05). The pattern of fermentation was not affected by wilting.