The buffering capacity of pasture plants with special reference to ensilage

Abstract

The buffering capacity of herbage is of importance in silage making, and studies have been made of ryegrass, clover, and lucerne. Autumn-grown ryegrass was found to be more heavily buffered than the spring- or summer-grown material; with clover and lucerne the spring-grown material was highest. The least mature samples had the highest buffering capacity in every case. Neither time of day nor wilting had any significant effect. Increases in buffering capacity during ensilage were shown to be due largely to the production of lactic and volatile acids. The success of a silage fermentation depends on the rate of acid production being more than able to compensate for the increasing buffering capacity.