It was aimed by this study to evaluate the chemical composition of the sugar cane forage and silage at two cutting ages with different additives. The treatments were arranged in a completely randomized design with three replicates in a 2 x 9 factorial scheme, their being two cutting ages (11 and 24 months) and nine forms of use (chopped cane added of 1% of the mixture urea and ammonium sulfate, in natura cane and ensiled without any additive, in natura cane and ensiled with 1% of urea, in natura cane and ensiled with 8% of GEH (ground ears with husks) and in natura cane and ensiled with 0.5% of mineral salt). The concentration of DM of the sugar cane of the 11 months was, on average, 25.9% inferior to that at 24 months of age. The pH values did not range with the cutting ages but they differed between the treatments silage and in natura cane. The in natura cane added with 1% of the mixture urea + ammonium sulfate resulted into the best bromatologic values, the same occurring with the cane ensiled with urea, it being ,therefore, more convenient to ensile it than to leave it in the field for a further cultivation period. The ensiled material showed more elevated contents of CP, NDF and ADF.
Cutting age; urea; ammonium sulfate; mineral
