Graduate Student Literature Review: Current perspectives on whole-plant sorghum silage production and utilization by lactating dairy cows

摘要

The purpose of this literature review is to evaluatecurrent research into and understanding of whole-plantsorghum silage production and the effect of feedingwhole-plant sorghum silage on lactation performanceof dairy cows. Sorghum’s drought tolerance, water efficiency,and low cost of production make it an intriguingcrop in areas where whole-plant corn silage productionmay be limited. Currently, urban land encroachmentand reduced water availability have increased social andeconomic pressures on farms to improve crop productionefficiency. As these challenges become more prevalent,greater reliance on sorghum can be expected becauseof its ability to produce high dry matter yields whilemaintaining nutritive value, even under less-than-idealgrowing conditions. Moreover, whole-plant sorghumsilage provides both physically effective fiber and energythrough fiber and grain fractions. Advancementsin sorghum genetics and mechanical processing havethe potential to alleviate common challenges associatedwith whole-plant sorghum silage supplementation, suchas increased neutral detergent fiber and decreased neutraldetergent fiber digestibility, starch concentration,and starch digestibility. These nutritive challenges mustbe overcome for whole-plant sorghum silage to be aviable alternative to whole-plant corn silage.