Effect of adding a combination of essential oils to alfalfa silage with different levels of apple pulp on degradability using nylon bag technique

The aim of this research was to study the effects of supplementation of alfalfa silage with a combination of essential oils and fresh apple pulp and on the dry matter, organic matter and crude protein degradabilities by nylon bags. The treatments included: 1) alfalfa silage (control treatment), 2) alfalfa silage processed with essential oil, 3) alfalfa silage (75%) + apple pulp (25%), 4) alfalfa silage (75%) + apple pulp (25%) + essential oil, 5) alfalfa silage (50%) + apple pulp (50%), 6) alfalfa silage (50%) + apple pulp (50%) + essential oil, 7) alfalfa silage (25%) + apple pulp (75%) and 8) alfalfa silage (25%) + apple pulp (75%) + essential oil that ensiled for 90 days. Degradabilities determined using nylon bags technique with four replications. The data were analyzed in a factorial arrangement of 2×4 on a completely randomized design. At the end of 96 h of incubation, the highest amount of dry matter disappearance was observed in the treatment of alfalfa 25% and apple pulp 75% with the essential oil additive and the lowest amount was for the treatment alfalfa and essential oil additive. Adding essential oil to alfalfa silage during the preparation of silage increased the dry matter degradation rate and the effective degradation and improved nutritive value of silage. Also, the addition of apple pulp at different levels increased rapidly degradation and slowly degradation fractions and effective degradability.