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The experiment was designed at laboratory scale to determine the optimum level of molasses for ensiling the Taro leaves. Leaves of taro (Colocasia esculenta) were collected from Nong Veng village, Vientiane city. They were chopped into small pieces (2 to 3 cm) and ensiled in plastic bags (capacity 2 kg) with levels of sugarcane molasses of 0, 2, 4 and 6% (DM basis). The total sugar content (°Brix) of the molasses was 77%. Each molasses level was repeated five times corresponding to ensiling periods of 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days. At each ensiling date samples were taken for determination of pH, DM, NH3-N, water extractable DM and N and total N. Physical characteristics, such as smell and color were observed and recorded.
At the beginning, the silage had a green color at molasses 0% but for other treatments soon changed from green to brown. After 7 days the color for all treatments had changed to yellow-brown with darker shade as level of molasses was increased. All treatments had good smell. The pH values for all treatments were around 6 at day 0 and then fell below 5 as the time for ensiling and the level of molasses increased. On the level of molasses of 4% the pH value was 4 at 21 days. At the 0 day the concentration of NH3-N was very low on all treatments. After 7 days the concentration of ammonia-N increased with the time of ensiling on all treatment, with the highest value of ammonia-N of 5933 mg/kg DM for the level of molasses 0% at 28 days. The ammonia-N concentration decreased at the level of molasses increased. Water extractable DM increased as the level of molasses increase but did not change with time of ensiling.
Levels of 4% molasses and an ensiling period of 21 days appeared to be the most appropriate as determined by pH, ammonia concentration and water extractable DM.