The Effect of Covering Corn Silage with Tomato or Apple Pomace on Fermentation Parameters and Feed Quality

Abstract

The current study assessed the effects of covering corn silage with tomato or apple pomace on fermentability and feed quality. The in vitro gas production test was performed using graded 100 mL syringes. Incubation times were 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h. In vitro gas generation characteristics were significantly altered by TP (tomato pomace) and AP (apple pomace), both alone and in conjunction with PE (polyethylene) films, regardless of their presence. As a result of the effects found on NH3-N concentration, aerobic stability, and yeast activity, TP and AP have the potential to become an eco-friendly alternative to PE films. The gas production from the immediately soluble fraction (a) of corn silage was only affected when the corn silage was covered with a combination of AP and PE compared to the CPE group (p < 0.001). The largest cluster includes correlations of the DOM-TDDM (r = 0.90), DOM-AA (r = 0.88), and Ash-TDDM (r = 0.86) correlations. The most substantial negative correlations were identified between DM-CO2 (r = −82), DM-Yeast (r = −0.79), and CF-DOM (r = −0.79). Nonetheless, the use of pomace as a silage cover presents an inexpensive alternative to plastic films for silage that does not have the environmental problems associated with persistent micro- and nanoplastics.