Chemical, Fermentative, Nutritive and Anti-nutritive Composition of Common Reed ( Phragmites australis ) Plant and Silage

Common reed ( Phragmites australis ) is growing naturally in wetlands and is not adequately evaluated. The aim of the study was to determine the fermentative, nutritive, and anti-nutritive composition of the common reed and silage. The plant was cut from the reed area is ensiled in 1.5 L anaerobic jars with 10 replicates. The crude protein content of the plant was 14.44%, and 14.47% respectively in raw and silage. The crude ash was 9.46% in raw, 9.12% in its silage. The neutral and acid detergent fibers were 66.91% and 42.93% in raw, 65.45%, and 43.20% in the silage respectively. The pH value was 7.37 in raw and 4.32 in its silage. The organic matter digestibility was 61.99% in raw and 62.10% of its silage. The metabolic energy and net energy lactation values were 8.32 and 4.48 MJ/kg DM in raw, 8.25 and 4.35 MJ/kg DM in silage. The digestible dry matter, dry matter intake, and relative feed value contents were 55.44%, 1.82%, and 78.20 in raw; 51.32%, 1.83%, and 72.81 in the silage respectively. The in vitro methane production was decreased in silage compared the raw material. The silage Fleig point was in "very good" class. The lactic, acetic propionic and butyric acids in silage were 76.49, 21.91, 11.00, and 3.99 g/kg DM, respectively. The calcium and phosphorus contents were 9.22–9.13 g/kg, and 3.36–3.40 g/kg, in raw and silage respectively. The plant fatty acid composition has more than 50% unsaturated fatty acids. The lysine and methionine concentrations were determined as 5.01–5.09 and 0.40–0.42 g/kg DM, respectively. As a result, it has been determined that Phragmites australis can be used as roughage feed for animals and can be ensiling. Graphical Abstract