This study was conducted to evaluate the agronomic performance, fermentation characteristics, cost analysis, and financial returns of silage produced from annual forage crops. The experiment followed a randomized block design with four treatments: BRS Potiguar maize, BRS Cruzeta maize, BRS Ponta Negra sorghum, and BRS 1501 pearl millet, under drip irrigation, with five replicates per treatment. Productive traits, chemical composition of crops and silages, fermentation characteristics, and economic viability were assessed. Maize and sorghum crops showed the highest forage mass (FM), with an average of 47. 23 t ha −1. The highest crude protein (CP) contents were found in the silages of maize (Potiguar and Cruzeta) and pearl millet, with an average of 9. 24%. The levels of neutral detergent fiber (NDF), hemicellulose, and total carbohydrates in maize (Potiguar and Cruzeta) and sorghum silages were similar, averaging 60. 45%, 23. 20%, and 83. 32%, respectively. Pearl millet silage showed higher fermentative losses compared to the other crops, which did not differ among themselves. Dry matter (DM) losses were ~173% higher than the average of the other silages (2. 36%), while effluent losses (EL) were around 380% greater than the mean (1. 10 kg t −1 of DM). Maize presented the highest total revenues (average of R 16, 651. 95) and profitability index, while pearl millet had the lowest production costs. All crops were economically viable. Maize, sorghum, and pearl millet showed satisfactory agronomic performance, adequate nutritional value, and economic feasibility for silage production. Maize stood out for its high productivity and profitability, while sorghum demonstrated potential as a strategic alternative for semiarid regions.
Chagas et al. (Thu,) studied this question.