Papaya peel enhances fermentation quality and nutritional value of mixed corn straw‐rice straw silage

This study investigated the effects of papaya peel incorporation (0%, 15% and 30%) into a 50:50 mixture of corn and rice straw on fermentation quality, chemical composition and in vitro ruminal digestion. The silage was prepared 1 kg in a fermentation bag (16 cm × 25 cm) and ensiled for 45 days at room temperature (15–25 °C), with six replicates per treatment. The results showed that papaya peel addition significantly ( P < 0.05) decreased the dry matter and neutral detergent fiber contents of mixed silage, while significantly ( P < 0.05) increasing the crude protein and water‐soluble carbohydrate contents of mixed silage. Compared to the control group, both treatments (15% or 30% papaya peel) exhibited higher acetic acid and ammonia‐N concentrations ( P < 0.05). The 30% papaya peel treatment additionally showed higher lactic acid bacteria counts and lower yeast populations ( P < 0.05). In vitro fermentation results showed that 30% papaya peel treatment achieved the highest in vitro dry matter digestibility ( P < 0.05). This study demonstrates that incorporating 30% papaya peel effectively improves the quality of mixed corn straw and rice straw silage, enhancing its nutritional value for ruminants.