The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different proportions of Mexican sunflower (MS, Tithonia diversifolia ) in elephant grass ( Cenchrus purpureus cv. Panamá) silage chemical composition, as well as the dry matter (DM) yield, chemical and morphological composition of these forages. Using a completely randomized design, MS was included at levels of 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% (fresh matter basis) over 2 years with three replicates per year. Forage yield, morphological traits, and chemical composition were assessed across three harvests annually within a 2000 m 2 intercropped system. Experimental silages were stored in PVC silos and analyzed after 60 days. Elephant grass produced higher individual and total forage yields and a greater leaf proportion than MS, which was characterized by higher stem and inflorescence content. Chemically, elephant grass exhibited lower DM, crude protein (CP), and in vitro DM digestibility, but higher ash, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber concentrations than MS. In the silage, increasing MS proportions elevated both pH and CP content while significantly reducing ash and NDF levels. A year‐by‐inclusion interaction was observed for DM content, which decreased with higher MS levels in the second year but remained stable in the first. While elephant grass remains the superior biomass producer in the Alto Paraná region, the inclusion of Tithonia diversifolia significantly enhances the nutritional profile of the resulting silage.
Sosa et al. (Tue,) studied this question.