Effect of refiner defibrizing on the fermentability of ryegrass straw

The effects of two grinding methods, hammer milling and defibrizing by disk refining, on the fermentability of ryegrass straw were investigated. Disk refined or defibrized straw produced more sugar than hammer milled straw. Release of sugar was especially pronounced when H2SO4 was added to the straw during the defibrizing process. In vitro rumen digestibility was significantly higher (P < 0.1) for defibrized than for hammer milled straw. With semisolid culture the level of yeast growth was about three times as high on the defibrized as on hammer milled straw. A scanning electron micrograph revealed that defibrizing removed the waxy surface of the straw as well as separating fiber bundles, so that the surface area of the exposed fiber structure was increased.