J. Anim Sci.
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

J. Anim Sci. 1965. 24:705-710.
© 1965 American Society of Animal Science
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Meiske, J. C.
Right arrow Articles by Scaletti, J. V.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Meiske, J. C.
Right arrow Articles by Scaletti, J. V.

Effect of Sodium Bisulfite Additions to Corn Silages1

J. C. Meiske2, R. M. Prouty2, 3,, L. M. Schuman4 and J. V. Scaletti2, 5, 6,

University of Minnesota, St. Paul

Abstract

Four crops of corn grown on highly fertilized land were ensiled with and without the addition of 0.4% (w/w) sodium bisulfite to determine the effect of sodium bisulfite on toxic gas production in field silos. The silages were fed to gestating beef cows and dairy cows to assess the nutritional and toxicological properties of bisulfite-treated silages.

Sodium bisulfite effectively inhibited NO2 gas evolution. Bisulfite-treated silages tended to contain more residual nitrate and carotene and significantly less organic acids. Residual bisulfite of the treated silages was approximately one-fourth of the amount added initially.

Beef cows fed bisulfite-treated silages containing up to 0.9% nitrate (NO3) on a dry matter basis gained less in 1 of the 2 years, but calving performance was not affected in either year.

Methemoglobin formation was negligible in all cattle. Dairy cattle fed bisulfite-treated silages had significantly higher plasma carotene and liver carotene. This effect was not observed with respect to plasma carotene and plasma vitamin A values in beef cattle. Plasma tocopherols were significantly higher in cows fed bisulfite-treated silages.

Footnotes

1 Paper No. 5596, Scientific Journal Series of the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station. This work was supported in part by National Institutes of Health Grant Number OH 00051.

2 Department of Animal Husbandry.

3 Present address: Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, Maryland.

4 School of Public Health.

5 Present address: Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

6 Acknowledgment is due J. D. Donker, Department of Dairy Husbandry, for his cooperation in making dairy cows available; and to Harvey W. Ernst, General Chemical Division, Allied Chemical Corporation, for generously furnishing materials.






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1965 by the American Society of Animal Science.