Influence of Drying Methods and Temperatures on in vitro Dry Matter Digestibility of Corn and Sorghum Fodder and Silage1

Abstract The laboratory drying procedures of lyophilizing, or oven‐drying at 50, 65, 80 or 100 C were applied to samples of fodder and silage of corn and sorghum. The residual moisture via vacuum desiccation over P2O5 and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) were determined. The IVDMD of both fodder and silage was highest when dried via lyophilization. Lowest IVDMD was obtained from silage oven‐dried at 100 C. Drying at 65 to 80 C (rapid drying) was found satisfactory for determination of IVDMD of fodder or silage. However, large losses of IVDMD were experienced in slow drying of fodder compared to fast drying. For biochemical determinations of silage oven‐drying would not be satisfactory. High positive correlations were obtained between IVDMD of fodder and silage. Therefore, the IVDMD of corn and sorghum fodder should be a good measure of the relative differences which one might obtain in silage. The loss of IVDMD due to the ensiling process was 11.8%.