Abstract
Weather conditions prevailing in Poland often cause that meadow sward designated for silage is harvested too late, which decreases the quality of prepared silage. The aim of the research was to assess the quality of silages from dried meadow sward. The silages were ensiled in large cylindrical bales in selected individual farms specializing in milk production. The farms where the research was carried out were located in three voivodeships: slaskie, malopolskie and podkarpackie. In the prepared plant material, the basic chemical composition was determined using the method. When comparing the mean values, it was established that silages from the investigated region had a favourable content of total protein, the highest concentration was recorded for silages from Slask, followed by Malopolska and Podkarpacie. A slightly elevated concentration of crude fibre, fraction of acid detergent fibre (ADF) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF), was recorded. This fact shows that farmers collect raw material, particularly from the first cut, too late. Nutrient value of silages from meadow sward decreases with progressing vegetation. Higher protein and energy losses during sward ensiling were also observed at considerable drying of the plant material. In most cases, silages from the studied farms had a low content of monosaccharides. The carried out chemical analyses showed that in overall assessment the studied silages are of good quality; silages prepared from meadow sward from the third cut had the highest value. Proper technology of preservation of meadow sward is one of important factors in the production of feed for ruminants.