The suitable evaluation of nutritional value of forages depends on the adoption of appropriate methodologies. Forage quality is highly dependent of fermentation products, in case of silage, and the losses of soluble compounds and microorganisms activity in the case of hay. The theme "Methodological advances in evaluation of preserved forage quality" at the 44th Annual Meeting of Brazilian Society of Animal Science has as main goals to highlight the more useful and particular methodological procedures for conserved forages and additional to the standard chemical analysis.. Analytical procedures for preserved forage should suffer a standardization to permit comparisons of results obtained by the world wide laboratories. This review brings to discussion the description and systematization of important physical and chemical methods to be implemented in preserved forage evaluation. The methodological procedures available permit not only quantify, but also permit qualify the losses occurred during preservation process and across the aerobic exposition of the roughage source during feed out. It suggests that the adoption of any management strategies for conserved forages may depend on an evaluation accordingly fit to the losses observed in the overall process.
ensilage; haymaking; losses; microorganisms; physical analyses
