The effects of wilting and roots inclusion (0, 15, 30 and 45% fresh matter) on rumen fermentation kinetics and parameters of cassava foliage silages were evaluated. Total gas production (TGP) after 96 hours of incubation was significantly influenced (P <0.05) by the interaction between wilting and roots inclusion. TGP was linearly increased by 1.88 mL for each percent unit of root added to the wilted silage, whereas, for wilted ones, a quadratic effect was observed, with a maximum gas cumulative output of 226 mL for 30.5% roots addition. The true DM degradability of silages in vitro (IVTDMD) showed significance (P<0.05) to wilting and interaction between root inclusion and incubation time. Wilting reduced silage degradability in approximately 2%, while root inclusion led to linear increases in this variable, which reached its peak at 24h of incubation.
degradability; gas production; ruminants; forages
