Coumestrol content of alfalfa following ensilage

An experiment evaluated the influence of several variables on the coumestrol content of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) silages. Two cultivars of alfalfa (Morava and Palava) were each harvested on May, June, and October 2000. The forage was allowed to wilt in the swath to approximately 300 or 500 g/kg dry matter (DM) content and then it was ensiled without further treatment. The number of lactic bacteria, mold, and yeast as well as pH and concentration of lactic acid were indicative of adequate preservation. The majority of the initial content of coumestrol disappeared during 50 days of ensiling, but some was still detected after 150 days. The coumestrol concentration in silages varied with both cultivar and maturity of plant while there was no significant effect of the dry matter content of feed forage. This report shows that wilting in the swath caused remarkable increase in coumestrol content of alfalfa.