Nutritive Value and Silage Quality in Fodder Sorghum (\u3cem\u3eSorghum bicolor\u3c/em\u3e), Maize (\u3cem\u3eZea mays\u3c/em\u3e) and Hybrid Napier (\u3cem\u3ePennisetum americarnum\u3c/em\u3e × \u3cem\u3eP. purpureum\u3c/em\u3e) Grown in Sri Lanka

For continuous genetic improvement of cows, nutrition and management conditions should be improved to allow cow to produce its inherited potential production. However, many farmers not pay desired attention on forage quality and one of the main reasons for the low productivity of dairy cattle is under nutrition. Therefore, production of high quality fodder varieties is vital for strengthening the dairy sector in Sri Lanka. Hybrid Napier var. CO-3 is widely used for cattle feeding in Sri Lanka. It is important to find out other forage varieties with maximum nutritive values and minimum anti-nutritive factors which can be used as a cattle feed. Sorghum is a crop for semi-arid regions in tropical and sub-tropical zones which can be grown successfully throughout the country both under irrigated and rain-fed conditions. In addition, it has shown a huge potential to produce high green fodder yields. Maize is one of the most important plants grown for fodder production in the world. It possesses most of the characteristics of an ideal type of fodder and forage plant. Hence, this field research was conducted to investigate the possibilities in use of fodder Sorghum var. sugargraze and Maize var. pacific 984 as green fodder and/or silage in Sri Lank