Electronic Theses and Dissertation

Rumput gajah (pennisetum purpureum) merupakan salah satu hijauan pakan utama bagi ternak ruminansia karena memiliki produktivitas biomassa yang tinggi, kandungan nutrisi yang baik, serta mudah dibudidayakan. namun, ketersediaannya sangat dipengaruhi oleh musim sehingga pada musim kemarau sering terjadi penurunan produksi hijauan yang dapat mengakibatkan kekurangan pakan. oleh karena itu, diperlukan teknologi pengawetan hijauan untuk menjaga kontinuitas ketersediaan pakan sekaligus mempertahankan kualitas nutrisinya. salah satu metode pengawetan yang banyak digunakan adalah silase, yaitu proses fermentasi secara anaerob yang memanfaatkan aktivitas bakteri asam laktat untuk menghasilkan silase berkualitas. keberhasilan proses ensilase sangat dipengaruhi oleh ketersediaan mikroorganisme dan sumber karbohidrat yang memadai, sehingga penggunaan akselerator fermentasi diharapkan dapat mempercepat penurunan ph, menghambat pertumbuhan mikroorganisme pembusuk, dan meningkatkan kualitas silase yang dihasilkan. penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengevaluasi pengaruh penggunaan berbagai akselerator fermentasi terhadap kualitas fisik, nilai ph, dan nilai fleigh silase rumput gajah serta menentukan akselerator yang paling efektif. penelitian dilaksanakan pada maret–juni 2026 menggunakan rancangan acak lengkap (ral) yang terdiri atas empat perlakuan dan empat ulangan. perlakuan yang digunakan meliputi p0 (tanpa akselerator), p1 (em4 3%), p2 (ekstrak belimbing wuluh 3%), dan p3 (tepung sagu 10%). rumput gajah dipanen pada umur 45 hari, dicacah sepanjang 2–3 cm, kemudian dilayukan sebelum ditambahkan molases sebanyak 3% dan akselerator sesuai perlakuan. selanjutnya, seluruh bahan difermentasi secara anaerob selama 28 hari. parameter yang diamati meliputi kualitas fisik yang terdiri atas warna, aroma, tekstur, dan keberadaan jamur, serta nilai ph dan nilai fleigh. data hasil penelitian dianalisis menggunakan analisis ragam (anova), kemudian dilanjutkan dengan uji duncan apabila terdapat perbedaan yang nyata antarperlakuan. hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa penggunaan akselerator fermentasi memberikan pengaruh nyata hingga sangat nyata (p

Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) is one of the main forage sources for ruminants because of its high biomass productivity, good nutritional content, and ease of cultivation. However, its availability is highly influenced by seasonal conditions, and forage production often decreases during the dry season, potentially leading to feed shortages. Therefore, forage preservation technology is needed to maintain a continuous feed supply while preserving its nutritional quality. One of the most widely used preservation methods is silage-making, which is an anaerobic fermentation process that utilizes the activity of lactic acid bacteria to produce high-quality silage. The success of the ensiling process is strongly influenced by the availability of microorganisms and adequate carbohydrate sources. Therefore, the use of fermentation accelerators is expected to accelerate the decrease in pH, inhibit the growth of spoilage microorganisms, and improve the quality of the resulting silage. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of various fermentation accelerators on the physical quality, pH value, and Fleigh value of Napier grass silage, as well as to determine the most effective accelerator. The study was conducted from March to June 2026 using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) consisting of four treatments and four replications. The treatments consisted of P0 (without an accelerator), P1 (3% EM4), P2 (3% bilimbi fruit extract), and P3 (10% sago flour). Napier grass was harvested at 45 days of age, chopped into 2–3 cm lengths, and then wilted before the addition of 3% molasses and the respective accelerators according to the treatments. Subsequently, all materials were fermented under anaerobic conditions for 28 days. The observed parameters included physical quality, consisting of color, aroma, texture, and the presence of mold, as well as pH and Fleigh values. The data obtained were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by Duncan’s Multiple Range Test when significant differences were detected among treatments. The results showed that the use of fermentation accelerators had a significant to highly significant effect (P