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The objective was to evaluate the fermentation process, nutritional quality, and aerobic stability of mixed silages of arboreal cotton and cactus pear. This was a completely randomized design, with five levels of inclusion of cactus pear (0, 15, 30, 45, and 60%) in the arboreal cotton silage and four replications per treatment, totaling 20 experimental units. Data were submitted to analysis of variance and regression at a 5% probability level for type I error. The inclusion of cactus pear resulted in increased losses from gases (P<0.001), effluents (P<0.001), buffering capacity (P<0.001), aerobic stability (P = 0.010), and pH upward trend (P<0.001). There was a decreasing linear effect on dry matter recovery (P<0.001), pH (P<0.001), ammonia nitrogen (P <0.001), the maximum difference in the temperature of the silage in relation to the environment (P = 0.005) and maximum pH (P<0.001) of silages. The inclusion of cactus pear affected the maximum temperature (P<0.001) of silages in a quadratic way. There was a decreasing linear effect of dry matter (P<0.001), ether extract (P<0.001), Organic matter (P<0,001), crude protein (P = 0,002) and neutral detergent fiber corrected for ash and protein (P = 0.030). The use of cactus pear promoted an increasing linear effect for the levels of mineral matter (MM) (P<0.001), corresponding to an increase of 0,271%, for each 1% inclusion of cactus pear. The increase in the proportions of cactus pear in the silages promoted an increasing linear effect for mineral matter (P<0,001). The inclusion of cactus pear by up to 60% in arboreal cotton silages alters the fermentation profile with increased fermentation losses and nutritional reduction. However, it still presents characteristics of good quality silages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed was to evaluate the intake, apparent digestibility, water balance, nitrogen balance, and productive performance in lamb fed cactus pear silage associated with tropical forages. Forty male intact crossbred lambs, with an initial body weight of 18.85 ± 1.2 kg, were used in the experiment. The experimental design was completely randomized, with 5 treatments and 8 replications. The treatments consisted of diets with different proportions of buffelgrass and wheat bran as sources of neutral detergent fiber (NDF), in total feed silage (TFS) based on cactus pear: TFS1 - 279 g/kg of buffelgrass; TFS2 - 240 g/kg of buffelgrass and 17 g/kg of wheat bran; TFS3 - 198 g/kg of buffelgrass and 34 g/kg of wheat bran; TFS4 - 108 g/kg of buffelgrass and 74 g/kg of wheat bran; TFS5 – 118 g/kg of wheat bran. The lowest NDF intake was found in lambs that consumed TFS5 (402 g/d). The non-fibrous carbohydrates apparent digestibility was higher for TFS5, while the NDF apparent digestibility of TFS5 and TFS4 was higher than TFS1. Diets promoted an average daily weight gain of 180.8 g/d. Under experimental conditions, the use of forage cactus pear and concentrate in the form of total mixed rations silage leads to greater intake of crude protein, non-fibrous carbohydrates, ether extract and greater digestibility of non-fibrous carbohydrates and neutral detergent fiber, however, all diets were viable in the feed of confined sheep, providing gains of up to 198 g/d according with the formulation of the diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]