Beschreibung:
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Effects of wilting, ensiling and type of additive on α‐tocopherol and β‐carotene contents in legume–grass mixtures were examined. Swards of birdsfoot trefoil + timothy (Bft + Ti), red clover + timothy (Rc + Ti) and red clover + meadow fescue (Rc + Mf) were harvested as a first regrowth in August 2005. Forage was wilted to a dry‐matter (DM) content of 273 g kg<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> and ensiled without additive or with an inoculant or acid. Wilting decreased α‐tocopherol concentration by 30% in the Bft + Ti mixture (<jats:italic>P </jats:italic>=<jats:italic> </jats:italic>0·015). Untreated Bft + Ti silage had higher α‐tocopherol content than red clover silages (56·9 vs. 34·2 mg kg<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> DM; <jats:italic>P </jats:italic>=<jats:italic> </jats:italic>0·015). The α‐tocopherol concentration of Bft + Ti forages increased during ensiling from 41·1 mg kg<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> DM in wilted herbage to 56·9, 65·2 and 56·8 mg kg<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> DM in untreated, inoculated and acid‐treated silage respectively (<jats:italic>P </jats:italic>=<jats:italic> </jats:italic>0·015). The inoculant increased α‐tocopherol content in the red clover silages (50·1 vs. 34·2 mg kg<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> DM; <jats:italic>P </jats:italic>=<jats:italic> </jats:italic>0·015) compared with untreated red clover silages. Red clover mixtures had lower β‐carotene content than Bft + Ti (32·3 vs. 46·2 mg kg<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> DM; <jats:italic>P </jats:italic>=<jats:italic> </jats:italic>0·016), averaged over treatments. In conclusion, wilting had small effects but the use of bacterial inoculant as an additive and a Bft + Ti mixture increased α‐tocopherol concentration in the silage.</jats:p>