| Unified.name | Trinamix | FBA | Neospectra | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Matter | Dry Matter | Dry Matter | Dry Matter | The proportion of silage remaining after all water is removed; indicates feed concentration. |
| Protein | Crude Protein | Crude Protein | Protein | The total protein content in the silage, important for animal growth and milk production. |
| D-Value | D-Value | DMD | D Value | Percentage of dry matter that is digestible by the animal; higher values mean better feed quality. |
| NDF | NDF | NDF | NDF | Neutral Detergent Fibre; cell wall components affecting intake and rumen health. |
| Fat | Fat (Ether Extract) | Oil | The lipid content of the silage, providing energy. | |
| Ash | Ash | ASH | Ash | Total mineral content |
| ADF | ADF | ADF | ADF | Acid Detergent Fibre; measures cellulose and lignin, with high values reducing digestibility. |
| WSC | Water Soluble Carbohydrates | WSC | WSC | Water Soluble Carbohydrates; simple sugars needed for good fermentation and preservation. |
| Starch | Starch | Starch | Starch | Carbohydrate content, mainly from grains; important energy source. |
| Digestible Energy | Digestible Energy | Portion of gross energy in feed that is digestible by the animal. | ||
| Metabolizable Energy | Metabolizable Energy | ME | Energy available to the animal after digestion losses; key for ration formulation. | |
| Net Energy Lactation | Net Energy Lactation | Energy available specifically for milk production in dairy cows. | ||
| pH | pH | pH | Measure of acidity; low pH indicates good fermentation and preservation. | |
| Ammonia N | Ammonia N | NH3 - N | Reflects protein breakdown during fermentation; high values indicate poor preservation. | |
| PDIN | PDIN | Digestible protein in the small intestine when nitrogen limits microbial protein synthesis. | ||
| PDIE | PDIE | Digestible protein in the small intestine when energy limits microbial protein synthesis. | ||
| PDIA | PDIA | Dietary protein that escapes rumen degradation and is digested in the small intestine. | ||
| UFL | UFL | Feed unit for lactation; energy value for dairy cows based on 1 kg standard barley. | ||
| LFU | LFU | Livestock feed unit; energy value for beef cattle (meat production). | ||
| PAL | PAL | Potential acid load; indicates acid produced during rumen fermentation, affecting rumen health. | ||
| Fim Intake | Fim Intake | Estimated silage dry matter intake by animals (kg DM/day); higher values mean better intake. | ||
| VFA | VFA | VFA | Volatile fatty acids produced during fermentation; high butyric acid indicates poor fermentation. | |
| Lactic Acid | Lactic Acid | Lactic Acid | Produced by lactic acid bacteria during fermentation; high levels indicate good preservation. | |
| NCGD | NCGD | Neutral Cellulose Grain Digestibility; digestibility of the cellulose fraction, especially in grains. |
Silage: Trinamix, FBA & Neospectra
This report summarizes the results of a silage quality analysis conducted using three different methods: Trinamix, FBA, and Neospectra. The analysis was performed on seven grass silage samples and two maize silage samples. The primary objective of this study was to compare the results obtained from the three methods.
About the data
The silage quality parameters analyzed by the three methods are shown in Table 1.
Eight silage quality parameters were measured by all three methods::
Dry Matter,Protein,D-value,NDF,Ash,ADF,WSC, andStarch.Fatwas measured by both Trinamix and Neospectra, whilepH,Ammonia N,VFA, andLactic Acidwere measured by both FBA and Neospectra.Some parameters are unique to specific method, including
Digestible EnergyandNet Energy Lactation(Trinamix),PDIN,PDIE,PDIA,UFL,LFU,PAL, andFim Intake(FBA), andNCGD(Neospectra)
Grass silage
A total of seven grass silage samples were analyzed using Trinamix, Neospectra, and the FBA laboratory. The FBA laboratory utilized Near-Infrared Reflectance (NIR) spectroscopy for the analysis, with the exception of two outlier samples (farmer_4 and farmer_7), which were analyzed using wet chemistry due to their values falling outside the expected range.
Given the limited sample size, this evaluation should be considered as a preliminary sanity check rather than a comprehensive analysis. Even within those constraints, the results from Neospectra aligned more closely with the FBA laboratory than with Trinamix, particularly for key parameters such as Dry Matter, Protein, D-value, pH, Ammonia-N, and VFA, and showed no significant systematic bias requiring correction. Based on these findings, the Grass Silage & Big Bale Silage – AUNIR calibration is recommended for use.
A comparison of the results, including a correlation matrix (upper triangle) and scatter plots (lower triangle), is presented below for each parameter that was analyzed by at least two methods. Correlation measure of how closely two variables are related, with values ranging from -1 (perfect negative correlation) to 1 (perfect positive correlation). A correlation closer to 1 or -1 indicates a strong relationship, while a value near 0 indicates little to no linear relationship between the two variables. A median bias is the median difference between two measurement methods. A smaller median bias (closer to 0) indicates that the two methods are more consistent with each other, suggesting better agreement and less systematic error.
Dry Matter
| sample | Trinamix (%) | FBA (%) | Neospectra (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| farmer_1 | 24.2 | 27.6 | 27.3 |
| farmer_2 | 21.8 | 25.9 | 25.4 |
| farmer_3 | 31.8 | 32.0 | 32.2 |
| farmer_4 | >77.1 | 72.2 | 79.3 |
| farmer_5 | 24.9 | 28.8 | 30.6 |
| farmer_6 | 23.1 | 26.6 | 24.8 |
| farmer_7 | >77.1 | 83.9 | 85.7 |
Median bias between Neospectra and FBA: -0.31
Median bias between Trinamix and FBA: -3.53
Median bias between Neospectra and Trinamix: 3.08
Protein
| sample | Trinamix (%) | FBA (%) | Neospectra (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| farmer_1 | 12.8 | 11.9 | 12.9 |
| farmer_2 | 16.8 | 14.9 | 15.3 |
| farmer_3 | 13.3 | 13.5 | 13.5 |
| farmer_4 | 11.7 | 13.7 | 13.0 |
| farmer_5 | 14.3 | 14.1 | 15.4 |
| farmer_6 | 15.8 | 13.9 | 14.7 |
| farmer_7 | 8.4 | 8.8 | 10.3 |
Median bias between Neospectra and FBA: 0.77
Median bias between Trinamix and FBA: 0.22
Median bias between Neospectra and Trinamix: 0.24
D-Value
| sample | Trinamix (%) | FBA (%) | Neospectra (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| farmer_1 | 63.3 | 67.1 | 66.2 |
| farmer_2 | 61.6 | 74.6 | 70.2 |
| farmer_3 | 65 | 70.9 | 65.9 |
| farmer_4 | >84.0 | 66.2 | 57.5 |
| farmer_5 | 62 | 72.9 | 68.7 |
| farmer_6 | 63 | 73.1 | 68.6 |
| farmer_7 | >84.0 | 59.6 | 47.4 |
Median bias between Neospectra and FBA: -4.37
Median bias between Trinamix and FBA: -10.14
Median bias between Neospectra and Trinamix: 5.62
NDF
| sample | Trinamix (%) | FBA (%) | Neospectra (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| farmer_1 | 50.9 | 52.5 | 46.2 |
| farmer_2 | 48.8 | 49.4 | 41.1 |
| farmer_3 | 46.4 | 49.4 | 45.4 |
| farmer_4 | 38.4 | NA | 42.5 |
| farmer_5 | 52.1 | 48.6 | 41.5 |
| farmer_6 | 49.1 | 47.1 | 41.8 |
| farmer_7 | 53 | NA | 53.7 |
Median bias between Neospectra and FBA: -6.24
Median bias between Trinamix and FBA: -0.63
Median bias between Neospectra and Trinamix: -7.26
Fat
| sample | Trinamix (%) | Neospectra (%) |
|---|---|---|
| farmer_1 | 3.5 | 3.6 |
| farmer_2 | 3.2 | 4.0 |
| farmer_3 | 3.3 | 3.5 |
| farmer_4 | 4 | 2.4 |
| farmer_5 | 3.3 | 3.9 |
| farmer_6 | 3.3 | 3.8 |
| farmer_7 | 3.7 | 2.1 |
Median bias between Neospectra and Trinamix: 0.25
Ash
| sample | Trinamix (%) | FBA (%) | Neospectra (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| farmer_1 | 8.6 | 6.8 | 7.8 |
| farmer_2 | 9.4 | 10.0 | 8.9 |
| farmer_3 | 9 | 9.2 | 8.0 |
| farmer_4 | 9.5 | 5.7 | 6.6 |
| farmer_5 | 8.5 | 8.3 | 9.0 |
| farmer_6 | 8.6 | 8.3 | 8.7 |
| farmer_7 | 8.4 | 10.7 | 4.0 |
Median bias between Neospectra and FBA: 0.39
Median bias between Trinamix and FBA: 0.24
Median bias between Neospectra and Trinamix: -0.8
ADF
| sample | Trinamix (%) | FBA (%) | Neospectra (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| farmer_1 | 30.8 | NA | 32.2 |
| farmer_2 | 29.9 | NA | 29.4 |
| farmer_3 | 31.2 | NA | 32.0 |
| farmer_4 | 31.7 | 34.9 | 23.4 |
| farmer_5 | 31.8 | NA | 30.1 |
| farmer_6 | 30.3 | NA | 29.9 |
| farmer_7 | 42.7 | 39.6 | 23.0 |
Median bias between Neospectra and Trinamix: -0.48
WSC
| sample | Trinamix (%) | FBA (per kg) | Neospectra (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| farmer_1 | 6.9 | 3.1 | 1.9 |
| farmer_2 | 7.6 | 2.4 | 1.4 |
| farmer_3 | 9.5 | 2.8 | 2.7 |
| farmer_4 | >20.4 | NA | 6.6 |
| farmer_5 | 8 | 2.5 | 1.6 |
| farmer_6 | 7.5 | 1.5 | 1.4 |
| farmer_7 | >20.4 | NA | 5.6 |
Median bias between Neospectra and FBA: -0.89
Median bias between Trinamix and FBA: 5.51
Median bias between Neospectra and Trinamix: -6.19
Metabolizable Energy
| sample | Trinamix (MJ/kgDM) | FBA (MJ/Kg) |
|---|---|---|
| farmer_1 | 8.7 | 9.6 |
| farmer_2 | 8.8 | 10.8 |
| farmer_3 | 8.8 | 10.2 |
| farmer_4 | NA | 9.4 |
| farmer_5 | 8.7 | 10.5 |
| farmer_6 | 8.9 | 10.5 |
| farmer_7 | NA | 8.4 |
Median bias between Trinamix and FBA: -1.64
pH
| sample | FBA (-) | Neospectra (%) |
|---|---|---|
| farmer_1 | 4.0 | 4.1 |
| farmer_2 | 4.3 | 4.0 |
| farmer_3 | 4.1 | 4.0 |
| farmer_4 | 5.4 | 4.7 |
| farmer_5 | 4.5 | 3.9 |
| farmer_6 | 4.2 | 3.8 |
| farmer_7 | NA | 5.7 |
Median bias between Neospectra and FBA: -0.37
Ammonia N
| sample | FBA (% of Total N) | Neospectra (%) |
|---|---|---|
| farmer_1 | 2.4 | 3.6 |
| farmer_2 | 8.8 | 6.7 |
| farmer_3 | 7.3 | 5.1 |
| farmer_4 | NA | 1.8 |
| farmer_5 | 8.5 | 7.4 |
| farmer_6 | 7.3 | 4.9 |
| farmer_7 | NA | -6.4 |
Median bias between Neospectra and FBA: -2.04
VFA
| sample | FBA (%) | Neospectra (g/kg) |
|---|---|---|
| farmer_1 | 1.8 | 33.5 |
| farmer_2 | 3.4 | 46.7 |
| farmer_3 | 1.1 | 22.9 |
| farmer_4 | NA | -8.2 |
| farmer_5 | 3.8 | 46.5 |
| farmer_6 | 2.8 | 34.2 |
| farmer_7 | NA | -18.7 |
Median bias between Neospectra (converted to %) and FBA: 1.14
Lactic Acid
| sample | FBA (%) | Neospectra (g/kg) |
|---|---|---|
| farmer_1 | 10.0 | 67.4 |
| farmer_2 | 8.7 | 84.9 |
| farmer_3 | 8.4 | 72.5 |
| farmer_4 | NA | -7.4 |
| farmer_5 | 5.0 | 90.1 |
| farmer_6 | 8.2 | 88.1 |
| farmer_7 | NA | -105.0 |
Median bias between Neospectra (converted to %) and FBA: -0.19
Maize silage
The results of the analyses for the two maize silage samples are presented below. A larger sample size will be required before any conclusions can be drawn.
| Trinamix | FBA | Neospectra | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Matter | |||
| farmer_1 | 27.4 | 28.1 | 28.6 |
| farmer_2 | 31.4 | 27.2 | 30.0 |
| Protein | |||
| farmer_1 | 8.6 | 8.9 | 9.2 |
| farmer_2 | 8.5 | 8.7 | 8.4 |
| D-Value | |||
| farmer_1 | 60.4 | NA | 64.3 |
| farmer_2 | 66.4 | NA | 64.8 |
| NDF | |||
| farmer_1 | 52.0 | 42.8 | 48.6 |
| farmer_2 | 46.1 | 43.1 | 47.3 |
| Fat | |||
| farmer_1 | 3.0 | NA | NA |
| farmer_2 | 3.3 | NA | NA |
| Ash | |||
| farmer_1 | 5.7 | 4.6 | 3.2 |
| farmer_2 | 5.3 | 3.2 | 3.0 |
| ADF | |||
| farmer_1 | 30.3 | NA | NA |
| farmer_2 | 28.6 | NA | NA |
| Starch | |||
| farmer_1 | 22.4 | 24.7 | 27.0 |
| farmer_2 | 29.9 | 23.1 | 28.0 |
| Digestible Energy | |||
| farmer_1 | 12.3 | NA | NA |
| farmer_2 | 12.7 | NA | NA |
| Metabolizable Energy | |||
| farmer_1 | 10.5 | 11.5 | NA |
| farmer_2 | 11.0 | 11.4 | NA |
| Net Energy Lactation | |||
| farmer_1 | 6.6 | NA | NA |
| farmer_2 | 6.9 | NA | NA |
| pH | |||
| farmer_1 | NA | 3.8 | 4.5 |
| farmer_2 | NA | 3.7 | 4.3 |
| NCGD | |||
| farmer_1 | NA | NA | 63.0 |
| farmer_2 | NA | NA | 63.8 |
| Lactic Acid | |||
| farmer_1 | NA | NA | 63.0 |
| farmer_2 | NA | NA | 63.8 |