The experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of grass species and different levels of molasses on silage quality in smallholder dairy farms. Elephant, guatemala and rhodes grasses were established and harvested when they were at the age of 120, 63 and 56 days respectively. The harvested grasses was chopped into 4cm and subdivided into three portions each of which was treated with different levels of molasses (0, 3 and 5), packed in 5kgs plastic bag silo and stored in thatched barn. Treatments were assigned to a completely randomized design in factorial arrangement (3x3) with two replications. The silage was opened after 60 days, analyzed for sensoric qualities; chemical composition, in vitro DM digestibility and fermentation. Elephant grass silage produced higher quality and preserved better than guatemala and rhodes grasses as indicated by higher sensoric qualities, crude protein, ash, lactic acid, acetic acid and stability but lower DM, pH, NH3N and butyric acid. Silages produced from molasses at 5% level had higher quality than silages mixed with molasses at 0 and 3% levels as indicated by higher DM, CP, WSC, ash, IVDMD, lactic acid, acetic acid and stability but lower NDF, pH and NH3N. The interaction of elephant grass and 5% level of molasses showed highest CP and WSC but lowest pH and NH3N. Elephant grass with molasses at 5% level was the most optimal techniques to achieve high quality silage fermentation under smallholder farmers.
