###### Abstract  
Typha is a wild plant with invasive growth that causes environmental problems in different areas worldwide. This study investigated the ensiling potential of typha (_Typha Iatifolia_) to be preserved and used for ruminant feeding. Four silage treatments were evaluated: typha with no additives (CON); with formic acid (FA; 4 mL/kg); with urea and molasses (UM; 19 and 24 g/kg, respectively); and with formic acid, urea, and molasses (FAUM; all at previous concentrations). Three bags of each silage were prepared and stored for 4 months before being analysed and fermented in vitro with ruminal fluid from sheep. All of the silages were well preserved, and their pH was greater (_p_ < 0.05) for UM and FAUM (8.50 and 7.70, respectively) compared with CON and FA (5.39 and 4.75). The high concentrations of volatile fatty acid and ammonia\(-\)nitrogen in the UM and FAUM silages indicated undesirable fermentations and precluded their use in practice. However, neither CON nor FA silages improved the in vitro ruminal degradability of pre-ensiling typha (61.7, 58.2, and 65.2%, respectively), which was lower than that of a medium-quality triticale hay (68.0%). The results indicate that typha silage could replace low-quality forages in ruminant diets, being adequate especially for low-producing animals or for those under maintenance conditions. More studies with different doses of additives are needed to identify the optimal conditions for ensiling typha and increasing its nutritive value.  
s 2023 13 6546. [[https://doi.org/10.3390/app13116546](https://doi.org/10.3390/app13116546)]([https://doi.org/10.3390/app13116546](https://doi.org/10.3390/app13116546))  
Aticle  
Ensiling Typha Iatifolia  
sources of ingredients that are locally available and economically affordable is a priority. The implementation of farm practices that involve the use of _Typha_ spp. plants as animal feed can help to overcome the problems associated with this plant and to improve the resilience and livelihood of livestock farmers. _Typha_ spp. plants are fibrous and have a low nutritive value [4], and thus may be more adequate for ruminant feeding than for other animal species. In fact, previous studies have suggested that _Typha_ could be used as animal feed for ruminants in periods of feed shortage, such as the dry season, as the plant is continuously available [5; 6; 7]. Nevertheless, these practices require a simple and low-cost storage method to increase feed availability. Silage is a low-cost method to store and preserve forage and is extensively used all around the globe. During ensiling, easily fermentable carbohydrates are converted into organic acids by epiphytic bacteria, effectively reducing the pH and allowing forage preservation [8]. Ensiling _Typha_ spp. could be challenging because of their low easily fermentable carbohydrates content, but the ensiling process can be enhanced using additives, such as organic acids, urea, or molasses, as reported for other low-quality forages [8]. Formic acid, a widely used organic acid for helping to decrease pH during ensiling, and molasses are added as substrates to promote lactic acid production, whereas urea is utilized to increase the nitrogen (N) content of silages, especially when low-protein feeds are ensiled [8].  
There is little information on the suitability of different additives for ensiling _Typha_ spp., but [PERSON] and [PERSON] [5] reported that ensiling _Typha domingensis_ with urea and molasses increased its energy and crude protein (CP) content compared with the pre-ensiling plant. However, to the best of our knowledge, no previous study has assessed the potential influence of ensiling on the nutritive value of typha. Our hypothesis is that using formic acid as an additive could help to decrease the pH and improve the ensiling process of typha. The aim of this work was thus to evaluate the effects of using formic acid, urea, and molasses as additives on the characteristics, chemical composition, and in vitro ruminal fermentation of typha silages.