<![CDATA[This study aimed to evaluate the effect of pollard as an additive on the physical quality of silage made from kepok banana (Musa paradisiaca) peel waste and to determine the optimum level of pollard inclusion. The study employed an experimental method using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) consisting of four treatments and four replications. The treatments were P0 (banana peel waste without pollard), P1 (10% pollard), P2 (20% pollard), and P3 (30% pollard). The observed parameters included color, aroma, texture, mold occurrence, and silage pH. Organoleptic data were analyzed using the Kruskal Wallis test followed by the Mann–Whitney test, while pH data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Duncan's Multiple Range Test. The results showed that the addition of pollard had a highly significant effect (P<0.01) on the color, aroma, texture, and pH value of the silage, but had no significant effect (P>0.05) on mold occurrence. The inclusion of pollard improved the physical quality of the silage, as indicated by a yellowish-green color, a fresh acidic aroma characteristic of fermentation, a denser texture, and lower pH values compared with silage prepared without pollard. The silage pH ranged from 4.13 to 4.65. The best treatment was obtained with 20% pollard inclusion (P2), which resulted in color, texture, aroma, and mold occurrence scores of 3.13, 4.00, 3.87, and 3.97, respectively, with a pH value of 4.13, indicating excellent silage quality. Therefore, the inclusion of 20% pollard is an effective additive for improving the physical quality of silage produced from kepok banana peel waste.]]>
