Additive effects of fermented juice of epiphytic lactic acid bacteria on the fermentative quality of guineagrass (Panicum maximum Jacq.) silage

Abstract

AbstractTwo experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of fermented juice of epiphytic lactic acid bacteria (FJLB) prepared with glucose, sucrose or molasses as additives on the fermentative quality of guineagrass silage. The numbers of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in all FJLB increased from 105 c.f.u. mL−1 to 108−109 c.f.u. mL−1 after 2 days of anaerobic incubation. FJLB mixed with 3% of the three sugar substrates were added at various volumes (0.2, 0.5 and 1%[v/w]) in experiment 1. As the volume of FJLB added increased, increases in lactic acid and decreases in butyric acid and the pH value were observed, except when FJLB prepared with molasses was used. In experiment 2, FJLB prepared with various levels of glucose, sucrose and molasses were made and added to guineagrass. The level of lactic acid production in silage was higher (P < 0.05) when treated with glucose‐FJLB than with sucrose‐FJLB or molasses‐FJLB. The fermentative quality of silages tended to increase with increasing levels of sucrose or molasses in the FJLB preparation. We suggest that both increasing the volume of FJLB and increasing the level of sugar substrates in FJLB will produce high fermentative quality in guineagrass silage. Glucose‐FJLB is effective even when prepared with a low level of glucose.