Biomonitoring of silage microbial community dynamics under the influence of microbial strains application

Abstract

Silage is one of the most common feedstuffs used in modern dairy and beef farms, but silage quality is often measured without assessing the presence of pathogens. However, poorly prepared or contaminated silage can contain pathogens that reduce animal performance, cause bovine disease, and pose a threat to human health. The aim of this study was to analyse changes in the diversity of the silage microbial community during the ensiling process and to evaluate the effectiveness of two strains of promising microorganisms for use as inoculants. As a result of the study, it was shown that epiphytic microbiota has less potential to rapidly create and, most importantly, maintain high acidity conditions. The highest proportion of lactic acid bacteria was found in the variants with the introduction of strains of Lactobacillus plantarum and Bacillus subtilis at almost all stages of ensiling, indicating that the ensiling process was proceeding correctly in these variants. The lowest number of bacteria belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family was found in the variant with the L. plantarum strain. Some microorganisms were detected in the silage, including mammalian pathogens: representatives of the genera Staphylococcus, Erysipelothrix, and Fusobacterium.