Abstract
A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of bacterial inoculation and cellulase on the fermentation quality of ensiled whole-crop sweet sorghum (WCSS, Sorghum bicolor L. Moench). The WCSS (323 g dry matter (DM)/kg, 251 g water soluble carbohydrates (WSC)/kg DM, 43 g crude protein (CP)/kg DM and 439 g neutral detergent fibre (NDF)/kg DM) was ensiled with i) no additive (control); ii) Lactobacillus buchneri (LB); iii) Lactobacillus plantarum (LP); and iv) LB+E, a combination of LB and enzyme. These treatments were ensiled in 1 L anaerobic jars for 25 days. The jars were opened on days 3, 7 and 15 to determine pH, while those of day 25 were sampled to determine nutrient composition, fermentation characteristics and aerobic stability. Inoculation reduced pH, butyric acid and ammonia-N and increased lactic acid content in sweet sorghum silage compared with the control. The aerobic stability of WCSS was improved with LB, while it was reduced with the homofermentative LP treatment compared with the control. The LB+E reduced the fibre, but increased residual WSC of silage. The aerobic stability of LB+E silage was lower than LB treated silage. Using enzymes to increase the WSC content of crops that already have high levels of WSC may result in reduced aerobic stability of silage. Further work is needed to evaluate these effects on silage produced on farm scale and on animal production performance.
Highlights
IntroductionSilage additives (bacterial inoculants, enzymes, etc.) have been used to improve the ensiling process and nutrient utilization by ruminants (Muck, 2010)
Bacterial inoculants are added to forage at ensiling in order to stimulate lactic acid (LA) fermentation by accelerating the decrease in pH, and improving silage preservation (McDonald et al, 2002)
The application of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculant treatments LP, Lactobacillus buchneri (LB) and LB+E resulted in reduced pH, butyric acid (BA) and ammonia-N and increased LA content in sweet sorghum silage compared with the control
Summary
Silage additives (bacterial inoculants, enzymes, etc.) have been used to improve the ensiling process and nutrient utilization by ruminants (Muck, 2010). Bacterial inoculants improved silage fermentation quality, their effects on fibre degradation is not consistent because lactic acid bacteria (LAB) cannot effectively use fibre as an energy source to produce lactic acid. The addition of enzymes to forage at ensiling has been reported to degrade silage cell wall and increase the availability of WSC that serve as substrate for LAB (McDonald et al, 1991; Spoelstra et al, 1992; Selmer-Olsen et al, 1993; Sheperd & Kung, 1996). Stokes (1992) reported reduced enzyme activity in the presence of a LAB inoculant
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