Some Chemical Characteristics of Grass and Legume Silage Made with Sodium Metabisulfite1,2

Abstract

Summary Forty-eight samples of grass and legume silage made with sodium metabisulfite at the rate of 8-10lb. per ton of green forage have been analyzed for the common fermentation products found in silage. The data show that the production of acetic and lactic acids by bacterial fermentation was limited and inversely correlated with the total residual sulfite concentration. Butyric acid production was almost eliminated. Protein breakdown was inhibited to a satisfactory degree, despite pH values higher than normal. The evidence suggests that the forages were preserved primarily by the action of the HSO 3 − ion, instead of the H + ion, as is usual in other conventional types of silage.