Abstract
The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of homofermentative and heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculants on fermentation and aerobic stability in a variety of crops and dry matter concentrations. The experiments were conducted with lucerne, ryegrass, ryegrass-timothy, red clover-ryegrass and whole crop maize using three additives in laboratory scale conditions. Each treatment and crop was replicated 5 five times when determining the chemical composition and aerobic stability in the silage. The data were statistically analyzed as a randomized complete block by using the GLM procedure of SAS. Additive application reduced pH and formation of butyric acid, alcohols and ammonia-N in all crops compared with the untreated silage (p < 0.05). The use of additives increased the content of lactic acid except heterofermentative LAB in maize with 276 g kg-1 DM and increased the content of acetic acid except homofermentative LAB in ryegrass-timothy and maize with 276 g kg-1 DM compared with the untreated silage (p < 0.05). It was observed that the aerobic stability of silages was improved significantly (p < 0.05) by using homofermentative and heterofermentative LAB inoculants.
Highlights
Efficient fermentation of sugar to lactic acid and minimal proteolysis are crucial for silage preservation (Nadeau et al 2000)
The objective of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of the variety of LAB strains on the fermentation characteristics and aerobic stability of lucerne, ryegrass, ryegrass-timothy, red clover-ryegrass and whole crop maize silages
R = ryegrass, RC:R = red clover:ryegrass, R:T = ryegrass:timothy, UT = untreated, TA = Lactobacillus buchneri CCM 1819, TC = Enterococcus faecium NCIMB 11181, Lactobacillus plantarum DSM 16568 and Lactococcus lactis DSM 11037 supplemented with sodium benzoate at 400 g-1 ton forage, SEM = standard error of mean, TB = Lactobacillus buchneri CCM 1819, Enterococcus faecium NCIMB 11181 and Lactobacillus plantarum DSM 16568, * = denotes significant compared to untreated control at level 0.05
Summary
Efficient fermentation of sugar to lactic acid and minimal proteolysis are crucial for silage preservation (Nadeau et al 2000). The mode of action of the additives applied to herbage during silage making can include limiting respiration or proteolysis by plant enzymes, manipulating fermentation, inhibiting the activity of clostridia and aerobic micro-organisms such as yeast and mould (McDonald et al 1991, Laitila et al 2002, Rooke and Hatfield 2003, Kung et al 2003). Silages treated with inoculants containing various strains of Lactobacillus plantarum had lower yeast, moulds, ethanol, and ammonia-N concentrations than did untreated silages. The silage inoculated with a moderate rate of Lactobacillus buchneri (1 × 105 cfu g-1 of forage) or the strains of L. plantarum enhanced the aerobic stability of the corn silage.
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