The influence of oxygen on ensilage. I. Laboratory studies

Abstract

AbstractGrass was ensiled in laboratory silos in three separate experiments. In the first two of them, different oxygen treatment levels were achieved by ensiling different weights of herbage in the fixed volume of the laboratory silo. In the third experiment, the quantity of grass ensiled was kept constant, the oxygen level being varied by evacuation and injection of gas.Fermentation changes were followed during the period of ensilage. In all cases, when compared with the controls, oxygen treatments resulted in silages of lower lactate content, higher acetate content, higher pH and volatile N values. Butyrate was present in appreciable amounts in the high oxygen treated silages in Experiments 1 and 3. It was concluded that oxygen trapped in unconsolidated herbage had an adverse effect on fermentation resulting from not only oxidation of sugar but also from a direct effect on the activities of the microflora.