Gramineous Grass Research Articles

Biocrusts intensify grassland evapotranspiration through increasing evaporation and reducing transpiration in a semi-arid ecosystem

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are living ground covers that result from intimate associations between soil particles and organisms, which can modify soil properties and support fundamental ecosystem functions in drylands. Despite numerous studies concerning effects of biocrusts on soil hydrological processes, their impacts on grassland evapotranspiration have remained unanswered. By using micro-lysimeters, we conducted in-situ monitoring of evapotranspiration of bare soil vs. cyanobacterial-moss mixed biocrusts, gramineous grass vs. gramineous grass with biocrusts, and leguminous grass vs. leguminous grass with biocrusts over two months in a semi-arid ecosystem. Results suggested that compared to the bare soil, the biocrusts significantly increased soil evaporation rate by 20.9 %. Underneath gramineous and leguminous grasses, the biocrusts increased the average evapotranspiration rate by 9.4 % and 13.4 %. The evaporation of biocrusts contributed 8.1–10.6 % to the average evapotranspiration rate and 8.2–12.6 % to the cumulative evapotranspiration amount. Additionally, the biocrusts increased soil moisture by 12.5 % and decreased temperature by 3.4 % at 10 cm depth compared to the bare soil. However, the biocrusts beneath grasses led to a reduction in soil moisture by 10.0 % and 20.0 %, while causing an increase in temperature by 9.9 % and 2.9 %, respectively. Enhanced evaporation of the biocrusts could be mainly attributed to their higher water retention ability in comparison to the bare soil. Meanwhile, beneath grasses, the biocrusts decreased soil water content in deeper layers, potentially limited grass transpiration by reducing water availability for grass roots. Based on these results, we concluded that the biocrusts intensify grassland evapotranspiration through increasing soil evaporation and reducing grass transpiration. Our findings highlight that biocrusts play a crucial role in modulating surface water fluxes, potentially exert remarkable effects on dryland vascular plants development and ecosystem stability.

Yield of white clover and orchard grass cultivated in mining passives adding black earth and compost as a substrate.

Mining environmental liabilities generate environmental pollution. The objective of the present study was to determine the yield of white clover (Trifolium repens) and orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata) cultivated in mining environmental passives adding black earth and compost as a substrate in the Buenaventura Julcani Huancavelica Company. The treatments were the combinations: 4: 3.1: 3.1: 3:1.1 kg of RP: RP, TN: RP, C: RP, TN, C respectively. They were distributed in four treatments with twelve experimental units for each species of leguminous and gramineous grass, we worked according to the completely randomized design (DCA) with a 2 x 4 factorial arrangement, the experimental unit being a treatment with twelve repetitions. The variables evaluated were: germination percentage (TG) and stem survival percentage (TST). For the statistical analysis, the SPSS software was used.

Reseeding improved soil and plant characteristics of degraded alfalfa (Medicago sativa) grassland in loess hilly plateau region, China

It is of great significance for the sustainable development and feed supply of animal husbandry in the hilly region of Loess Plateau to improve the degraded alfalfa grassland scientifically and reasonably. We studied the effects of reseeding gramineous grass on soil physicochemical properties, microbial biomass, plant community characteristics and community nutrients of degraded alfalfa grassland based on four treatments: no reseeding, reseeding Elymus dahuricus, reseeding Dactylis glomerata, and reseeding Leymus chinensis. Soil physicochemical properties and microbial biomass were improved after reseeding E. dahuricus, and above-ground biomass and community coverage were increased by >30% compared with those without reseeding. The reseeding of E. dahuricus benefited soil properties, plant community characteristics, and community nutrients more than reseeding of D. glomerata and L. chinensis. Furthermore, a structural equation model (SEM) was established based on the analysis and screening of related variables to analyze the influence factors of reseeding on soil and community and their interactions in degraded grassland system. The SEM results showed that reseeding had significant effects on plant community characteristics, plant community nutrients and soil characteristics (P < 0.001), but the degree of influence decreased in turn. The interaction between soil characteristics and plant community characteristics was 18.72% higher than that between soil characteristics and plant community nutrients. We recommend reseeding of E. dahuricus as suitable method to improve degraded alfalfa grassland in the loess hilly plateau region.

A Nitrate-Transforming Bacterial Community Dominates in the Miscanthus Rhizosphere on Nitrogen-Deficient Volcanic Deposits of Miyake-jima.

The perennial gramineous grass Miscanthus condensatus functions as a major pioneer plant in colonizing acidic volcanic deposits on Miyake-jima, Japan, despite a lack of nitrogen nutrients. The nitrogen cycle in the rhizosphere is important for the vigorous growth of M. condensatus in this unfavorable environment. In the present study, we identified the nitrogen-cycling bacterial community in the M. condensatus rhizosphere on these volcanic deposits using a combination of metagenomics and culture-based analyses. Our results showed a large number of functional genes related to denitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) in the rhizosphere, indicating that nitrate-transforming bacteria dominated the rhizosphere biome. Furthermore, nitrite reductase genes (i.e., nirK and nirS) related to the denitrification and those genes related to DNRA (i.e., nirB and nrfA) were mainly annotated to the classes Alpha-proteobacteria, Beta-proteobacteria, and Gamma-proteobacteria. A total of 304 nitrate-succinate-stimulated isolates were obtained from the M. condensatus rhizosphere and were classified into 34 operational taxonomic units according to amplified 16S rRNA gene restriction fragment pattern analysis. Additionally, two strains belonging to the genus Cupriavidus in the class Beta-proteobacteria showed a high in vitro denitrifying activity; however, metagenomic results indicated that the DNRA-related rhizobacteria appeared to take a major role in the nitrogen cycle of the M. condensatus rhizosphere in recent Miyake-jima volcanic deposits. This study elucidates the association between the Miscanthus rhizosphere and the nitrate-reducing bacterial community on newly placed volcanic deposits, which furthers our understanding of the transformation of nitrogen nutrition involved in the early development of vegetation.

Cultivation of Legume and Gramineous Grass Mixtures for Use on Hayfields and Pastures of Southern Sakhalin

Nowadays due of the world population growth, the demand for agricultural products is also growing. To obtain good meat and dairy products, high-quality feed for farm animals is necessary. Legume-gramineous perennial grass mixtures are used to improve fodder lands. Our experience included a test of 9 variants of legume-gramineous grass mixtures, where 6 types of grasses were used: red clover, alfalfa (legumes), meadow timothy grass, orchard-grass, smooth brome-grass, meadow fescue (cereals). The experiments were carried out in four repetitions on the lands of hay and pasture use with the use of fertilizers; there were carried out phenological observations, biometric measurements, and determination of the botanical composition. In herbage from hay fields the smooth brome-grass dominated, and in herbage from pastures the orchard-grass dominated. The proportion of non-sown grass species reaches 26.3-32.7 % in three-component grass mixtures with meadow timothy grass. Meadow fescue and meadow timothy in terms of growth rate, reactions to nitrogen application were inferior to the orchard-grass and smooth bromegrass, which led to their oppression and displacement from the herbage. The best density of plant standing per 1 m2 was noted in the orchard-grass and smooth bromegrass, the smallest - in meadow fescue and alfalfa.

Effects of water levels on plant traits and nitrogen use efficiency in monoculture and intercropped artificial grasslands.

Water availability is the main factor affecting the forage productivity of artificial grasslands, particularly in semi-arid regions. Generally, intercropping of gramineous grass and leguminous grass can achieve high productivity. However, how different water availability levels affect the productivity of intercropping system remains unclear. Here, we conducted a 3-year (2015–2017) study by manipulating the water conditions (CK equivalent to the annual precipitation, +50% treatment equivalent to 50% increase over the average precipitation, and −50% treatment equivalent to 50% decrease over the average precipitation) to explore the responses of plant traits, nitrogen use efficiency, and biomass of the monoculture of Medicago sativa (a leguminous grass, M.s), monoculture of Elymus nutans (a gramineous grass, E.n), and intercropping of M.s and E.n in a semi-arid region in Inner Mongolia, China. The results showed that the biomass obtained by intercropping of M.s and E.n decreased by 24.4% in −50% treatment compared to the CK treatment, while that of the monoculture of M.s decreased by 34.4% under the −50% treatment compared to the CK treatment. However, there was no significant difference in the biomass between intercropping artificial grassland and monoculture M. sativa under +50% treatment. Compared to monoculture, M.s can obtain more nitrogen by biological nitrogen fixation and decrease the proportion of nitrogen absorbed from soils under intercropping in the same water conditions. Under the intercropping system, the proportions of nitrogen absorbed from soils by M.s were 87.4%, 85.1, and 76.9% in −50%, CK, and +50% treatments, respectively. Under monoculture, these proportions were 91.9, 89.3, and 82.3% in −50%, CK, and +50% treatments, respectively. Plant trait, but not soil nitrogen content, was the main regulator for the productivity responses to water level changes. Our results highlight that intercropping can achieve higher productivity in both dry and wet conditions. Therefore, considering the fluctuating rainfall events in the future, it might be useful to alter the proportions of intercropped forage species in an artificial grassland to obtain optimal productivity by reducing the limitations of nitrogen availability. However, the economic viability of intercropping M. sativa and E. nutans should be evaluated in the future.

Application of Organic Fertilizer Changes the Rhizosphere Microbial Communities of a Gramineous Grass on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

The effects of organic fertilizer application on the soil microbial community in grassland systems have been extensively studied. However, the effects of organic fertilizers on the structure of rhizosphere microbial communities are still limited. In this study, the diversity and composition of rhizosphere microbial communities of a gramineous grass Elymus nutans under organic fertilizer treatment were studied in an artificial pasture on Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. After a growing season, the application of organic fertilizer not only increased the height and biomass of Elymus nutans, but also changed the rhizosphere microbial compositions. In particular, organic fertilizer increased the diversity of rhizosphere bacterial community and inhibited the growth of pathogenic bacteria such as Acinetobacter, but the opposite trend was observed for the diversity of fungal community. The assembly process of fungal community was changed from a stochastic process to a deterministic process, indicating that selection was strengthened. Additionally, both the infection rate of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) toward host plants and the development of AMF-related structures were significantly increased after the application of organic fertilizer. Our study demonstrated that the addition of organic fertilizer to artificial pasture could improve the growth of grass through the alteration of the rhizosphere microbial communities. Organic fertilizer had a greater selectivity for the bacterial and the fungal communities that enhanced the niche filtration in this community, further benefiting the yield of forages.

First Report of Exserohilum rostratum Causing Leaf Spot on Maize (Zea mays) in Henan, China.

In August to September of 2019 and 2020, a leaf spot was observed on maize at growth stages R1 through R5 in Henan. Leaf samples (N = 63) were collected from 152 fields from 50 counties. Symptomatic plants had light-yellow to brown elliptic lesions (0.6 to 5.0 cm × 0.2 to 0.8 cm) with gray. Incidence rates were 1 to 15% in individual fields. Symptomatic leaf samples (3 to 5 cm2) were surface sterilized (75% ethanol, 30 s; 3% NaClO, 2 min), rinsed three times in sterile distilled water, and allowed to dry. Small sections from the samples were placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium and incubated at 25°C for 4 days. Observed colonies were circular, taupe, pewter in color with light gray edging and many cottony aerial mycelia. Single spores (N = 45) were inoculated on water agar medium with wheat straw (TWA + W). Conidiophores on wheat straw were single, erect or slightly curved, in clusters, septate, sympodial, geniculate and 5 to 7 μm thick. The basal cell was slightly swollen and was dark brown. The basal septum was darker and thicker than other septa, with a distinctly protruding truncate hilum. The conidia belonged to two types (Lin et al. 2011). Type A were fusiform, cylindrical, pyriform to oval, dark brown, 2 to 7 septate, 16.5 to 70.5 µm × 10.2 to 24.7 µm (N = 50). Type C were straight or slightly bent, ellipsoidal or long ellipsoidal, light brown, 6 to 13 septate, 36.3 to 106.8 µm × 10.5 to 16.0 µm (N = 50). All single spore isolates were identified morphologically as Exserohilum rostratum (Drechs.) Leonard & Suggs (Ahmadpour et al. 2013; Sivanesan et al. 1987). Four isolates (ML154-1, ML300-2, ML598-4 and ML626-1) were arbitrarily selected for molecular identification and inoculation testing. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase-like (gpd) gene were amplified and sequenced using primer pairs ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990) and Gpd1/Gpd2 (Berbee et al. 1999), respectively. Sequences MW440488, MW440489, MW440491 and MW440492 of ITS and MW448214, MW448215, MW448217 and MW448218 of gpd were submitted to GenBank. BLASTn analysis revealed a high match (ITS: 598/600 bp; gpd: 527/527 bp) to E. rostratum isolate BRIP11422 (ITS: LT837464; gpd: LT883541). A phylogenetic tree was constructed based on concatenated sequences of ITS and gpd gene in MEGA-X. All four isolates formed a single clade with E. rostratum reference isolates CBS732.96, BRIP11422 and BRIP11416. To test pathogenicity in the greenhouse, a conidial suspension of each of the four strains (1 × 104 conidia/ml) was sprayed on the leaves of the common maize hybrids, Zhengdan 958 and Xianyu 335 (V6- V7). Control plants were sprayed with sterile water. Plants were incubated in plastic bags to retain high relative humidity for 24 h at 25~27°C. Three days after inoculation, the leaves began to show symptoms, and 7 days later, symptoms of the leaves were identical to those observed in the field. Control plants developed no symptoms. The pathogen was re-isolated from the infected leaves and was confirmed to be E. rostratum. The first E. rostratum isolate was isolated from the leaves of Eragrostis in China (Jiang et al. 1959). Thereafter E. rostratum has been reported as the causal agent of leaf spot in Ananas comosus (He et al. 2011), Musa paradisiacal (Luo et al. 2012), Hevea brasiliensis (Zhang et al. 2016) and many gramineous grass weeds (Liu et al. 2016) in China. To our knowledge, this is the first report of E. rostratum causing leaf spot disease on maize in Henan, China. Since this is an economically important pathogen of maize throughout the world, disease management strategies are likely to be needed.

Associative effects of ensiling mixtures of sweet sorghum and korshinsk pea shrub on fermentation quality, chemical composition, and in vitro rumen digestion characteristics.

Silages processed with gramineous grass and wood feed mixtures may have positive associative effects on silage quality and animal performance when ruminants are fed those silages. The present study was conducted to evaluate the fermentation quality, chemical composition, and in vitro rumen digestion characteristics of silages produced with mixtures of sweet sorghum (SS) and korshinsk pea shrub (KP) in six different ratios of fresh weights: 100:0 (0%KP), 80:20 (20%KP), 60:40 (40%KP), 40:60 (60%KP), 20:80 (80%KP), and 0:100 (100%KP). As the proportion of KP increased in the silages, the contents of lactic acid, acetic acid, starch, total phenolics, hydrolysable tannins, and condensed tannins decreased (p < 0.05), while the pH value and the contents of neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, ether extract, crude protein, and ash increased (p < 0.05). The silages were evaluated in 48 h incubations with rumen liquor. The in vitro dry matter digestibility, in vitro neutral detergent fiber digestibility, and in vitro gas production decreased as the proportion of KP increased (p < 0.05). This study suggests that ensiling SS-KP at a ratio of 80:20 is a practical method for preserving such low-DM forages (SS) and that these silage mixtures offer an opportunity to optimize the nutrient supply for ruminant production.

Long-term grass mulching waste recycling and evaluation activation of dissolved organic carbon

This study aimed to clarify that long-term leguminous grass mulching (crown vetch (CV) and white clover (WC)) and gramineous grass (orchardgrass (OG)) drive the distribution of soil aggregates and are associated with dissolved organic matter (DOM) components. Excitation emission spectroscopy and parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC) were used to evaluate the influence of different grass mulches among aggregates. The results indicated that legumes had a more significant impact on the distribution of aggregates and DOM content than gramineae grass mulching. Leguminous grass mulching significantly increased the proportion of macroaggregates >250 μm (74.65%–83.50%) and aggregates associated with dissolved organic carbon (DOC), especially in microaggregates <250 μm (172.27 mg kg−1 to 391.55 mg kg−1). In addition, leguminous grass mulching (CV and WC) contributed more to the increase in soil total nitrogen (TN) and three identified fluorescent components (UVC humic-like, UVA humic-like and protein-like). The component of UVC humic-like relative abundance decreased (48.66%–36.57%), and the protein-like component increased (21.88%–36.50%) as the aggregate size decreased, but the DOM three compositions did not change. The DOM of macroaggregates had higher aromaticity and lower molecular weight than microaggregates, and the highest abundance of UVC humic-like component (54.52%) was found in the gramineous (OG) large macroaggregates, while the higher abundance of protein-like components (31.07%–36.50%) occurs in leguminous mulching (CV and WC) microaggregates. The results contribute to a further understanding of the dynamic process by which grass mulching mediates aggregate formation and DOM component transformation in semiarid apple orchards under grass waste management.

Exploring the ensiling characteristics and bacterial community of red clover inoculated with the epiphytic bacteria from temperate gramineous grasses.

To explore the microbiological factors that cause the difference in silage fermentation characteristics between temperate gramineous (Italian ryegrass and oat) grass and legume forage. Through γ-ray irradiation sterilization and bacterial transplantation technology, the sterilized red clover was inoculated as follows: (i) aseptic water (STRC); (ii) epiphytic bacteria on red clover (RCRC); (iii) epiphytic bacteria on oat (RCOT); and (iv) epiphytic bacteria on Italian ryegrass (RCIR). Red clover was ensiled in laboratory-scale silos made of vacuum-packed plastic bags for 1, 3, 7, 14, 30 and 60days. STRC remained unfermented state based on similar chemical components with fresh red clover. Compared with RCRC and RCIR, higher lactic acid content and ratio of lactic acid to acetic acid, and lower pH, acetic acid and ammonia nitrogen contents were observed in RCOT after 60days of ensiling. Using next-generation sequencing, higher abundances of Methylobacterium and Sphingomonas were observed in the epiphytic bacteria on red clover. Pediococcus was dominant in RCRC after 3days of ensiling. Lactobacillus was the most predominant in each group after 60days of fermentation. RCRC and RCIR had a more hetero-fermentative process, while RCOT possessed a more homo-fermentative pathway. According to the 16S rRNA gene-predicted functional profiles, the metabolism of amino acids was accelerated by the epiphytic bacteria from red clover. Inoculating the epiphytic bacteria from oat could alter the fermentation characteristics and bacterial compositions of red clover silage. The relative abundance and activity of Methylobacterium, Sphingomonas, Enterobacteriaceae and hetero-fermentative Lactobacillus in red clover silage could be changed by the epiphytic bacteria on temperate gramineous grass. The exogenous micro-organisms inhibiting the metabolism of amino acids can be a good potential source to improve the silage quality of legume forage.

Effects of soil salinity characteristics on three habitats in inland salt marshes.

Understanding the effect of soil salinity on the diversity and species distribution of plant communities in inland salt marsh ecosystems could provide solutions for the management of regional saline soils and the protection of salt marsh wetland vegetation. A field experiment in succulent halophyte, Carex, and gramineous grass habitats in Ordos, Inner Mongolia (northwest China) was conducted to study the diversity and composition of plants in different saline habitats in inland salt marsh ecosystems. Results showed that plant diversity and species richness in the Carex habitat were significantly higher than the succulent halophyte habitat and the gramineous grass habitat (P < 0.05). Further, species abundance was higher in the succulent halophyte habitat and the Carex habitat than the gramineous grass habitat. Similar results were obtained when considering the abundance of constructive species. No significant differences in the abundance of dominant species and companion species between the gramineous grass habitat and the Carex habitat were found. We concluded that species abundance, species richness, species distribution, and plant diversity together explained the response of plant communities in different habitats to soil salinity, especially Na+ and SO42-. This highlights the importance of soil salinity for the maintenance of plant diversity and structural composition in inland salt marsh ecosystems.

The complete chloroplast genome of Bromus biebersteinii

Bromus biebersteinii is a perennial gramineous grass, which is mainly distributed in Southwest Asia. In our study, we obtained the complete chloroplast genome of B. biebersteinii and found it is 137,189 bp in length. The GC content of its whole chloroplast genome is 38.37%. Among the 134 unique genes in the circular genome, 38 tRNA, 8 rRNA and 88 protein-coding genes were successfully annotated. We constructed the Maximum likelihood (ML) tree with 12 species, and found that B. biebersteinii was phylogenetically close to Bromus vulgaris of the genus Bromus.

Genome-Wide Analysis and Expression Profiles of the Dof Family in Cleistogenes songorica under Temperature, Salt and ABA Treatment.

The DNA-binding with one zinc finger (Dof) family of plant-specific transcription factors has a variety of important functions in gene transcriptional regulation, development, and stress responses. However, the structure and expression patterns of Dof family have not been identified in Cleistogenes songorica, which is an important xerophytic and perennial gramineous grass in desert grassland. In this study, 50 Dof genes were identified in C. songorica and could be classified into four groups. According to genome-wide analysis, 46 of 50 Dof genes were located on 20 chromosomes, and the gene structure and conserved protein motif of these proteins were analyzed. In addition, phylogenetic analysis of Dof genes in C. songorica, Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, and Brachypodium distachyon estimated the evolutionary relationships, and these genes were grouped into seven clusters. Moreover, the expression profiles of these Dof genes in C. songorica were analyzed in response to high/low temperature, salinity, and ABA treatments. These results will provide valuable information for future studies on gene classification, cloning, and functional characterization of this family in C. songorica.

ALLELOPATHIC EFFECT OF ORGANIC MULCHES ON VEGETABLE GERMINATION AND EARLY DEVELOPMEN

Plants, as well as their residues (mulches), release physiologically active substances (allelochemicals), which may affect plant germination, development, and productivity. In this study we investigated the allelopathic effects of aqueous extracts of organic mulches (winter wheat straw, peat, sawdust, and gramineous grass) at different concentrations on germination and early growth of radish (Raphanus sativus L.), carrot (Daucus sativus Rohl.), and lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). It was found, that the strongest negative effect on the germination and shoot and root development of investigated vegetables was with the highest concentration (1 : 10) of the grass aqueous extract. Peat mulch aqueous extracts had the least negative impact on all vegetable seed germination. Straw and peat mulches stimulated the early growth of R. sativus shoots, but there was a negative affect on D. sativus shoot development. The aqueous extracts of various organic mulches had negative effects on R. sativus, while mostly positive effects found on L. sativa root development.

Seed Identification of Gramineous Grass Using Local Similarity Pattern and Linear Discriminant Analysis

Seed Identification of Gramineous Grass Using Local Similarity Pattern and Linear Discriminant Analysis

Flavonolignans from Elymus natans L. and Phytotoxic Activities.

Elymus natans, a perennial gramineous grass, plays an important role in animal husbandry and environmental sustenance in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau as a result of its high forage quality and good adaptability to the local environment. A bioassay showed that the extracts of green grasses of E. natans (GG) exhibited stronger phytotoxic activities than withered grasses (WG) against crops and grasses. In view of the secondary metabolites, which may be responsible for the resistance of the plant, the chemical components of GG were investigated. The flavone tricin, E1, and 10 flavonolignans, E2-E11, including three new flavonolignans, E2, E10, and E11, were isolated and identified. As far as we know, this is the first report on the chemical constitutions of the plant until now. The contents of compounds E1 and E4-E7 in GG were significantly higher than those in WG in high-performance liquid chromatography analysis, and they also showed observably phytotoxic activities against lettuce and Festuca arundinacea.

Seed Identification of Gramineous Grass Based on Difference of Local Fractal Dimensions

Seed Identification of Gramineous Grass Based on Difference of Local Fractal Dimensions

Identification of gramineous grass seeds using Gabor and locality preserving projections

Forage identification is primarily realized by human experts at a low efficiency, which does not meet the requirements of a digital grassland management. In this study, we propose an automatic iden...

БИОЛОГИЧЕСКИЕ ОСНОВЫ СИЛОСОВАНИЯ И СЕНАЖИРОВАНИЯ ТРАВ (обзор)

The current concept about regularities of microbiological processes at ensiling and haymaking depending on the kind of preserved grasses and a degree of wilting is represented in the review. On this base the rational methods for plant mass conservation have been proved. The conservation method should be selected with due regard to the crop peculiarities (gramineous or leguminous grass), sugars contents (per dry matter) and its changes under the grass wilting, a degree of plants drying, the pH and sugar-buffer ratio in forage mass, and the composition of epiphytic microflora to provide an improved fodders storage and increased quality. Besides, it is necessary to keep strictly the modes of preliminary mass processing and loading as well as silage storage and removing. The silage additives, based on the osmotically tolerant strains of lactic acid bacteria, is one of the important elements in the applied technology, providing inhibition of growth of the undesirable microorganisms, including butyric acid bacteria and the yeasts activity, that can lead to fodders contamination by the butyric acid. Most perennial grass varieties, as well as their mixtures with legumes, cultivated in Russia, are characterized by optimal sugar-buffer ratio (1.3-4.0) for the effective ensiling with above pointed bacterial inoculants. But some new perennial gramineous grass varieties have excessive sugar contents (sugar-buffer ratio is ≥ 4.0) and are included in the group of the hard-to-ensile crops. For solving the ensiling problems with such perennial grasses, it should be recommended to cultivate them in mixed sowings with crops, characterized by lack of sugar minimum.