Dry Matter Loss Research Articles

Co-ensiling of rice straw and distillers grains to increase methane production and maximise energy output

High organic matter preservation during ensiling promotes material conversion and energy output. In this study, the effects of co-ensiling distillers grains and rice straw on methane production was evaluated, as distillers grains are highly acidic. For co-ensiling, distillers grains and rice straw were mixed to produce methane at five carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratios. RD20 (C/N20) and RD25 (C/N25) were defined as high-distillers-grain groups and other mixed groups as low-distillers-grain groups. The results showed that Lactobacillus was enriched in RD25, with the highest lactic acid content reaching 54.0 g/kg of dry matter. The pH and organic dry matter loss of RD25 were lower than those of low-distillers-grain groups, but the result for lignocellulose degradation rate was reversed. An 8.6% increase in methane yield and 7.9% increase in energy output were achieved in RD25. Ensiling-anaerobic digestion systems of C/N25 provide high organic matter preservation and energy output.

Effects of Phosphorus and Zinc on Net Assimilation Rate (NAR) of Cowpea (<i>Vigna unguiculata</i> (L.) Walp) Varieties Grown in Bauchi, Nigeria

Plant growth analysis is today studied as it relates to change in capture and efficiency in the use of resources rather than as it relates to relative growth rate in the past. Net assimilation rate (NAR) is the rate of increase in dry matter over unit area of leaf, which represented a measurement of excess of photosynthesis overrespiratory losses of dry matter. Two field experiments were conducted at the Faculty of Agriculture and Agricultural Engineering Research Farm of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, North Eastern, Nigeria, between 2006 and 2007 to evaluate the influence of phosphorus (0, 25, 50 kg P/ha) and zinc levels (0, 2.5, 5 kg Zn/ha) on NAR of six cowpea varieties namely: IT90K 277, IT93 455 1, IT89KD 288, IT97K 568 18, IT90K 82 2 and Kanannado. Results obtained showed that NAR was not significantly influenced by P and Zn levels and therefore, 0 kg ha1 SSP and Zn rate produced the highest NAR than higher levels. Neither applications of each of P and Zn at higher levels or their interactions, nor did year or variety were found to have significant effects on NAR; but rather NAR is being determined by number of factors such as nutrient supply, photosynthesis rate, etc and these are never fixed or constant and hence a particular factor e.g., nutrient (P or Zn) cannot dictate NAR alone.

Characterization of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and its effects on improving the fermentation quality of silages as a novel inoculant

The aim of the present study was to characterize the fermentation properties of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG; ATCC 53103) in vitro, and investigate the effects of inoculation with LGG on fermentation quality of whole plant corn silage (WPCS) and fermented total mixed ration (FTMR). The antifungal activity of LGG against 4 prevalent fungi isolated from corn stalk was determined using the Oxford cup method. The binding capacity of LGG to aflatoxin B1, zearalenone and deoxynivalenol was examined by in vitro adsorption experiments using a batch mode in phosphate buffered saline. The antioxidant activity of LGG in vitro was evaluated by determining the resistance to hydrogen peroxide, free radical scavenging capacity and reducing activity. Three batches of whole plant corn and total mixed ration were collected separately. Each batch of raw material was divided into equal portions and applied to 2 treatments: (1) control with distiller water (CON), and (2) treatment inoculated with LGG (LGG). After 48 d of ensiling, the chemical composition, ruminal degradability, microbial community and mycotoxin concentrations of WPCS and FTMR were determined. The results showed that lactic acid was the predominant component among organic acids in LGG culture process, with a rapid generated occurring at 4 h after inoculation and reaching a stable state at approximately 48 h. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG could effectively inhibit the growth of 4 prevalent fungi isolated from corn stalk, the diameter of inhibition zone was higher for Mucor circinelloides than that of the other moulds (P = 0.016). With increasing of LGG cell amount, the binding capacity to 3 mycotoxins increased (P < 0.01); the heat and acid treated LGG also enhanced the binding capacity to mycotoxins (P < 0.01). Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG displayed tolerance to hydrogen peroxide (0.8 mmol/L) for 8 h at 37 °C (96%, viability), but the viability decreased sharply (52.39%, viability) under the concentration of H2O2 increased to 1.2 mmol/L (P < 0.001). The free radical scavenging activity and reducing activity of viable LGG were greatest, followed by cell-free extracts and inactivated cells (P < 0.001). Ensiling of WPCS and FTMR inoculated with LGG decreased dry matter loss (P < 0.05), increased lactic acid and acetic acid production (P < 0.05), enhanced some nutrients ruminal degradability (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the inoculation of LGG reduced the counts of yeast, mold and coliform bacteria (P < 0.05) and, more importantly, alleviated mycotoxin contamination (P < 0.05). These results indicated that LGG could be a novel inoculant to improve the quality and safety of WPCS and FTMR.

Effects of nisin on bacterial community and fermentation profiles, in vitro rumen fermentation, microbiota, and methane emission of alfalfa silage.

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) has been used widely in preparing silage. However, forage legumes are prone to contamination by spoilage bacteria during fermentation. Nisin has broad-spectrum antibacterial properties and has been applied as an inhibitor of rumen methane emissions. However, little research has been carried out on the application of nisin in silage. This study therefore aimed to investigate the impacts of different nisin concentrations on the bacterial community and fermentation dynamics, in vitro ruminal fermentation characteristics, microbiota, and methane emissions of alfalfa silage. The detection limits of organic acid in nisin-treated silages were not reached in 0.09 g kg-1 nisin (0.09 level) from days 1 to 7 of ensiling. With increasing nisin concentrations, the silage dry matter increased linearly (P < 0.05), and dry matter loss decreased linearly (P < 0.05). Moreover, both the 0.06 g kg-1 nisin (0.06 level) and 0.09 level treatments increased the relative abundance of Pediococcus acidilactici during ensiling. Concurrently, as the nisin concentrations increased, ruminal methane production decreased linearly (P < 0.05), while the relative abundances of ruminal Succinivibrio, Fibrobacter succinogenes and Ruminobacter amylophilus increased linearly (P < 0.05). The populations of ruminal total bacteria, methanogens, protozoa, and fungi decreased linearly with increasing nisin concentrations (P < 0.05). The addition of nisin delayed the fermentation process, preserved more nutrients in alfalfa silage, and promoted fermentation dominated by P. acidilactici in the late phase of ensiling. Moreover, nisin reduced in vitro rumen methane emissions without adverse effects on dry matter digestibility. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Assessment of Maize Silage Quality under Different Pre-Ensiling Conditions

Maize silage suffers from several factors that affect the final quality and, to some extent, pre-ensiled conditions that can be potentially tuned during harvesting. After assessing new indices for silage quality under lab-scale conditions, several trials have been conducted to find associations between fresh maize characteristics and silage features. Among the first, we included field input levels, FAO class, maturity stage, use of bacterial inoculants, sealing delay and chemical traits, whereas, among the latter, we assessed density and porosity, pH, fermentative profile, dry matter loss and aerobic stability. The trials were conducted using vacuum bags or mini silo buckets. More than 1500 maize samples harvested in Northeast Italy were analysed during the 2016–2022 period. Moreover, to evaluate silage aerobic stability, the fermentative profile and temperature were measured 14 days after the opening of the silo. The association between silage quality and aerobic stability was assessed, and a prognostic risk score was used to calculate the probability of aerobic instability. The dataset could provide baseline information to promote the continuous improvement of maize silage management from different botanical and crop fields, thus improving agronomic and animal farm resource allocation from a precision agriculture perspective.

Efficacy of the feed additives consisting of Enterococcus faeciumATCC 53519 and E. faeciumATCC 55593 for all animal species (FEFANA asbl).

Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the efficacy of two technological additives consisting of Enterococcus faecium strains ATCC 53519 and ATCC 55593, respectively. The additives are intended for use with all types of fresh materials and for all animal species at a proposed minimum concentration of 1 × 107 colony forming units (CFU) of E.faecium ATCC 53519/kg forage or 5 × 106 CFU of E. faecium ATCC 55593/kg forage. In a previous opinion, the FEEDAP Panel could not conclude on their efficacy since the dry matter content of the ensiled materials at the end of the experiments was not corrected for volatiles, which led to an unreliable estimation of the dry matter loss, and the lack of positive effects on any of the other parameters. The supplementary information submitted by the applicant included updated data on the pH values and the dry matter loss corrected for volatiles. However, the estimation of the dry matter loss corrected for volatiles was wrongly calculated and thus, was not considered for the assessment of the efficacy of the additive. Considering the lack of effect on any other fermentation parameter, the Panel could not conclude on the efficacy of the additive to improve the production of silage under the proposed conditions of use.

Effect of bacterial inoculants and their combination with enzymes and chemical additives on fermentation characteristics and ensiling period of maize silage

The study aimed to investigate effect of bacterial inoculants and their combinations with exogenous enzymes and chemical additives on the fermentation characteristics of maize silage at various ensiling periods. Five treatments were prepared viz., bacterial inoculant Lactobacillus plantarum (LP) and Lactobacillus fermentum (LF) (control), combination of LP+LF with xylanase enzyme (X), combination of LP+LF with cellulase enzyme (C), combination of LP+LF with X+C and combination of LP+LF with propionic acid (PA). Among the treatments, LP+LF+X+C additive treated silage had minimum dry matter loss throughout ensiling period. There was no significant difference in pH between LP+LF+X+C and LP+LF+X treated silage, but numerically pH value was lower in LP+LF+X+C treated silage. Lactic acid content significantly declined as ensiling period progresses but there was no significant difference among LP+LF+X+C, LP+LF+X treated silage and 15th, 25th days of ensiling. Lactic acid to acetic acid ratio was significantly improved in LP+LF+X+C treated silage as compared to other treatment combinations. The microbial count of silage was increased up to the 15th day of ensiling. This study concluded that desirable pH, lactic acid and flieg point required for good quality silage could be achieved on 15th day of ensiling in silages treated with LP+LF+X+C and LP+LF+X additive combination.

Early detection of quality alterations in corn grains stored in vertical prototype silos using real-time monitoring of carbon dioxide and equilibrium moisture content

Early detection of the deterioration of grain stored in vertical silos would benefit food safety in these systems. Real-time monitoring of the intergranular variables - temperature, relative humidity, carbon dioxide and moisture content – was used to determine equilibrium moisture content and dry matter loss in corn stored in vertical prototype silos. Quantitative relationships were established for changes in quality variables – germination rate, apparent specific mass, starch content, protein solubility, pasting metrics, lipid activity and mycotoxin contamination. The results demonstrate that integrated monitoring of the equilibrium moisture content and carbon dioxide concentration in the stored corn mass can inform decision making for ideal storage time, loss reduction and food safety.

Effects of Phenyllactic Acid on Fermentation Parameters, Nitrogen Fractions and Bacterial Community of High-Moisture Stylo Silage

To investigate the effect of phenyllactic acid (PLA) on the dynamic changes of high-moisture stylo silage, fresh stylo was ensiled with addition of PLA at the levels of 0, 1% and 2% using lab-level silage bags, where samples were collected on days 3, 7, 14 and 30 of ensiling fermentation to analyze fermentation parameters, nitrogen distribution and bacterial community. The results showed that PLA addition at ensiling led to the increase (p &lt; 0.01) in dry matter content, lactic acid concentration and Flieg’s score of stylo silage as well as the decrease (p &lt; 0.01) in dry matter loss, pH value and coliform bacteria population, with butyric acid only detected in the control group. It also resulted in the increase (p &lt; 0.01) in true protein content and its proportion as well as the decrease (p &lt; 0.01) in ammonia-N content and its proportion, almost with linearly dose effect. Sequencing analysis revealed that PLA addition led to the increase (p &lt; 0.05) in Sobs, Shannon, Chao and Ace of bacterial community in the stylo silage, where the relative abundance of Enterobacter, Clostridium, and Kosakonia was decreased, and that of Lactobacillus, Enterococcus and Pantoea was increased. Furthermore, Kosakonia, Terriglobus, Sphingomonas and Sphingopyxis had an important role in the bacterial interaction network. It is suggested that PLA application at the level of 1–2% could improve silage quality of stylo silage via modifying bacterial community.

Toxicity of allyl isothiocyanate applied in systems with or without recirculation for controlling Sitophilus zeamais, Rhyzopertha dominica, and Tribolium castaneum in corn grains.

The application of allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) has been proposed as an alternative to control stored-grain insects. However, AITC is a compound with a low diffusion coefficient, making its distribution throughout the grain mass difficult. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of AITC applied in systems with or without recirculation for controlling Sitophilus zeamais (Mots. 1855) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Rhyzopertha dominica (Fabr.) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae), and Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) infesting a corn grain mass. The assays used a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) prototype, dimensioned 1.60 m in length, 0.30 m in diameter, and a static capacity of 60 kg of grains. AITC toxicity to insects was evaluated at the base, 0.5 m from the base, and top of the grain column (1.0 m). Different concentrations of AITC were tested for an exposure period of 48 h. In the system without AITC recirculation, insect mortality was verified only at the base of the grain column. However, insect mortality was considered uniform at the different positions of the column when the AITC recirculation system was adopted. In this system, there was also a marked reduction in the instantaneous population growth rate of S. zeamais, T. castaneum, and R. dominica, and a decrease in the dry matter loss of the grains, when the AITC concentrations were increased. AITC recirculation proved to be a viable strategy for protecting grains against the species S. zeamais, R. dominica, and T. castaneum. AITC fumigation ultimately did not cause changes in grain quality. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Dry matter loss and heat release due to oxygen depletion in stored wood pellets

When stored in closed environments, wood pellets consume and react with atmospheric oxygen in oxidative reactions. These reactions result in the loss of dry matter and the release of oxidative heat. To measure the oxygen consumption, pellets with moisture content (m.c.) between 4 and 50% (wb) were stored in sealed jars for 10 days at 25, 40, and 60 °C. Air was drawn from the jar using a syringe. The oxygen concentration of the extracted air was determined using gas chromatography. Assuming a complete oxidative reaction, 43.2 mmol or 1.057 L of oxygen gas is required to convert 1 g of wood under room conditions. Pellets stored at 25 °C had a rate of dry matter loss between 0.002 and 0.005%/day. The rate of dry matter loss more than doubled when pellets were stored at 40 °C. Pellets with 35% m.c. stored at 60 °C had the highest rate of dry matter loss of 0.036%/day. The oxidative heat rate ranged from 1 μW/g at 10 °C to 84 μW/g at 60 °C for 35% m.c. (wet mass basis) sample. When compared to published dml data of wood chips, wood pellets had higher dml rates at moisture contents lower than 10% but were more stable at higher moisture contents. Our results may be applied to estimate dry matter loss and oxidative heat in stored pellets without extensive analytical devices.

The metabolome and bacterial composition of high-moisture Italian ryegrass silage inoculated with lactic acid bacteria during ensiling

BackgroundWith its high nutritional value and productivity, Italian ryegrass as a biomass feedstock constantly supplies rumen degradable nitrogen and digestible fiber to ruminants. However, biofuel production is easily reduced during ensiling due to the high-moisture content of Italian ryegrass, leading to economic losses. Lactic acid bacteria inoculants could improve lignocellulosic degradation and fermentation quality and decrease dry matter loss during the bioprocessing of silage. Therefore, this study analyzed the effects of Lactobacillus buchneri TSy1-3 (HE), Lactobacillus rhamnosus BDy3-10 (HO), and the combination of HE and HO (M) on fermentation quality, bacterial community and metabolome in high-moisture Italian ryegrass silage during ensiling.ResultsThe results showed that the pH value was significantly lower in the HO groups than in the other treatments at the end of ensiling, and the dry matter and acetic acid contents were significantly higher in the HO group than in the other inoculated groups. All inoculants decreased the diversity of the bacterial community and significantly increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus. Inoculation with HO significantly improved the concentrations of organic acids, dipeptides, ferulic acid, apigenin, and laricitrin. Compared with Lactobacillus buchneri TSy1-3 (HE), HO significantly upregulated the flavonoid compounds in the flavone and flavonol biosynthesis pathway.ConclusionsOverall, these findings suggest that inoculation with HO was beneficial for the development of Italian ryegrass as a biomass feedstock, improving fermentation quality, accelerating changes in bacterial community composition and increasing biofunctional metabolites in high-moisture Italian ryegrass silage.

Improving aerobic stability and methane production of maize stover silage with lactic acid bacteria inoculants: Focus on pentose-fermentation

Ensiling is a widely used method for preserving crop stalks as biogas feedstock. However, secondary fermentation of silage is an inevitable problem that causes significant mass and energy losses. In this study, the effect of different lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculants on the fermentation pattern, aerobic stability, and methane production of maize stover was investigated. Maize stover was ensiled for 50 days with or without different LAB inoculants, followed by 10 days of air exposure. Methane production from the stover after the two processes was determined through batch anaerobic digestion (AD) tests. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum enhanced the homo-fermentation and reduced the pH of silage. Lentilactobacillus buchneri improved the hetero-fermentation of hexose, while causing higher dry matter loss (DML) than other inoculants. Limosilactobacillus fermentum enhanced pentose hetero-fermentation and increased both lactic acid and acetic acid production with minor DML. All the tested inoculants reduced the DML, improved the aerobic stability, and increased the methane yield of maize stover after ensiling (by up to 18.8%) and after air exposure (by up to 41.0%), with Limosilactobacillus fermentum exhibiting superior performance. The Limosilactobacillus fermentum treatment showed smaller variations in the bacterial community in AD than other treatments during air exposure. Ruminococcaceae, SHA-31, SB-1, Lachnospiraceae, Marinilabiaceae, and Erysipelotrichaceae showed positive correlations with water-soluble components, whereas Anaerolinaceae was positively correlated with cellulose or hemicellulose.

Community Synergy of Lactic Acid Bacteria and Cleaner Fermentation of Oat Silage Prepared with a Multispecies Microbial Inoculant.

To investigate community synergy of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and cleaner fermentation of oat silage, oat silages were prepared with or without (control) commercial LAB inoculants LI1 (containing Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Lentilactobacillus buchneri, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei, and Pediococcus acidilactici) and LI2 (containing Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Lentilactobacillus buchneri). The microbial community, LAB synergy, and cleaner fermentation were analyzed at 1, 3, 6, 15, 35, and 90 days of ensiling. The LAB inoculant improved fermentation quality, with significantly (P < 0.05) lower pH, ammonia nitrogen content, and gas production and higher lactic acid and acetic acid contents than those of the control. Enterobacteriaceae was the main bacterial community in early stage of fermentation, which utilizes sugar to produce CO2 gas, causing dry matter (DM) and energy loss. As fermentation progressed, the microbial diversity decreased, and the microbial community shifted from Gram-negative to Gram-positive bacteria. The inoculation of multispecies LAB displayed community synergy; Pediococcus acidilactici formed a dominant community in the early stage of fermentation, which produced an acid and anaerobic environment for the subsequent growth of Lentilactobacillus and Lacticaseibacillus species, thus forming a LAB-dominated microbial community. The predicted functional profile indicated that the silage inoculated with LI1 enhanced the carbohydrate metabolism pathway but inhibited the amino acid metabolism pathway, which played a role in promoting faster lactic acid production, reducing the decomposition of protein to ammonia nitrogen, and improving the fermentation quality of silage. Therefore, oat silage can be processed to high-quality and cleaner fermented feed by using an LAB inoculant, and LI1 showed better efficiency than LI2. IMPORTANCE Oat natural silage is rich in Enterobacteriaceae, increasing gas production and fermentation loss. Lactic acid bacteria interact synergistically to form a dominant community during ensiling. Pediococci grow vigorously in the early stage of fermentation and create an anaerobic environment. Lactobacilli inhibit the harmful microorganisms and result in cleaner fermentation of oat silage.

Effect of application rate of sodium nitrite and hexamine on the fermentation and the chemical composition of guinea grass silage harvested at different stages of maturity

Grass ensilability varies with maturity stage, mainly due to changing concentrations of dry matter and soluble carbohydrates with progressing forage maturity. Consequently, the required dose of silage additive to prevent the development of undesirable microorganisms may change with maturity stage. The objective of this study was to verify whether the application rate of an additive containing sodium nitrite and hexamine interacts with guinea grass maturity to alter silage fermentation and chemical composition. Four fields of guinea grass (0.5–0.7 ha each field) were mowed and divided into two plots per field. After 5 wk, one plot of each field was mowed again to establish differences in stage of maturity. Ten weeks after the first mowing, the grass plots with 5- and 10-wk regrowth were manually harvested and used for the trial. The grass from each plot (approx. 30 kg) was chopped and divided into 3 piles, totaling to 24 piles, as result of four fields, two maturities, and three additive treatments: control (without additive), low dose of sodium nitrite (0.5 g/kg) + hexamine (0.325 g/kg) (NHL), and high dose of sodium nitrite (1 g/kg) + hexamine (0.65 g/kg) (NHH). After 90 d of storage, the silos were opened and silages sampled to determine dry matter (DM) loss, microbial counts, fermentation end-products, aerobic stability, chemical composition, and in vitro DM digestibility. Guinea grass harvested at 10-wk regrowth had a lower content of crude protein (P < 0.001) and a greater content of cell wall components (P < 0.001), resulting in a more lignified (P < 0.001) and less digestible (P < 0.001) forage than that harvested at 5 wk. There were interactions between plant maturity and additive dose for several silage traits (P < 0.05), likely due to the slightly greater fermentability coefficient (+5.1 points) for the more mature grass (P < 0.001). Within each maturity stage, silage pH and fermentation end-products associated with clostridia metabolism (i.e., n-butyric acid, propionic acid, i-butyric acid, i-valeric acid, n-valeric acid, ammonia, and 2,3-butanediol) linearly decreased (P < 0.001) with additive application rate, but the magnitude of improvement was slightly greater for 5-wk than 10-wk regrowth. Application of additive linearly decreased silage DM loss at both 5-wk (95.2, 46.7, and 20.6 g/kg DM, P < 0.001) and 10-wk (66.5, 31.7, and 13.6 g/kg DM, P < 0.001) regrowth stages, but only silages treated with NHH had n-butyric acid concentration < 3 g/kg DM. The proportion of rumen undegradable protein (P < 0.001), soluble carbohydrates concentration (P < 0.001), and in vitro DM digestibility (P < 0.001) were linearly increased with additive dose within each maturity stage. As treated silages were better conserved, silage aerobic stability was linearly reduced (P < 0.001) with additive dose, although all silages were aerobically stable for ≥ 4.7 d. In conclusion, the additive based on sodium nitrite and hexamine, applied at a regular dose, was able to largely restrict Clostridium development and DM losses during fermentation of guinea grass silage at both maturity stages. However, harvesting more mature grass markedly impaired its chemical composition and digestibility, rendering it no feasible strategy to reduce the additive application rate by half.

The effect of storage conditions on the characteristics of various types of biomass

In order to determine optimal conditions for maintaining biomass quality during storage, an analysis was conducted to investigate the changes in biomass characteristics in Bangkok, Thailand. The study focused on three types of biomass: corncob, woodchip, and bagasse, which are valuable renewable energy resources in the region. Each type of biomass was divided into two separate piles: one covered with a plastic sheet and the other left uncovered. Over a storage period of seven months (February-September), various characteristics of the biomass piles were evaluated, including pile temperature, moisture content, ash content, heating value, and dry matter loss. The findings indicate that the utilization of plastic sheets significantly enhanced the quality of corncob and woodchip biomass. This improvement was attributed to reduced moisture content, leading to higher heating values, lower ash content, and decreased dry matter loss in the covered piles compared to the uncovered ones. However, such improvements were not observed in the case of bagasse, as its quality exhibited fluctuations throughout the study period.

Monitoring of intergranular variables for predicting technical breakage of wheat grains stored in vertical silos

The increase in the silos temperature and intergranular relative humidity can alter the equilibrium moisture content of the grains mass causing losses. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the temporal monitoring of temperature, relative humidity, and intergranular carbon dioxide for the prediction of dry matter loss in wheat grains stored in vertical silos, using a mathematical model and machine learning algorithms. Under these conditions, wheat grains had a slight increase in metabolic activity, causing a dry matter loss of 0.035–0.041%. The intergranular temperature, relative humidity, and carbon dioxide results were similar to the measurements on the surface of the grain mass. It was concluded that the monitoring of temperature, relative humidity, and the concentration of carbon dioxide in the intergranular air indirectly and early determined the changes in the quality of wheat grains during storage. Although the metabolic activity of wheat grains was low, as the lots remained in hygroscopic equilibrium with moisture contents close to 12% (w.b.), the temporal detection characterized the loss of dry matter and the reduction of grain weight stored. Finally, the Artificial Neural Networks and Multiple Linear Regression model satisfactorily predicted the dry matter loss of stored wheat grain mass.

Effects of brewer's spent yeast inclusion level and ensiling duration on fermentative, fungal load dynamics, and nutritional characteristics of brewer's spent yeast-based silage

ObjectiveThis study was conducted to evaluate the effect of brewer's spent yeast (BSY) inclusion level and ensiling duration (ED) on fermentative, fungal load dynamics, and nutritional characteristics of brewer's spent-yeast based silage. Materials and methodsTo prepare the silages materials, 4 BSY inclusion levels (0, 10, 20, and 30%) to replace BSG and 3 ED (2,4 and 6 weeks) were arranged in 4 × 3 factorial combination using a completely randomized design (CRD) in 5 replications. The ratio of brewery spent grain (BSG) to wheat bran (WB) used majorly as protein and energy sources, respectively was 30:69 with a 1% salt addition. Parameters measured include observation for surface spoilage, yeast and mold colony count, silage temperature, pH, total dry matter loss (TDML), major proximate, detergent fractions and permanganate lignin, in-vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) and estimated metabolizable energy (EME) values. ResultsThe study revealed that at any BSY inclusion level and ED, extensive mold growths and discolorations were not observed. However, slightly higher values of 6.5, 5.7, and 12.2 colonies forming unit (CFU)/g DM yeast, mold, and total fungal counts (TFC), respectively were recorded only at the 6 weeks of the fermentation period with 30% BSY inclusion level. Brewer's spent yeast inclusion level and ED had a significant (P < 0.05) effect on silage temperature (mean = 18.05 °C) and pH (mean = 4.16). Among proximate and detergent values, crude protein (mean CP g/kg DM = 204.5), neutral detergent fiber (mean NDF g/kg DM = 552.9), and acid detergent fiber (mean ADF g/kg DM = 115.9) responded significantly (P < 0.05) to both BSY inclusion levels and ED. ConclusionAmong nutritional quality, CP, IVOMD, and EME of silage samples were subjected to substantial improvements when silage masses were prepared from 20% BSY inclusion levels and when the same silage materials were allowed to ferment for four weeks. In addition, the lab-based experiment should be supported with additional silage quality parameters like volatile fatty acid content of the silage materials and supplementation of ruminant livestock under both on-station and on-farm conditions using either a pilot and/or target animals.

Pengaruh Penambahan Molases sebagai Sumber Glukosa terhadap Karakteristik Fisiko-Kimia Silase Rumput Gajah

This study aimed to examine the molasses addition as a glucose source in the process of elephant grass silage. A completely randomized design consisting of five treatments and five replications was used in this study. The treatments were P1: elephant grass (EG) as control, P2: EG + 2.5% molasses, P3: EG + 5% molasses, P4: EG + 7.5% molasses and P5: EG + 10% molasses based on dry matter. All the treatments were ensiled for 30 days. The parameters included physical quality were aroma, mold growth, texture while the chemical quality parameters were pH, dry matter, dry matter loss, and fleigh value. The data were analyzed for variance and if there were differences between treatments, the Duncan's test was conducted at the 5% level. The results showed that 10% molasses addition had a significant effect (p&lt;0.05) on the physical and chemical qualities of elephant grass silage. The elephant grass silage had a distinctive fermented aroma, no fungi, smooth texture, no clump, and brownish-green color following the molasses color. The pH of elephant grass silage was 3.37-4.52, the silage dry matter was around 27.5%-32.5%, the dry matter loss was around 2.76%-6.73%, while the fleigh value was around 79.2-135. It could be concluded that molasses could be used as a stimulant additive to ensilage elephant grass.

Effect of co-inoculation of Lactobacillus plantarum and Lentilactobacillus buchneri on aerobic stability and microbial community composition of perennial sorghum silage

In the present study, the aerobic stability of perennial sorghum (Sorghum bicolor × Sorghum propinquum) silage following exposure to air was evaluated, which was pretreated with either Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (L group) or Lactiplantibacillus plantarum + Lentilactobacillus buchneri (M group). Samples from the M group had lower dry matter loss rates and higher acetic acid content after exposure to air. Furthermore, samples from the M group showed high levels of water-soluble carbohydrates (2.79–6.55% in dry matter) and crude protein (3.82–9.02% in dry matter) after exposure to air. Moreover, M pretreatment led to the inhibition of the growth of Debaryomyces hansenii whereas it promoted the growth of Levilactobacillus and Clavispora sp. Overall, M pretreatment of perennial sorghum during storage hindered aerobic deterioration and promoted the formation of total fermentation products that act as precursors for biogas production.