Water-soluble Carbohydrate Content Research Articles

Effects of Different Concentrations of Lactobacillus plantarum and Bacillus licheniformis on Silage Quality, In Vitro Fermentation and Microbial Community of Hybrid Pennisetum.

Simple SummaryIn our study, we reported the effects of Lactobacillus plantarum (LP) and Bacillus licheniformis (BL) on the quality of hybrid Pennisetum (HP) silage. The results of this experiment have a certain reference value for the silage production of hybrid Pennisetum and the use of the two additives.The purpose of the experiment was to study the effects of different concentrations of Lactobacillus plantarum (LP) and Bacillus licheniformis (BL) on the quality of hybrid Pennisetum (HP) silage. The experiment consisted of five treatment groups. The control group did not use additives, and the experimental groups were added with LP or BL of 1 × 105 cfu/g fresh weight (FW) and 1 × 107 cfu/g FW, respectively. The results showed that LP and BL could increase the in vitro fermentation gas production and reduce the ammonia nitrogen (AN) content in HP silage. Water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), lactic acid (LA) content, and gas production in the LP group were positively correlated with LP addition, and acetic acid (AA) was negatively correlated with addition. The content of WSC and LA in the LP7 group was significantly higher than that in the control group (p < 0.05), and AA was lower than that in the control group (p > 0.05). Dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), and gas production were negatively correlated with the addition of BL, while acid detergent fiber (ADF) content was positively correlated with the addition of BL. Furthermore, in the above indicators, the BL5 group reached a significant level with the control group (p < 0.05). The results of 16sRNA showed that the use of LP and BL could increase the relative abundance of Lactobacillus and decrease the relative abundance of Weissella in HP silage compared with the control group. In conclusion, LP and BL can significantly improve the quality of HP silage. The LP7 group and the BL5 group have the best silage effect. From the perspective of gas production in in vitro fermentation, the LP7 group had stronger fermentability and higher nutritional value.

Effects of Cellulase and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum on the Fermentation Parameters, Nutrients, and Bacterial Community in Cassia alata Silage.

Silage Cassia alata (CA) can alleviate feed shortage in some areas to a certain extent and reduce feed costs. The present research evaluated the effect of cellulase (CE) and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (LP) on the fermentation parameters, nutrients, and bacterial community of CA silage. Chopped CA was ensiled with three different treatments, namely, no inoculant (CK), CE, and LP, and the indexes were determined on the 2nd, 6th, 14th, and 30th days of silage fermentation. The fermentation parameters indicate that the pH value of the three groups decreased and then increased with the ensilage process, and the lowest value was observed on the 14th day. The CK and LP groups attained the highest value on the 30th day, while the CE group attained the highest value on the 2nd day. Additionally, the pH value and NH3-N content were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in the CE and LP groups than in the CK group. In terms of nutrients, crude protein (CP) contents significantly increased (P < 0.05) in the CE and LP groups on the 30th day. The neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) contents of the CE group were significantly and negatively associated with fermentation time, and the water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) contents of the three groups were significantly lower during ensiling. In comparison with the CK group, the NDF and ADF contents were significantly reduced (P < 0.05), and the WSC content increased (P < 0.05) in the CE group on day 30. Sequencing analysis of bacterial communities showed that Lactobacillus became the most dominant genus in the ensilage process. Moreover, both CE and LP groups increased the abundance of Lactobacillus and decreased that of Klebsiella, Weissella, and Acetobacter in comparison to the CK group, in which LP had a better effect. CE and LP could further improve the silage quality of CA, and LP had a more significant effect in reconstructing the bacterial community in the silage environment.

An innovative strategy to enhance the ensiling quality and methane production of excessively wilted wheat straw: Using acetic acid or hetero-fermentative lactic acid bacterial community as additives

Ensiling is an effective storage strategy for agricultural biomass, especially for energy crops (mainly energy grasses and maize). However, the ensiling of excessively wilted crop straw is limited due to material characteristics, such as a high lignocellulosic content and low water-soluble carbohydrate and moisture contents. In this study, acetic acid or hetero-fermentative lactic acid bacterial community (hetero-fermentative LAB) were employed as silage additives to improve the ensiling process of excessively wilted wheat straw (EWS). The results showed that the additives inhibited the growth of Enterobacteriaceae and Clostridium_sensu_stricto_12, whose abundances decreased from 55.8% to 0.03–0.2%, respectively. The growth of Lactobacillus was accelerated, and the abundances increased from 1.3% to 80.1–98.4% during the ensiling process. Lactic acid fermentation was the dominant metabolic pathway in the no additive treatment. The additives increased acetic acid fermentation and preserved the hemicellulose and cellulose contents, increasing the methane yield by 17.7–23.9%. This study shows that ensiling with acetic acid or hetero-fermentative LAB is an effective preservation and storage strategy for efficient methane production from EWS.

The effectiveness of chemical additives on fermentation profiles, aerobic stability and in vitro ruminal digestibility of total mixed ration ensiled with Napier grass and wet distillers’ grains in southeast China

Chemical additives have been widely used to restrain the growth of undesirable microorganisms, and they were ideal additives to well preserve silages. The work aimed at evaluating the effects of four chemical additives on fermentation quality, aerobic stability and in vitro ruminal digestibility of the fermented total mixed ration (FTMR). The TMR was treated with: (1) no additive (control); (2) sodium diacetate; (3) calcium propionate; (4) sodium benzoate (SB); (5) potassium sorbate (PS) on a fresh weight (FW) basis. After 60 days of ensiling, the silos were opened and sampled to determine fermentation quality, in vitro rumen parameters, and then the 60-day FTMR were subjected to a 9-day aerobic stability test. Chemical additives significantly (p < 0.05) increased dry matter, crude protein, and water-soluble carbohydrates contents, and decreased ammonia nitrogen, ethanol contents, aerobic bacteria and yeast counts after 60 days of ensiling. During aerobic exposure, chemical additives obviously improved aerobic stability as indicated by higher lactic acid, water-soluble carbohydrates contents and lactic acid bacteria counts, and lower pH, ethanol, ammonia nitrogen contents, aerobic bacteria and yeast counts. Treatments with SB and PS had higher (p < 0.05) lactic acid content, and lower (p < 0.05) pH, ammonia nitrogen content, aerobic bacteria and yeast counts than other FTMR. After 72 h of incubation, chemical additives significantly (p < 0.05) increased cumulative gas production, in vitro digestibility of dry matter and crude protein. The SB and PS-treated FTMR had higher (p < 0.05) cumulative gas production and in vitro dry matter digestibility than other FTMR. These results indicated that SB and PS were more effective to improve aerobic stability and in vitro ruminal parameters, and they were recommended as optimal additives for FTMR. HIGHLIGHTS Four chemical additives were served as additives for fermentation total mixed ration Chemical additives markedly improved fermentation quality, aerobic stability and in vitro ruminal parameters Sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate were optimal for improving aerobic stability and in vitro parameters

Adding corn meal into mixed elephant grass–butterfly pea legume silages improves nutritive value and dry matter recovery

AbstractThe objective of this study was to describe and explain the effect of adding corn meal (CM) on losses, fermentation characteristics and nutritional value of silages from two elephant grass [Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone] genotypes (Taiwan A-146 2.37 and IRI-381) mixed with butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea L.) legume. The forage was harvested at 75 days of regrowth from elephant grass plots intercropped with butterfly pea legume and ensiled with or without CM at 5% of dry matter (DM) content. Greater gas losses (12 g/kg) and pH (4.2) were observed in the Taiwan A-146 2.37 + butterfly pea silages. The greatest crude protein content was observed in the ‘Taiwan A-146 2.37’ + butterfly pea silage added with CM (116 g/kg). Silages with additive and those containing IRI-381 had a greater acid detergent fibre content (367 and 366 g/kg, respectively). CM increased the silage DM (221 g/kg), remaining water-soluble carbohydrates contents (26 g/kg) and in vitro digestibility of DM. The aerobic stability was maintained until 45 h after opening the silos. All silages presented a good fermentative profile and were not affected by the relatively large proportion of butterfly pea (&gt;34%) in the ensiled mass as indicated by the reduced contents of butyric acid and ammonia nitrogen. CM reduces total losses, increases DM recovery and improves the nutritional value of silages from mixed elephant grass–butterfly pea legume.

Effects of growth stage on nutritional value of barley and triticale forages for goats

The nutritional composition and in vitro gas production of barley and triticale forages at tillering, stem elongation, and ear emergence stages were studied. The mean crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) content was higher in barley than triticale. The supplementation of wheat grain in in vitro incubation had no effect on the gas production of barley and triticale forage. The nutritive value of barley and triticale forages is highly influenced by growth stage and is high during the early stage of growth during tillering and stem elongation. Barley and triticale forages have potential as feed for dairy goats and although barley had a higher CP content, both have adequate ME and CP levels to meet the nutritional requirements of adult goats with 50 kg body weight in early lactation.

Improve the nutritional value and utilization of rice straw via an ensiling process with different sources of energy and nitrogen enrichment

ABSTRACT Ensiled rice straw using, water (RSW), molasses plus urea, and whey (RWh) were implied to investigate the ensiling processing on palatability and nutritional value of rice straw compared to untreated rice straw (URS). Using whey resulted in a significant (P < .05) progress in fermentation coefficient, and Flieg Score compared to others. Protein and water-soluble carbohydrates content increased (P < .05) in RWh compared to RMU. Gas cumulative increased (P < .05) with ERS compared to the incubation of URS. In-vitro organic matter degradability, neutral detergent fiber degradability, crude protein degradability, microbial protein, and metabolizable energy varied less amongst the tested ingredients. The RWh was significantly (P < .05) consumed and palatable higher compared to RMU, which was more (P < .05) significant than RSW. The use of either RWh or RMU has improved total digestible nutrients (TDN) compared to RSW and URS. The values of total protein, alanine aminotransferase, and glucose were higher (P < .05) with ERS feeding compared to URS. The results indicate the possibility of ensiling rice straw with added either whey or molasses with urea as sources of nitrogen and energy to induce good fermentation and improve utilization of rice straw.

Grain-Filling Rate Improves Physical Grain Quality in Barley Under Heat Stress Conditions During the Grain-Filling Period.

Heat stress is a primary constraint to Australia's barley production. In addition to impacting grain yield, it adversely affects physical grain quality (weight and plumpness) and market value. The incidence of heat stress during grain filling is rising with global warming. However, breeding for new superior heat-tolerant genotypes has been challenging due to the narrow window of sensitivity, the unpredictable nature of heat stress, and its frequent co-occurrence with drought stress. Greater scientific knowledge regarding traits and mechanisms associated with heat tolerance would help develop more efficient selection methods. Our objective was to assess 157 barley varieties of contrasting genetic backgrounds for various developmental, agro-morphological, and physiological traits to examine the effects of heat stress on physical grain quality. Delayed sowing (i.e., July and August) increased the likelihood of daytime temperatures above 30°C during grain-filling. Supplementary irrigation of field trials ensured a reduced impact of drought stress. Heat tolerance appeared to be the primary factor determining grain plumpness. A wide variation was observed for heat tolerance, particularly among the Australian varieties. Genotypic variation was also observed for grain weight, plumpness, grain growth components, stay-green and stem water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) content, and mobilisation under normal and delayed sown conditions. Compared to normal sowing, delayed sowing reduced duration of developmental phases, plant height, leaf size, head length, head weight, grain number, plumpness, grain width and thickness, stem WSC content, green leaf area retention, and harvest index (HI), and increased screenings, grain length, grain-filling rate (GFR), WSC mobilisation efficiency (WSCME), and grain protein content. Overall, genotypes with heavier and plumper grains under high temperatures had higher GFR, longer grain-filling duration, longer green leaf area retention, higher WSCME, taller stature, smaller leaf size, greater HI, higher grain weight/plumpness potentials, and earlier flowering. GFR played a significant role in determining barley grain weight and plumpness under heat-stress conditions. Enhancing GFR may provide a new avenue for improving heat tolerance in barley.

Dynamics and plasticity of agronomic performance and nutritive quality traits in forage maize at high latitudes

The relationships between dynamics and plasticity (ability of a hybrid to modulate its traits according to growing conditions) of agronomic and nutritional traits are unclear. Quantifying and characterizing these relationships can improve understanding of plant response mechanisms to growing conditions in short cropping periods at high latitudes. This study investigated the dynamics of key agronomic performance and forage quality traits and the importance of their mean values for expression of plasticity. Data were collected on eight sampling occasions during the cropping period in 2013 and 2014, using six phenologically different forage maize hybrids grown at three high-latitude locations. The dynamics of all traits studies were significantly affected by hybrid and environment (combination of location and year). Dry matter yield (DMY) and dry matter content (DM) were affected by interactions between hybrid, growing conditions on each sampling occasion, and overall growing conditions in the different environments. Neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD), starch (STA) concentration, water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) concentration, and organic matter digestibility (OMD) in the hybrids differed significantly over time across the environments. Early-maturing hybrids progressed faster in maturity based on DM content and had higher STA concentration, NDFD, and OMD at a given time than later-maturing hybrids. Similar DMY and higher NDFD and OMD in early-maturing compared with later-maturing hybrids, regardless of sampling occasion or environment, suggests that use of early-maturing hybrids is advantageous in the short cropping season at high latitudes. For most traits, plastic ability [plasticity of trait x/mean value of trait x, or ability to change expression of plasticity of a trait is based on the mean value of the trait] was dependent on the mean value of a trait and declined with increasing mean value. Plastic ability of DM, DMY and STA was higher at early developmental stages and decreased at later developmental stages, but the opposite was true for WSC and CP. Although the dynamics of trait development over time differed between the hybrids, the dynamics of plastic ability for four traits (DM, WSC, OMD, NDF) were similar in all hybrids. These maturity characteristics-based responses of the six hybrids in terms of trait dynamics and plastic ability, and the dependence of plastic ability on the dynamics of corresponding trait, can potentially be exploited in development of new variety/hybrid and prediction models for further improving the agronomic and nutritional value of forage maize crops at high latitudes.

Depositing capacity of winter wheat stem segments under natural drought during grain filling in Ukrainian forest steppe conditions

Drought is a major abiotic factor adversely affecting wheat productivity. Water deficit reduces significantly photosynthesis and hence the remobilization of stored assimilate reserves from the stem becomes important sources for grain filling. We assessed the ability of different stem internodes and leaf sheaths to deposit and remobilize reserve assimilates as well as their role in grain yield formation in 6 winter wheat varieties under drought conditions during the period of grain filling. The dry weight and content of water-soluble carbohydrates in the dry matter of stem internodes and leaf sheaths of the main shoot was determined at anthesis, the beginning of milk ripeness and full grain ripeness. The total amount of water-soluble carbohydrates in stem segments was calculated as the product of their specific content in the dry matter of the stem segment and its mass. The amount of remobilized dry matter and water-soluble carbohydrates for each segment was estimated as the difference between the appropriate values at anthesis or milk ripeness and full ripeness. The maximum accumulation of water-soluble carbohydrates in the stem was reached at early milk ripeness. The most productive varieties Kyivska 17 and Horodnytsia had the largest amount of remobilized water-soluble carbohydrates in all internodes. Depositing capacity of the second and third (counting from the top) internodes was higher compared to others and has a significant effect on the grain productivity of wheat varieties studied. Despite significant variability and strong genotype x year interaction of the relationships between depositing capacity traits of different stem segments and grain productivity, mainly tight correlations were found for dry matter and total water-soluble carbohydrates accumulation and remobilization in second and third internodes with yield and grain weight per spike. The obtained data suggests that the remobilization of deposited water-soluble carbohydrates is an important factor contributing to the filling of winter wheat grain in arid conditions and more detailed studies of relationships of depositing capacity of individual stem segments with yield can be useful for development of breeding tools for further genetic yield improvement.

Effects of wet brewers grains on fermentation quality and in vitro ruminal digestibility of mixed silage prepared with corn stalk, sweet potato peel and dried apple pomace in southeast China.

The effects of wet brewers grains (WBG) on fermentation quality, chemical composition and in vitro ruminal digestibility of mixed silages prepared with corn stalk, dried apple pomace and sweet potato peel were evaluated. A mixture of corn stalk, sweet potato peel and dried apple pomace (50/30/20) was ensiled with 0, 10%, 20% and 30% WBG on a fresh weight (FW) basis for 1, 3, 5, 7, 14 and 30 days respectively. The results showed that the application of WBG increased (p < 0.05) lactic acid, acetic acid and total volatile fatty acids contents, and decreased (p < 0.05) pH, dry matter, water-soluble carbohydrates content and ammonia-nitrogen/total nitrogen during ensiling. The pH in all silages was below 4.03 during ensiling. Treating with WBG increased (p < 0.05) crude protein content, and decreased (p < 0.05) neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre, cellulose and hemicellulose content after 30 days of ensiling. After 72 h of incubation, cumulative gas production, potential gas production and in vitro crude protein digestibility increased (p < 0.05) with the increasing proportions of WBG. However, in vitro digestibility of dry matter and neutral detergent fibre, and metabolisable energy were similar in all silages. The 20% and 30% WBG-treated silages showed better fermentation quality and greater or higher in vitro digestibility, which were indicated by greater or higher (p < 0.05) lactic acid content, in vitro crude protein digestibility, and lower (p < 0.05) pH, ammonia-nitrogen/total nitrogen ratio as compared with the control. Therefore, ensiling agro-food by-products with at least 20% WBG were recommended for improving fermentation quality.

Effects of baking on the biochemical composition of Chlorella vulgaris

Chlorella vulgaris has gained popularity in recent years as a functional food ingredient with its highly nutritious profile. In this study, we have explored the effects of baking at 125 °C for 15 min to C. vulgaris CCAP 211/11b on the biomass's water soluble carbohydrate and protein contents, total lipids, and soluble vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B7, B9, B12 and C). Control (raw) and experimental (baked) groups' average soluble carbohydrate content varied between 26 and 27%, soluble proteins 21–23%, and total lipids 7–9% of dried cell weight indicating no significant effects of baking process on C. vulgaris. Results of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer (LC-MS/MS) showed that baking also had no significant effect on vitamins except B3. Vitamins B1, B2, and B3 were higher in baked samples compared to the control group. Overall, C. vulgaris deemed suitable for addition to functional food recipes with short baking durations considering the durability of main biochemical components as well as water soluble vitamins.

The Potential of Pre-fermented Juice or Lactobacillus Inoculants to Improve the Fermentation Quality of Mixed Silage of Agro-Residue and Lucerne.

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of pre-fermented juice, Lactobacillus plantarum, and L. buchneri on chemical composition, fermentation, aerobic stability, dynamics of microbial community, and metabolic pathway of a mixture of lucerne, wheat bran (WB), and rice straw (RS). All mixtures were ensiled for 1, 3, 5, 7, 15, 30, and 45 days after treatment with uninoculated (control, C); L. plantarum [LP, 1 × 106 cfu/g of fresh weight (FW)]; L. buchneri (LB, 1 × 106 cfu/g of FW); LP + LB (LPB, 1 × 106 cfu/g of FW of each inoculant); and pre-fermented juice (J; 2 × 106 cfu/g of FW). Four lactic acid bacteria (LAB) species from three genera were cultured from the pre-fermented juice, with W. cibaria being dominant. The inoculants increased lactic acid (LA), decreased pH and ammonia nitrogen (AN) compared to C silage at earlier stages of ensiling, and high dry matter (DM) and water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) content in inoculated silages. Adding LPB increased the abundance of L. plantarum, L. paralimentarius, and L. nodensis, resulting in the lowest pH. Pre-fermented juice enriched W. cibaria, L. sakei, L. parabrevis, Pseudomonas putida, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, mainly enhanced accumulation of acetic acid (AA) and LA, and decreased pH, crude protein losses, AN, and hemicellulose contents. L. buchneri and L. brevis had a high abundance in LB-treated and J silages, respectively, inhibited undesirable bacteria, and improved aerobic stability with more than 16 days. In addition, the metabolic pathways changed with time and L. buchneri inoculants promoted global metabolism. In conclusion, inoculations altered bacterial succession and metabolic pathways in silage; LB and pre-fermented juice enhanced ensiling by promoting pH reductions, enhancing concentrations of LA and AA, and extending aerobic stability more than 16 days.

Ambient ultraviolet radiation: A new factor affecting anaerobic fermentation of oat and subsequent methane emissions

To investigate the effect of ambient ultraviolet (UV) radiation on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau on anaerobic fermentation and subsequent methane emissions, oats grown under different ambient UV conditions (UV1, 100% ambient UV radiation; UV2, 50% ambient UV radiation) were fermented with molasses and Lactobacillus plantarum (LP) inoculant treatments. The UV2 treatment increased (P < 0.05) epiphytic bacterial counts and reduced (P < 0.05) the water-soluble carbohydrate contents of oat. Both the UV2 treatment and the LP inoculant substantially increased the abundance of Lactobacillus and inhibited detrimental microorganisms (enterobacteria and yeasts) during anaerobic fermentation, resulting in the absence of butyric acid. The UV2 treatment increased (P < 0.05) the acid detergent fiber contents after anaerobic fermentation and indirectly increased (P < 0.05) methane emissions by 8.52–14.69% during in vitro ruminal digestion. This study demonstrated that low ambient UV radiation during cultivation facilitated anaerobic fermentation and consequently enhanced subsequent methane emissions from the rumen.

Changes in carbohydrate content in mixtures of field pea and spring triticale determining the quality of green fodder

Green fodder obtained from mixtures of legume and cereals can be of good quality for direct feeding. Obtaining good quality fodder from mixtures cultivated on arable land is possible on the condition of proper share of components, harvest time and plant selection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the share of components in the mixture of pea with spring triticale and the harvest date on carbohydrates content in green matter. A field experiment was conducted from 2016 to 2018 and two factors were studied: I. Share of components in the mixture: field pea - clean sowing, spring triticale - clean sowing, field pea 75% + spring triticale 25%, field pea 50% + spring triticale 50%, field pea 25% + spring triticale 75%. II. Harvest date: flowering stage of field pea, flat green pod stage of field pea. The highest content of total carbohydrates and water soluble carbohydrates, among the mixtures, was found in the mixture with 75% share of pea and 25% share of spring triticale. The harvest date had no effect on the concentration of total carbohydrates, while delaying the harvest date caused a decrease in the water soluble carbohydrates content in the green matter of the mixtures.

Effects of Sucrose, Glucose and Molasses on Fermentation Quality and Bacterial Community of Stylo Silage

To better understand the mechanism underlying water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC)-regulated silage fermentation, the bacterial community and fermentation quality of stylo (Stylosanthes guianensis) ensiled without (sterile distilled water) (CK) or with 10 g/kg sucrose (S), 10 g/kg glucose (G), and 10 g/kg molasses (M) were investigated. Each treatment was ensiled in three plastic bag silos for 30 days. The DM of stylo was 301.0 g/kg (fresh matter basis), while the contents of CP, WSC, NDF and ADF were 104.9, 12.3, 510.4 and 407.6 g/kg (dry matter basis), respectively. The bacterial community was characterized by using 16Sr DNA sequencing technology. The addition of WSC significantly altered both fermentation quality and the bacterial community of stylo silage. The additive treatment resulted in higher lactic acid (17.2 vs. 67.0 g/kgDM), lower pH (4.68 vs. 4.46), and lower acetic acid (37.0 vs. 28.9 g/kgDM) compared with the control. In addition, no propionic acid and butyric acid were detected in the additive treatment groups. These results indicated that WSC additives helped to produce greater quality stylo silage. Meanwhile, the Shannon index was higher, and the Simpson index was lower in the WSC additive-treated groups compared with the control, indicating that WSC improved microbial diversity. Furthermore, WSC treatments increased the abundance of acid-producing bacteria Megamonas and Bacteroides, decreased the abundance of Weissella, and inhibited the growth of the undesirable Enterobacter. Our results confirmed that sucrose, glucose and molasses have similar beneficial effects on both bacterial community and silage fermentation of stylo. Molasses was recommended to be used in stylo silage for economic benefit and resource utilization.

Bacterial Community and Fermentation Quality of Ensiling Alfalfa With Commercial Lactic Acid Bacterial Additives.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of six common commercial lactic acid bacteria (LAB) additives [A1, Lactobacillus plantarum, L. buchneri, and Enterococcus faecalis; A2, L. plantarum and L. casei; A3, L. plantarum and L. buchneri; A4, L. plantarum, L. buchneri, L. casei, and Pediococcus acidilactici; A5, L. plantarum (producing feruloyl esterase); and A6, L. buchneri, P. acidilactici, β-glucanase, and xylanase] on the bacterial community and fermentation quality of alfalfa silage. Alfalfa was harvested at the squaring stage, wilted in the field for 24 h, and ensiled without any additives (Control) or with A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, or A6. Microbial counts, bacterial community, fermentation parameters, and nutritional composition were determined after ensiling for 90 days. The total abundance of LAB genera on alfalfa pre-ensiling was 0.38% in bacterial community. The abundances of Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, and Pediococcus in the Control silage were 42.18, 40.18, and 8.09% of abundance, respectively. The abundances of Lactobacillus in A1-, A2-, A3-, A4-, and A5-treatments were 89.32, 92.93, 92.87, 81.12, and 80.44%, respectively. The abundances of Pediococcus and Lactobacillus in A6-treatment were 70.14 and 24.86%, respectively. Compared with Control silage, LAB-treated silage had lower pH and less ammonia nitrogen and water-soluble carbohydrates concentrations (p < 0.05). Further, the A5- and A6-treatments contained lower neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and hemicellulose than other treatments (p < 0.05). Overall, LAB genera were presented as minor taxa in alfalfa pre-ensiling and as dominant taxa in alfalfa silage. Adding LAB additives improved the fermentation quality and altered the bacterial community of alfalfa silage. The main bacterial genera in Control silage were Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, and Pediococcus. Lactobacillus dominated the bacterial communities of A1-, A2-, A3-, A4-, and A5-treatments, while Pediococcus and Lactobacillus were dominant bacterial genera in A6-treatment. Inoculating A5 and A6 degraded the fiber in alfalfa silage. It is necessary to ensile alfalfa with LAB inoculants.

Effects of browse legume species addition on nutritional composition, fermentation characteristics and aerobic stability of Opuntia cladodes silage

Forage legumes are commonly used as an absorbent additive in high-moisture silages. Thus this study was carried out to assess the nutritive value, fermentation characteristics and aerobic stability of Opuntia–legume browse mixed silages. Five browse legume species (Leucaena leucocephala, Acacia mellifera, Searsia lancea, Prosopis velutina, and Grewia flava) were mixed with Opuntia cladodes. The silage mixture was formulated at a ratio of 60 Opuntia cladodes: 40 leguminous browse species and ensiled in polythene bags and kept in a laboratory for 42 days to determine chemical composition and fermentation characteristics. Silage samples were also subjected to an aerobic stability test. One-way analysis of variance in a completely randomised design was used to analyse the data. The pH values for silages made from Opuntia cladodes with L. leucocephala, A. mellifera and G. flava were lower than 4.8, which is considered an indicator of good-quality silage. The water-soluble carbohydrates content of silages made with Opuntia cladodes and S. lancea and G. flava was within the range of 8–12 g/kg dry matter, which is sufficient for good fermentation. The highest CO2 production, which signifies poor aerobic stability, was recorded for the control silage (Opuntia) compared to all Opuntia–legume mixed silage treatments. The addition of legume browse leaf-meal to Opuntia cladodes improved nutritive value, fermentation characteristics, and silage quality. Therefore, despite some limitations, Opuntia–legume browse silages, particularly Opuntia–G. flava and Opuntia–L. leucocephala, proved to be beneficial for livestock, as they meet the nutritional requirement of a ruminant. Significance:This study underlines the importance of co-ensiling Opuntia cladodes and high protein legume browse hay to offer an alternative feeding strategy for ruminant livestock and ensure sustainable provision of high-quality feed during dry periods.

Effects of Soybean Density and Sowing Time on the Yield and the Quality of Mixed Silage in Corn-Soybean Strip Intercropping System

Intercropping is a cropping strategy that makes efficient use of space, nutrients, and soil. A 2-year field trial was conducted in 2019 and 2020 to study the effects of different soybean sowing times (9 days before corn sowing (ST1), 0 days at corn sowing (ST2), and 9 days after corn sowing (ST3), respectively) and densities (120,000 plants ha−1 (PD1), 150,000 plants ha−1 (PD2), and 180,000 plants ha−1 (PD3), respectively, and the planting density of corn was 60,000 plants ha−1 constantly) on total yield and on mixed silage quality in corn-soybean strip intercropping system. The yield decreased with an increase in soybean planting density. Before ensiling, the total dry matter (DM) content increased with an increase in soybean planting density, while that of crude protein content decreased with sowing time. The interaction of planting density × sowing time was significant for neutral detergent fiber and water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) content. After ensiling, the WSC content of PD2ST3 (4.90% DM) was the highest. The PD1 (4.51%) had a higher content of ammonia–nitrogen to total nitrogen than that of PD2 and PD3. The lactic acid content of PD2ST3 (3.14% DM) was the highest. In general, better silage quality and a higher total yield were obtained when soybean was sown at the planting density of 150,000 plants ha−1 after 9 days of corn sowing.

Carbohydrate Partitioning, Growth and Ionic Compartmentalisation of Wheat Grown under Boron Toxic and Salt Degraded Land

Cultivation of crops in salt-affected soils is a major challenge for growers. Despite the use of multiple amendments, salinity stresses adversely affect the crops to some extent. On the other hand, imbalance in the use of boron (B) as a nutrient also creates toxicity. Mismanagement of B fertilizer application decreases the growth and yield of crops. It is necessary to study in depth the adverse effects of salinity and B toxicity. This is why the current research work was conducted in a glass house at Murdoch University, Perth, Australia. The aim of study was to investigate the influence of salinity and B toxicity on carbohydrate partitioning, growth, and ionic composition of two Australian wheat varieties. There were four treatments, i.e., control, high B (15 kg ha−1), salinity (15 dS m−1), and B + salinity. The results showed that the salt-tolerant Halberd (HB) variety accumulated more Na+, B, and Cl− in their leaf sheath and kept the leaf blades free of these toxic ions as compared to the sensitive variety Westonia (WS). Water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC; i.e., glucose, sucrose, fructose, and fructans) concentration increased in response to individual as well as combined constrains of soil salinity and toxic B in the leaf blade of both tolerant and sensitive wheat varieties, but the increase was higher in the tolerant variety as compared to the sensitive one. The concentration of WSCs in leaf sheath of the salt-tolerant wheat variety was increased in response to stress conditions, but those remained low in salt-sensitive ones. Therefore, the salt-tolerant HB genotype was found to be a good source for future wheat breeding programs or to be grown by farmers in B toxic, saline, and B toxic–saline conditions.