Effects of homo-fermentative bacterial inoculants on fermentation characteristics and nutritive value of low dry matter corn silage

Document Type : Full paper (Original article)

Authors

1 Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran

2 Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agriculture, Yasouj University, Yasouj, Iran

3 Isfahan Agricultural Jahad Education Center, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of inoculation of homo-fermentative lactic acid bacteria
(LAB) on ensiling characteristics and nutritive value of low dry matter corn silage (LDMCS). Corn forage
was harvested at milk stage (22.8 ± 0.9% DM), chopped at theoretical length of cut (TLC) 2.5 cm, and stored in eighteen 3.8 L mini silos for each treatment. The following treatments were used, 1) control
(uninoculated), 2) ecosyl (treated with ecosylTM corn silage inoculants containing Lactobacillus plantarum),
and 3) biotal (treated with biotalTM corn silage inoculants containing Lactobacillus plantarum, Pediococcus
pentosaceus and Propionibacter freudenreichii). Triplicate silos for each treatment were opened and sampled
for chemical analyses after 3, 6, 12, 16, 21 and 90 days of ensiling. Neither ecosyl nor biotal improved
fermentation characteristics of LDMCS compared to the control silage. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid
detergent fiber (ADF), crude protein (CP), water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) contents and lactic acid (LA)
concentration were not affected significantly by inoculants (P>0.05). Acetic acid concentration of control
silages was higher; however, ethanol concentration was lower than the other silages. Biotal treated silages
had the highest ammonia-N (NH3-N) concentrations compared to the control (P<0.05). In vitro dry matter
disappearance (IVDMD) of control silage was higher than treated silages (P<0.05). In conclusion, the results
showed that homo-fermentative LAB inoculants used in this experiment did not improve the fermentation
characteristics and nutritive value of LDMCS.

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