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Effects of stage of maturity at harvest, wilting and LAB inoculant on aerobic stability of wheat silages
Abstract
The objective was to study effects of cultivar, stage of maturity at harvest, wilting, and addition of lactic acid bacterial (LAB) inoculant at ensiling, and their interactions, on the aerobic stability of wheat silages. Wheat of two cultivars, harvested at the flowering or the milk stage of maturity were ensiled in mini-silos, either directly after cutting (DC) or after wilting (W). After 2–7 months of storage, silages were subjected to a 7-day aerobic stability test during which changes in chemical composition, dry matter (DM) and neutral detergent fiber (aNDF) digestibility, and temperature, as well as DM losses and CO2 production, were measured. Silages from wheat cultivar BH were relatively dry (DM between 287 and 430g/kg) and were mostly stable upon aerobic exposure. The flowering wheat of cultivar Galil was moister (DM of 199g/kg), and the DC silages were stable upon aerobic exposure. Silages of the wilted flowering wheat (DM of 370g/kg) spoiled and after 4 and 7 days, produced 15 and 76g/kg DM CO2, respectively. Silages from the milk stage of this cultivar, both DC and W were unstable, and a homofermentative LAB enhanced aerobic spoilage. Factorial analysis of variance was applied to the results with cultivar, stage of maturity, wilting and inoculant as main effects, as well as their interactions. Cultivar and LAB inoculant had effects on silage composition and aerobic stability, with stage of maturity having an effect on aerobic losses, whereas wilting did not have effects on aerobic spoilage indicators. The inoculant enhanced CO2 production in the silages prepared from the DC wheat of the flowering and milk stages, as compared with the respective non-inoculated control silages which contained high concentrations of VFA. However, in the wilted silages which contained less VFA, both control and inoculated silages deteriorated similarly with time of exposure to air.
... Lactobacillus plantarum was shown to quickly produce lactic acid, but it could not improve the aerobic stability of grass silages due to the low acetic acid content in silage. Lactobacillus buchneri could increase aerobic stability of silage, but the DM loss would increase for the production of high acetic acid and propionic acid (Weinberg et al. 2010;Randby et al. 2012). Therefore, we propose, regardless of maturity stage of ensiling materials, application of LAB could improve silage quality in alpine regions, like as in median or tropical regions. ...
... Aerobic stability is an important trait of silages as it determines the safety and quality of the preserved forage upon exposure to air. In present study, the resistant to deterioration (>72 h) of Siberian wildrye silages treated with or without LAB was comparable with that of other forages (Abdelhadi and Tricarico 2009;Weinberg et al. 2010;Arriola et al. 2011Arriola et al. , 2012. The major subjective of the current study was to explore the main effects of maturity stage, inoculation, and their interactions on the aerobic stability of Siberian wildrye silage. ...
It is difficult to make good quality of silage from alpine gramineous from the Qinghai Tibetan plateau. The effects of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on the fermentation quality and aerobic stability of Siberian wildrye silage were studied in southeast of the Qinghai Tibetan plateau. Siberian wildrye materials were freshly cut at the sprouting stage, flowering stage, and milky stage. Silage was prepared by using a small-scale silage fermentation system (bag silos). Lactobacillus plantarum (LP, 5 × 108 cfu/kg FM), Lactobacillus buchneri (LB, 5 × 108 cfu/kg FM) and their mixture (LP+LB, 5 × 108 cfu/kg FM) as silage additives were separately added to ensiled forages, and no additive served as control (CK). These bag silos were kept at room temperature (<15°C), and the silage qualities were analyzed after 60 days of ensiling. The number of indigenous LAB on fresh materials was less than that of yeasts and molds, and LAB species showed specification adapted to low temperature. LAB inoculated silages had lower (P < 0.05) pH value, NH3-N/TN and butyric acid content compared with control silage. Silage treated with LB had higher contents of acetic acid, propionic acid, WSC and CP. However, the aerobic stability of silages inoculated with LAB did not differ significantly between stages (P > 0.05). When fermentation characteristics, chemical composition, and aerobic stability were considered, treatment with L. plantarum resulted in high quality of Siberian wildrye silage harvested at the flowering stage in the alpine region.
... Still, most epiphytic microbiota of alfalfa are undesirable for silage, and species of lactic acid bacteria important for fermentation make up only a small percentage Guo et al, 2018;Hu et al, 2020;Yang et al, 2019;.With a sharp change in the redox potential, temperature, humidity, and pH, the taxonomic diversity of the microbiome can reach extreme values, which affects both uncontrolled multiplication and a decrease in the number of individual representatives of the populations . Therefore, strains of qualityimproving microorganisms promising for inclusion in bio preservatives, such as alfalfa silage, should have a number of specifi c properties such as: dominant growth rate, synthesis of organic acids, homolactic fermentation, osmotolerance and antagonistic activity (Weinberg et al, 2010;Heinritz et al, 2012;Vlková et al, 2012;Muck et al, 2018). Lactic acid bacteria, in the artifi cially created and unpredictable microbiological ecosystem of silage or haylage, due to their ability to produce biologically active substances (organic acids, vitamins, enzymes, bacteriocins, etc.), enter multifaceted relationships with other microorganisms (Pang et al, 2011;Fabiszewska et al, 2019). ...
Aim. To study growth dynamics, antagonistic activity and acid formation of two inoculant strains, Lactiplantibacillus (=Lactobacillus) plantarum КТ-L18/1 and Ваcillus subtilis ВРТ-В1, that were introduced into alfalfa silage, up to 30 days of fermentation. Methods. A streptomycin-resistant strain of both above-mentioned organisms, obtained in earlier research, was used to achieve the research aims. Alfalfa was artificially wilted and dried to a dry matter content of 39–40 %. Fermentation was conducted under anaerobic conditions in polyethylene bags. Inoculant was added at a concentration of 108 CFU/kg alfalfa. The resulting 12 × 3 = 36 bags were kept at room temperature in a dark place for 30 days. At each examination date one sample per treatment was used and examined after cultivation of the two inoculants on elective De Man-Rogosa-Sharpe (MRS) agar and meat infusion agar (MIA), containing streptomycin. The antibacterial (ABA) and antifungal activities (AFA) were studied by the agar diffusion method. Results. After 30 days of ensiling the alfalfa samples, L. plantarum КТ-L18/1str and В. subtilis ВРТ-В1str were still present at levels of 9.2 lg CFU/g and 6.9 lg CFU/g respectively. In the natural population of LAB, L. plantarum КТ-L18/1str had a dominant position. After 30 days of the alfalfa fermentation L. plantarum КТ-L18/1str and В. subtilis ВРТ-В1str maintained ABA and AFA to the PPB strains (S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, S. typhimurium) and fungal strains tested. However, the antagonistic activities of the two inoculant strains decreased during the fermentation, for L. plantarum КТ-L18/1str from 7–21 %, and for В. subtilis ВРТ-В1str from 16–21 %. Compared to the uninoculated control treatment, the inoculated silage treatments had a lower pH level (5.2–5.3), an increased number of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) (by 32 %), and clostridia were no longer detected. The inoculation impacted fungi down to a level of 102–103 CFU/g that can ensure the aerobic stability of the feed. Conclusions. The inoculant strains and L. plantarum КТ-L18/1str and Ваcillus subtilis ВРТ-В1str showed a high competitiveness with background microbiota in an ensiling experiment with alfalfa. The antagonistic activity of the two strains to PPB after fermentation was preserved at a high level, albeit with a decrease of 7–21 %. Ваcillus subtilis ВРТ-В1str kept its AFA against all three fungal strains tested during the 30 days of fermentation. For L. plantarum КТ-L18/1str this was true for a strain of the Penicillium chrysogenum only. The inoculation of and L. plantarum КТ-L18/1str and Ваcillus subtilis ВРТ-В1str caused a decrease in pH of 8–9 % at the end of the fermentation period, an accumulation of LAB with 32 %, and the inhibition of the growth of clostridia up to undetectability in the fermented alfalfa. For both inoculants, compared to uninoculated control variant, fungi decreased down to 102–103 CFU/g of the feed, which can ensure the aerobic stability of the feed.
... Several emerging technologies have been used to optimize industrial processes during the last decades, among which PEF treatment stands out (Morales-de la Peña et al., 2011). This technology consists of the application of electricity at different intensity levels (1 -40 kV/cm) during short periods (micro -milliseconds) to a portion of food placed between two electrodes in a treatment chamber (Alirezalu et al., 2020;Costello, 2012;Weinberg et al., 2010). It is considered a non-thermal technology because the temperature reached during processing does not exceed 40 ºC. ...
A study on the effect of pulsed electric fields (PEF) application to the inoculum for natural drinkable yogurt production is presented in this dissertation. This research involves the fermentation time optimization of yogurt production through the application of PEF, as well as the evaluation of the proximal composition, physicochemical characterization, and a discriminatory sensory perception test immediately after processing and during storage of the obtained yogurt treated with PEF, having a control yogurt as a reference. Chapter 1 includes the motivation, problem statement, and context of this study. Chapter 2 is related to the hypothesis and objectives. Chapter 3 comprises the theoretical framework regarding yogurt production, Lacto-fermentation, and PEF principles and applications. Chapter 4 details the materials and methods to conduct the experimental work. Chapter 5 focuses on the results analysis and a discussion. Chapter 6 includes conclusions and recommendations. Finally, it is included a disclosure regarding scientific material and an appendix section containing complementary information collected during data organization and analysis. Overall, this master’s dissertation demonstrated that PEF technology is a potential alternative to optimize yogurt production processes through the reduction of fermentation time without significantly altering its proximal content and physicochemical characteristics and sensory perception, resulting in a final pro are included duct similar to that one obtained by the conventional process.
... In a study, it was reported that AM collected in each of the three growth stages can easily meet the nutrient requirements of lactating ewes at the maintenance level (Kazemi and Ghasemi Bezdi 2021). Ensiling is a good method for preserving fresh forages in anaerobic conditions (Weinberg et al. 2010). Different additives have been used to increase the speed of pH reduction after ensiling, improve silage fermentation and increase the digestibility of fodders (Muck et al. 2018;Kazemi et al. 2019Kazemi et al. , 2022Zhu et al. 2022). ...
Alhagi maurorum (Caspian Manna, AM) is a species of legume found commonly in the semi-arid region of the world. Nutritional aspects of silage prepared from AM have not been scientifically investigated so far, therefore, in this study, chemical-mineral composition, gas production parameters, ruminal fermentation parameters, buffering capacity, and silage characteristics of AM were investigated by standard laboratory methods. Fresh AM was ensiled in the mini-silos (3.5 kg) and treated with (1) no additive (control), (2) 5% molasses, (3) 10% molasses, (4) 1 × 10⁴ CFU of Saccharomyces cerevisiae [SC]/g of fresh silage, (5) 1 × 10⁴ CFU of SC/g of fresh silage + 5% molasses, (6) 1 × 10⁴ CFU of SC/g of fresh silage + 10% molasses, (7) 1 × 10⁸ CFU of SC/g of fresh silage, (8) 1 × 10⁸ CFU of SC/g of fresh silage + 5% molasses, and (9) 1 × 10⁸ CFU of SC/g of fresh silage + 10% molasses for 60 days. The lowest concentrations of NDF and ADF were related to treatments no. 6 and 5, respectively (p < 0.0001). The ash content as well as sodium, calcium, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium were highest in treatment no 2. Silages containing 10% molasses (no. 3) had the highest and lowest lactic (p < 0.0001) and butyric (p < 0.0001) acids, respectively. The highest amount of potential gas production was observed in treatments no. 5 and 6, respectively (p < 0.0001). Total yeast was decreased with increasing molasses in the silages (p < 0.0001). Acid-base buffering capacity was also highest in treatments no. 6 and 5, respectively (p = 0.0003). In general, due to the fibrous nature of AM, it is recommended to add molasses at levels of 5 or 10% when ensiling. The silages containing SC at a lower level (1 × 10⁴ CFU) along with higher levels of molasses (10% of DM) had better ruminal digestion-fermentation characteristics compared to other silages. Also, the addition of molasses improved the internal fermentation characteristics of AM in the silo.
... The lactic acid production rate of FSN was significantly higher than that of DSN, resulting in more lactic acid and lower pH in FSN during the same ensiling days. The dry matter content can affect the process, rate, and type of silage fermentation by affecting the activity of microorganisms [23]. As the fermentation substrate, WSC content can determine the fermentation intensity. ...
Background
Italian ryegrass is a temperate climate crop, which is widely cultivated in the winter fallow paddy fields of subtropical China. The utilization efficiency of Italian ryegrass depends greatly on its growth stage at harvest. Previous studies have reported the optimum stage for harvesting various forage to balance their quality and quantity. However, when considering the practice condition, such as rainy or unavailability of harvest equipment, the harvest stage of forage cannot always be implemented according to the production schedules. Thus, to characterize the effect of growth stage on the silage fermentation profile, bacterial community construction and metabolisms of carbohydrates and amino acids, Italian ryegrass were naturally ensiled at the filling stage (FSN) and the dough stage (DSN), respectively. After ensiling for 1, 3, 7, 15, 30, and 60 days, triplicate silos were opened for sampling.
Results
The growth of Italian ryegrass increased the pH, dry matter, neutral, and acid detergent fiber contents, but decreased buffering capacity, crude protein and water-soluble carbohydrates contents, and the epiphytic microbiota of Italian ryegrass harvested at the filling stage was simpler than that harvested at the dough stage. During ensiling, FSN had lower pH and higher organic acid content than DSN. The bacterial succession rate in FSN was also faster than DSN, which showed that Lactobacillus becomes the dominant genus in the early stage of ensiling. The predicted metabolisms revealed that carbohydrate and amino acid metabolisms were the two main metabolisms in silage fermentation. When compared with epiphytic microbiota, ensiling enhanced carbohydrate metabolism and diminished amino acid metabolism. The difference of these two metabolisms between FSN and DSN was obvious at the early stage of ensiling.
Conclusions
Growth stage affected the chemical and microbial composition of Italian ryegrass, so as to the fermentation profile, bacterial community and its metabolisms intensity. Italian ryegrass harvested at the filling stage was prone to ferment. The complexity of epiphytic microbiota made Italian ryegrass harvested at the dough stage more difficult to ferment.
Graphical Abstract
... The lactic acid production rate of FSN was signi cantly higher than that of DSN, indicating that the fermentation degree of FSN was higher than that of DSN, resulting in more lactic acid and lower pH in FSN during the same ensiling days. Dry matter content is one of the main factors affecting the process, rate and type of silage fermentation, because higher DM content could limit bacterial activity [23]. As the fermentation substrate, WSC content can determine the fermentation intensity. ...
Background
Italian ryegrass is a temperate crop, which is widely cultivated in the winter fallow paddy fields of subtropical China. The utilization efficiency of Italian ryegrass depends greatly on its growth stage at harvest. Previous studies have reported the optimum stage for harvesting various forage to balance their quality and quantity. However, considering the practice condition, such as rainy or unavailability of harvest equipment, the harvest stage of forage cannot always be implemented according to the production schedules. Thus, to characterize the effect of growth stage on the silage fermentation profile, bacterial community and metabolism, Italian ryegrass harvested at the filling stage and the milk stage were naturally ensiled (FSN and DSN), respectively.
Results
After ensiling for 1, 3, 7, 15, 30 and 60 days, triplicate silos were opened for sampling. The growth of Italian ryegrass increased the pH, dry matter, neutral and acid detergent fiber contents, but decreased buffering capacity, crude protein and water-soluble carbohydrates contents, and the epiphytic microbiota of Italian ryegrass harvested at the filling stage was simpler than that harvested at the dough stage. During ensiling, FSN had lower pH and higher organic acid content than DSN. The bacterial succession rate in FSN was also faster than DSN, which showed that Lactobacillus becomes the dominant genus in the early stage of ensiling. The predicted metabolisms revealed that carbohydrate and amino acid metabolisms were the two main metabolisms in silage fermentation. Compared to epiphytic microbiota, ensiling enhanced carbohydrate metabolism and diminished amino acid metabolism. The difference of these two metabolisms between FSN and DSN was obvious at the early stage of ensiling.
Conclusions
Growth stage affected the chemical and microbial composition of Italian ryegrass, so as to the fermentation profile, bacterial community and its metabolisms. Italian ryegrass harvested at the filling stage was prone to fermentation. The complexity of epiphytic microbiota made DSN more difficult to ferment.
... Junior et al. (2015) demonstrated that the average pH value of sorghum silage was 3.64, and so pH values higher than 4 indicate the growth of undesirable microorganisms. In this case, the addition of LAB is necessary to improve the quality of silage products (Wang et al., 2018;Weinberg et al., 2010). Contradictory results were also demonstrated by Lymo et al. (2016) and Hung et al. (2020). ...
Our objective was to investigate the effect of different variety and wilting treatment on silage quality and in vitro degradability of whole-plant sorghum. Three sorghum varieties (Numbu, Super 1 and Samurai 1) were ensiled either fresh or wilted and evaluated in a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement. Based on sensory evaluation, colour, smell and sensory index increased after wilting treatment (P < 0.01). Based on chemical quality, pH and NH3-N values were lower in wilted groups than in unwilting sorghum silage (P < 0.01). Compared with non-wilted materials, higher dry-matter (DM) and organic-matter (OM) content were found in wilted materials (P < 0.01). Wilting did not affect crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), hemicellulose, cellulose, or non-fibre carbohydrate (NFC) content. Samurai 1 sorghum silage had the lowest NDF and ADF, both in non-wilted and wilted materials (P < 0.05). The interaction of wilting and different variety had a significant impact on NDF (P < 0.05), ADF, OM, and CP (P < 0.01). Wilting treatment had no significant impact on all aspects of in vitro degradability. In contrast, variety difference had a significant impact on in vitro degradability (P < 0.01). Results of the current study indicate that wilting treatment influences the sensory score and chemical quality of sorghum silage. There was no effect on nutrient composition or in vitro digestibility. The effect of different variety on the nutrient value of sorghum silage was more pronounced than the wilting variable.
... Due to the low WSC content of Caragana in the budding stage, the fermentation substrate was less and the fermentation was incomplete, as reflected by lower LA and higher pH. It has been proved that growth stage affects aerobic losses, which tended to increase as the plants aged (Weinberg et al., 2010). The aerobic stability of additive treatment was higher than control treatment. ...
This study aimed to assess the effects of microbial inoculants and growth stage on fermentation quality, microbial community, and in vitro degradability of Caragana silage from different varieties. Caragana intermedia (CI) and Caragana korshinskii (CK) harvested at the budding (BU) and blooming (BL) stages were used as raw materials to prepare silage, respectively. The silages at each growth stage were treated for ensiling alone (control), with 5% rice bran (RB), a combination of RB with commercial Lactobacillus plantarum (RB + LP), and a combination of RB with a selected strain Lactobacillus plantarum L694 (RB + L694). The results showed that the crude protein (CP) content of CI was higher than that of CK, and delay in harvest resulted in greater CP content in Caragana at BL stage. After 60 days of fermentation, the concentrations of lactic acid (LA) in the RB + L694 treatments were higher than those in control treatments (p < 0.05), while the pH, concentrations of NH3-N, neutral detergent fiber with the addition of α-amylase (aNDF) were lower than those in control treatments (p < 0.05). RB + L694 treatments could decrease acid detergent fiber (ADF) content except in CIBL. In CK silages, adding RB + L694 could reduce bacterial diversity and richness (p < 0.05). Compared with the control, RB + L694 treatment contained higher Lactobacillus and Enterobacter (p < 0.05). In vitro NDF and DM degradability (IVNDFD and IVDMD) was mostly affected by growth period, and additive RB + l694 treatment had higher IVDMD and lower IVNDFD than other treatments (p < 0.05). Consequently, the varieties, growth stages, and additives could influence the fermentation process, while the blooming stage should be selected in both Caragana. Furthermore, the results showed that RB and L. plantarum could exert a positive effect on fermentation quality of Caragana silage by shifting bacterial community composition, and RB + L694 treatments outperformed other additives.
... These were typical features for silages made with an increased DM level. Similar results were reported by Weinberg et al. 26 and Liu et al., 27 showing that increasing the DM content reduced the amount of fermentation resulting in a higher final pH and WSC and decreased the final contents of lactic acid and other fermentation products. The results indicated that chemical diurnal variation affected the fermentation mainly through a change in DM content. ...
BACKGROUND
To investigate the contributions of chemical and microbial diurnal variations in fermentation characteristics and bacterial community of Napier grass silage, gamma‐ray irradiated Napier grass harvested at 07.00 h (AM), 12.00 h (M) and 17.00 h (PM) was inoculated with the microbiota derived from Napier grass harvested at AM, M and PM in a 3 (irradiated forage: AMG, MG and PMG) × 3 (microbiota: AMM, MM and PMM) design and then ensiled for 14 and 60 days.
RESULTS
Napier grass harvested at various times had different chemical compositions and epiphytic microbiota prior to ensiling. For silages inoculated with the same microbiota, the pH values, residual water soluble carbohydrates and dry matter contents increased, and lactic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, ethanol and volatile fatty acids contents decreased in PMG and MG silages compared to AMG silages. MM and PMM inoculum promoted lactic acid fermentation as indicated by higher lactic acid contents and lactic/acetic acid ratios in MM and PMM‐inculated silages compared to those in AMM‐inoculated silages after 60 days of ensiling. During ensiling, epiphytic microbiota affected the Chao1 index, operational taxonomic units (OTUs) number and Shannon index, as well as the abundances, of more than half of the top 10 abundant genera, whereas chemical composition did not affect any of the bacterial diversity and richness indices and only showed significant impacts on the abundances of two genera.
CONCLUSION
The results indicated that chemical diurnal variation exerted an influence mainly on the extent of fermentation, whereas microbial diurnal variation affected more the bacterial community and fermentation types during Napier grass ensiling. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
... The trends for farm-scale silos to have greater WSC concentration and fewer LAB maybe because the harvested forage for the former is left in the field for longer periods than minisilos. The longer drying durations may have decreased epiphytic bacterial viability, increased moisture loss, and decreased plant respiration, and collectively, these factors likely increased the residual WSC in forages (Weinberg et al., 2010). The lack of effects of LAB inoculation on the fermentation and DM recovery of corn and sorghum silages is notable because these forages are perhaps the most widely ensiled for dairy production in the United States. ...
Water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) concentration during the ensiling process is influenced by both controllable and uncontrollable factors such as temperature, moisture level, fertilizers, additives nutrients, and time of ensiling of silage. The WSC contents may vary among the different fodder and forage species. The ensiling temperature has a limiting impact on water-soluble carbohydrates and their concentration decrease with increasing temperature. Crops should be harvested at optimum moisture and dry matter level to reach the required concentration of water-soluble carbohydrates to produce organic acids. Water-soluble carbohydrate concentration decreased with the crop's maturity due to the accumulation of carbohydrates in the grains. The evening cut has more concentration of WSC than that of the morning cut due to the photosynthesis process. The contents of WSC can be increased by using different kinds of additives during the ensiling process. Ensiling time has not much influence on the water-soluble carbohydrates. To understand these factors, we have a detailed review of the factors affecting the WSC of silage. Keywords Water-soluble carbohydrate Biotic and abiotic factors Silage quality
... Ensiling is a preservation method for moist crops based on anaerobic fermentation in which water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) are converted into organic acids (mainly lactic acid) through the action of epiphytic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) (Weinberg et al., 2010). Regarding grains, ensiling is an efficient strategy for storing and processing. ...
Our objective was to evaluate the effects of applying silage additives to high moisture grain silage (HMGS) on its quality (objective 1) and performance of dairy cows (objective 2). Additionally, this study aimed to investigate the effects of replacing dry grain (DG) with HMGS on performance of lactating dairy cows (objective 3). Silage quality (dataset composed by 8 studies with 32 treatment means), was evaluated by weighted means difference (WMD) between the control (HMGS with no silage additives) and treated-HMGS (HMGS treated with silage additives) groups. The effects of replacing DG with HMGS on performance of lactating dairy cows (dataset composed by 18 studies with 34 treatment means) was evaluated by WMD between the control group (diets with no HMGS) and HMGS group (diets with HMGS replacing DG). Treatment means were weighted by the inverse of the variance. Applying silage additives to HMGS had no effect on silage pH (P=0.27), DM recovery (P=0.18), ethanol (P=0.18) and counts of yeasts (P=0.86) and molds (P=0.13). However, increased silage concentrations of N-NH3 (WMD= 0.49 g/kg of total nitrogen; P <.0001), acetate (WMD=0.75g/kg of DM; P=0.003), and propionate (WMD= 0.08g/kg of DM; P=0.01) were reported in treated-HMGS. Inclusion of silage additives reduced DM (P=0.01) and aerobic stability (WMD= -26.43 h; P<.0001) of HMGS. Replacing DG with HMGS in dairy cows diets reduced intakes of dry matter (WMD= -0.38 kg/d; P=0.003) and NDF (WMD= -0.61kg/d; P<.0001). However, increased digestibility of DM (P<.0001), crude protein (P<.0001), NDF (P=0.05) were reported in cows receiving HMGS (replacing DG). Replacing DG with HMGS did not change milk production (P=0.34). However, concentration (P=0.01) and yield (P=0.01) of milk fat and concentration of milk lactose (P=0.03) were reduced with feeding HMGS. Concerning the effects of feeding HMGS on ruminal fermentation characteristics, ruminal pH (WMD= -0.07; P<.0001), ruminal N-NH3 concentration (WMD= -1.15 mg/dL; P=0.04) and ruminal acetate (WMD=-1.20 mol/100mol; P=0.02) were reduced with HMGS feeding. In conclusion, applying silage additives to HMGS had no effect on silage quality and performance of lactating dairy cows. A pronounced reduction in silage aerobic stability was reported with inoculating HMGS (P<.0001). Replacing DG with HMGS increased diet digestibility. However, feed intake and concentration of milk fat was reduced when HMGS replaced DG in amounts greater than 300g HMGS/kg of DM.
... Therefore, necessary study should be done to discover the microbiota variation of whole-crop wheat hay and silage in different harvest stage and time when fermenting in the rumen liquid. The previous study found that the nutritional value of the whole-crop wheat varied from different growth period [14]. Harvesting wheat crops in the afternoon can improve the ensiling characteristics compared to that in the morning, because treated with sunlight illumination, the wheat has a greater ruminal digestion and utilization of NH 3 -N by microbes [15]. ...
This study determined the effects of wheat stage, preservation treatment, and harvest time on the fermentation characteristics, methane production, and bacterial diversity. In this study, processing wheat into hay can reduce methane production. The MWS7 (wheat harvested at 7:00 in milk stage and preserved as silage) group had a significantly lower CO2 compared with the DWS15 (wheat harvested at 15:00 in dough stage and preserved as silage) group. Neutral detergent fiber degradation in the hay treatment harvesting at 7:00 was significantly higher than that in other treatments. The butyrate proportion in the DWH7 (wheat harvested at 7:00 in dough stage and preserved as hay) group was higher than that in the MWS7 group. Results from high-throughput sequencing showed that there were differences in the relative abundance of some minor rumen microbiota among the treatments. The MWS7 group had greater microbial diversity and the MWH7 group (wheat harvested at 7:00 in milk stage and preserved as hay) had higher species richness. In addition, the MWH7 group had a lower Methanobrevibacter abundance and methane production. Overall, the MWH7 group may have advantages of rumen fermentation and reduce methane production.
... Ash constituents are not consumed during fermentation, but the consumption of soluble nutrients usually leads to an increase in ash content (dilution effect) (20) . Similar behavior is expected for fibrous compounds since microorganisms in the silage lack enzymes necessary to metabolize plant cell wall constituents (21) . ...
This study evaluated dry matter yield and nutritional characteristics of different oat genotypes (Avena spp.) for ensiling. Treatments consisted of genotypes of white oat IPR 126 (Avena sativa), black oat Cabocla IPR and Agrocoxilha (Avena strigosa), and BRS Madrugada and BRS Centauro (Avena vertis). Oats were harvested at the phenological stage of milk/dough grain. The design was a completely randomized block scheme, with five treatments and three replications per treatment. The IPR Cabocla genotype showed the highest dry matter content (before and after silo opening) and in vitro dry matter digestibility of fresh forage. No differences were observed for in vitro dry matter digestibility and dry matter losses among silages. The highest silage digestible dry matter yield (kg ha-1) was observed for the BRS Centauro genotype. Thus, despite the better nutritional quality presented by the IPR Cabocla genotype before ensiling, BRS Centauro genotype presented a higher yield of digestible dry matter per hectare.
... The lack of effect with prolonged storage time can be related to the degradation of some nutrients and cell walls by bacterial enzymes activity and acidic conditions in silage during fermentation (Sariçiçek et al., 2016). On the other hand, since obligate HeLAB are characterized by CO 2 production in the conversion of lactic acid and carbohydrates to acetic and propionic acids, they would decrease DM content (Weinberg et al., 2010;Randby et al., 2012). The higher CP and the lower content of NH 3 -N indicated limited proteolysis. ...
Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are usually employed as alfalfa silage inoculants to obtain high-quality feed for animal husbandry. However, the effects of these inoculants are still unclear and need to be studied extensively. Therefore, the objective of this meta-analysis was to quantitatively summarize published research studies that assess the effects of homofermentative (HoLAB) and heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria (HeLAB) on fermentation parameters, nutritive value, microbiological composition and aerobic stability of alfalfa silage. PubMed, ScienceDirect and Scopus have been screened for articles published from 1980 to 2018. The criteria for inclusion were: randomized and controlled trials using alfalfa silage and published in peer-reviewed journals. It was found that inoculation with LAB decreased silage pH, neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre and ammoniacal nitrogen, while it increased dry matter and crude protein compared to control in the pooled raw mean difference random-effect model. Additionally, LAB inoculation decreased acetate, propionate, ethanol and butyrate concentrations, whereas it increased lactate. In addition, inoculants reduced the counts of yeasts and moulds. Lastly, LAB inoculation improved aerobic stability. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first meta-analysis that aims at comparing the application of HoLAB and HeLAB for alfalfa silage. In the pool estimate, positive effects attributable to the application of microbial silage inoculants were found in most of the evaluated parameters; supporting the importance of applying both types of inoculants to improve forage preservation for the livestock industry.
... A justificativa para o incremento de matéria seca ao longo da maturidade é explicada pelo processo fisiológico da planta. Neste caso, a planta aumenta o teor de matéria seca pelo processo de florescimento e início de atividade reprodutiva que acaba por garantir maior participação de grãos (WEINBERG et al. 2010 (2006) explicam que o nitrogênio é um dos principais nutrientes que controla os processos de desenvolvimento das plantas, fixando mais carbono e aumentando a fitomassa. Logo, com maiores inclusões de nitrogênio maiores produções são esperadas. ...
O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos de dois níveis de adubação nitrogenada em cobertura (88 kg ha-1 e 148 kg ha-1) na produção de silagem do trigo cultivar BRS Umbu, colhido em dois estádios fenológicos (pré-florescimento e grão farináceo). Foram avaliadas as produções de fitomassa fresca e seca, composição morfológica e bromatológica das silagens. O delineamento experimental foi de blocos ao acaso em esquema fatorial 2x2, sendo dois níveis de adubação nitrogenada em cobertura e dois estádios de colheita, com quatro repetições. Houve interação (p
... The wilting process avoids heterolactic bacteria development due to the reduced water availability. However, the lack of short-chain fatty acids, such as acetic and propionic acids, accelerate silage deterioration after silo opening ( Danner et al., 2003;Weinberg et al., 2010;Liu et al., 2011). Isovaleric acid also has a beneficial effect, protecting silo panel against spoilage microflora; however, this acid is synthesized during the leucine catabolism, indicating proteolysis during the storage phase (McDonald et al., 1991;Schönicke et al., 2015). ...
We aimed to evaluate the effects of glyphosate as a chemical desiccant on the nutritional quality, fermentation pattern, and aerobic stability of wilted black oat (Avena strigosa Schreb) silage. Black oat sowing occurred in the first fortnight of May 2013. Desiccant application took place when oat reached milky/dough grain stage (96 days after planting). Glyphosate dosages evaluated were 0, 500, 750, 1000, and 1250 mL ha−1. Three days after desiccation, all treatments were ensiled, and the silos were kept stored for 150 days. A completely randomized design was used, and all statistical procedures were performed by means of Bayesian Inference. Treating herbage prior to ensiling from 500 mL ha−1 glyphosate increased dry matter and organic matter contents compared with control. On the other hand, fiber content decreased linearly for desiccated silages, as shown by the negative slopes for neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and cellulose. The highest concentrations of hemicellulose and neutral detergent insoluble nitrogen occurred for the dosages of 729.96 mL ha−1 and 759.52 mL ha−1 glyphosate, respectively. Wilted silage had less concentration of acetic acid and isovaleric acid and presented a higher amount of 2,3-butanediol. Due to the lack of beneficial short-chain fatty acids, treated silages had a higher organic matter loss (0.1 g mL−1) and reached a maximum pH (0.009 h mL−1) more quickly than control silage, after aerobic exposure. In this way, for wilted black oat silage production, harvested at milky/dough grain stage, the application of 500 mL ha−1 glyphosate is recommended.
... Literature regarding ensiling green plant matter and the regulation of ensiling is extensive, covering substrates, additives (Franco et al., 2016;Liu et al., 2016aLiu et al., , 2016bHaerr et al., 2016;Gandra et al., 2016), maturity of the material (Weinberg et al., 2010;Rondahl et al., 2011), process stability, and evaluation (Weiss et al., 2016;Ke et al., 2015). However, methods of adapting wet storage of excessively wilted maize stover are insufficiently documented. ...
In north China, large amounts of excessively wilted maize stover are produced annually. Maize stover wet storage strategies and subsequent biogas production was examined in this study. Firstly, wet storage performances of harvested maize stover, air-dried for different time durations, were evaluated. Results showed that optimal storage performance was obtained when the initial water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) content after air-drying was higher than 8.0%. Therefore, cellulase and glucose were added to the excessively wilted maize stover to achieve the targeted pre-storage WSC levels. Good storage performances were observed in treatments with addition of 76.4 g/kg DM glucose and 12.5 g/kg DM of cellulase; the specific methane yield increased by 23.7% and 19.2%, respectively. However, use of glucose as additive or co-storing with high WSC substrates can serve as economically feasible options to adapt wet storage of excessively wilted maize stover.
... This target was met in the present study. In contrast, Weinberg et al. (2010) observed that the temperature of silages made from wilted wheat (inoculated and non-inoculated) registered a large increase after 72 h of aerobic exposure. Ozduven et al. (2010) concluded that inoculation even had a detrimental effect on the aerobic stability of triticale silage. ...
In two experiments, we studied the characteristics of ensuing and aerobic stability of triticaie (x Triticosecale spp.) ensued with or without a homoiactic bacteriai inocuiant (HBi). The first experiment used 60 vacuumseaied 0.946L glass Jar mini-siios (GJ) to determine the effect of ensuing on pH, dry matter recovery (DMR) and temperature. Three GJ per treatment were opened on d 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 14, 30, 105 and 123 of fermentation. Across all iengths of fermentation, Inoculation decreased (P.cO.05) average sliage pH and temperature upon opening the mini-silos but did not Influence (P>0.05) DMR versus the Non-HB1 sliage. Both silages had a similar (P>0.05) pH at the end of 123 d of fermentation. The second experiment compared the nutritional and fermentation characteristics and aerobic stabilIty of trlticaie ensued with or without HB1 for 123 d in either 3'L PVC mini-siios packed manually (PVC) or vacuum-sealed G.J. There was little difference (P>0.05) In silage nutrient content using PVC or GJ mini-silos, nor did inoculation affect these variables. EnsuIng triticale decreased (P<0.05) its 30 h neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility, the lowest value being that of Non-HB1I PVC silage, which differed (P<0.05) from the HBI/PVC silage, but these did not differ (P>0.05) from the GJ silages. Differences among sliages were not found (P>0.05) in NDF at 240 h (uNDF24O), total tract NDF digestion (TTNDFD) and rate of NDF digestion (NDFkd). Triticaie ensued well in G.J, however the amount of material ensued may have been too small to detect differences due to inoculation.
... Conversely, the lactic acid bacteria grow rapidly and quickly become dominant microorganism in most cases of ensilation process (Weinberg et al., 2010). Similarly in this study, the counting of L.palntarum strains showed significant increase in LBM inoculated group than control. ...
... Conversely, the lactic acid bacteria grow rapidly and quickly become dominant microorganism in most cases of ensilation process (Weinberg et al., 2010). Similarly in this study, the counting of L.palntarum strains showed significant increase in LBM inoculated group than control. ...
... As mentioned earlier, UV radiation led to a sophisticated survival mechanism of fungi, particularly for yeasts which could consume available nutrients during ensiling and assimilate lactic acid for energy after exposure to air (Weinberg et al. 2010). It was necessary to take corresponding measures to inhibit the activity of fungi during ensiling. ...
Effects of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and formic acid (FA) on silage quality of ultraviolet (UV)-radiated Siberian wildrye (Elymus sibiricus L.) were studied on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. Siberian wildrye seeds were sown in early April, 2012 and harvested in 2013, 2014 and 2016. Fresh forage was radiated for 0, 4 and 8 h under ambient/laboratory UV radiation conditions during the wilting process, and then mixed with LAB inoculant (10⁵ cfu g⁻¹ fresh matter [FM]) and FA (3 mL kg⁻¹ FM), respectively, no additives treatment as control. After additive treatments, chopped Siberian wildrye plants were packed in 30 cm × 40 cm polythene bags and stored in a dark room at ambient temperature (<15°C) for 90 days. Silages of UV-radiated Siberian wildrye had higher (P < 0.05) pH and ammonia-nitrogen (N) content, lower (P < 0.05) acetic and propionic acid content and in vitro ruminal dry matter digestibility. Compared with control, treatments with additives (especially for inoculant LAB) enhanced pH decline, increased (P > 0.05) acetic acid content, decreased (P < 0.05) butyric acid and ammonia-N content of silages of UV-radiated Siberian wildrye. It was concluded that the application of FA and inoculant LAB at ensiling could reduce the negative effects of extended UV radiation on the process of wilting.
... Silage conservation depends on anaerobic conditions and on the acidification that occurs when a sufficient amount of lactic acid is produced by epiphytic lactic acid bacteria present on the plant surface at harvesting (Weinberg et al. 2010). Hence, homofermentative lactic acid bacteria (e.g., Lactobacillus plantarum) are always selected for the purpose of rapidly producing lactic acid and lowering the final silage pH, to preserve nutrients by inhibiting plant enzymes and undesirable microorganisms (Schmidt and Kung 2010;Tabacco et al. 2011). ...
This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of lactic acid bacteria and propionic acid on the fermentation quality, aerobic stability and in vitro gas production kinetics and digestibility of whole-crop corn based total mixed ration (TMR) silage. Total mixed ration was ensiled with four treatments: (1) no additives (control); (2) an inoculant (Lactobacillus plantarum) (L); (3) propionic acid (P); (4) propionic acid+lactic acid bacteria (PL). All treatments were ensiled in laboratory-scale silos for 45 days, and then subjected to an aerobic stability test for 12 days. Further, four TMR silages were incubated in vitro with buffered rumen fluid to study in vitro gas production kinetics and digestibility. The results indicated that all TMR silages had good fermentation characteristics with low pH (
... Their ensiling fermentation is adequate and the pH values obtained are around 4·0. Lactic acid is the major fermentation product. The aerobic stability of wheat silages is moderate good, while that of sorghum silages is usually good (Weinberg et al. 2010(Weinberg et al. , 2011a. ...
Moringa oleifera is a rich source of antioxidants and a promising feed for livestock, due to significant amounts of protein, vitamins, carotenoids and polyphenols, and negligible amounts of anti-nutritional factors. The current study tested whether ensiling would preserve the antioxidant capacity of M. oleifera plants, and assessed whether Moringa silage, fed as a substitute for maize silage, would confer health-promoting traits and affect milk production in dairy cows. To this end, hand-harvested M. oleifera plants were ensiled, with or without molasses and inoculants, in anaerobic jars at room temperature (25 °C) for 37 days. At the end of the storage period the silages were analysed for pH, lactic acid and acetic acid concentrations, aerobic stability, antioxidant capacity, polyphenols and protein content, and tocopherols and carotenoids concentrations. Moringa silages exhibited higher antioxidant capacity compared with fresh and dried Moringa plants, not related to polyphenol content but presumably attributed to accumulation of amino acids and low molecular weight peptides. Based on these findings, a large-scale ensiling protocol was implemented, followed by a feeding trial for dairy cows, in which Moringa silage replaced 263 g maize silage/kg in the diet. Cows fed Moringa silage had higher milk yield and antioxidant capacity and lower milk somatic cell counts compared with controls, during some stages of lactation. These findings imply that ensiling M. oleifera is an appropriate practice by which health and production of dairy cows can be improved.
... This indicates that sweet sorghum can be ensiled satisfactorily with appropriate addition of GP. The effect of LAB on ensiling characteristics have been shown in many previous studies (Weinberg et al. 2010). In the current study, LAB improved the fermentation quality of grape pomace-sweet sorghum silage with reductions of butyric acid and NH 3 -N. ...
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of grape pomace (GP) with different adding levels (0%, 5%, 10% and 15%, fresh matter basis), alone (GP-LAB) or in combine with an inoculant LAB (GP+LAB), on the fermentation quality and aerobic stability of sweet sorghum silage. After 90 days of ensiling in vacuumized mini-silos, silages were subject to a 7-day aerobic stability test, in which chemical, microbial and polyphenol composition were measured. In the GP-LAB group, adding GP decreased (P < 0.05) concentrations of water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) and butyric acid in silage. In the GP+LAB group, adding GP increased (P < 0.05) concentrations of lactic acid, WSC and crude protein, decreased (P < 0.05) final pH value, NH3 -N ratio and butyric acid concentration in silage. Polyphenol level was reduced (P < 0.05) after silage fermentation. During aerobic exposure, the fungi count, pH value and silage temperature increased (P < 0.05), the levels of lactic acid, acetic acid and polyphenols (quercetin 3-O-glucoside and quercetin 3-O-glucuronid) decreased (P < 0.05) in silage. GP+LAB treated silage had a lag phase for aerobic spoilage. When the fermentation products, microbial counts, chemical and polyphenol composition were considered, the use of 10% GP+LAB at ensiling could provide a valuable source for improved fermentation quality and aerobic stability of sweet sorghum silage.
... The trends for farm-scale silos to have greater WSC concentration and fewer LAB may be because the harvested forage for the former is left in the field for longer periods than that for minisilos. The longer drying durations may have decreased epiphytic bacterial viability, increased moisture loss, and decreased plant respiration, and collectively, these factors likely increased the residual WSC in forage (Weinberg et al., 2010). ...
Forages are usually inoculated with homofermentative and facultative heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to enhance lactic acid fermentation of the resulting silage, but effects of such inoculants on silage quality and the performance of dairy cows are unclear. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to examine the effects of LAB inoculation on silage quality and preservation and the performance of dairy cows. A second objective was to examine the factors affecting the response to silage inoculation with LAB. The studies that met the selection criteria included 130 and 31 manuscripts that examined effects of LAB inoculation on silage quality and dairy cow performance, respectively. The magnitude of the effect (effect size) was evaluated using raw mean differences (RMD) between inoculated and un-inoculated treatments. Heterogeneity was explored by meta-regression and subgroup analysis using forage type, LAB species, LAB application rate and silo scale (laboratory or farm-scale) as covariates for the silage quality response, and forage type, LAB species, diet type (total mixed ration (TMR) or non TMR) and the level of milk yield of the control cows as covariates for the performance responses. Inoculation with LAB (≥ 105 cfu/g as fed) markedly increased silage fermentation and dry matter (DM) recovery in temperate and tropical grasses, alfalfa and other legumes. However, inoculation did not improve the fermentation of corn, sorghum or sugarcane silages. Inoculation with LAB reduced clostridia and mold growth, butyric acid production and ammonia-nitrogen in all silages, but had no effect on aerobic stability. Silage inoculation (≥ 105 cfu/g as fed) increased milk yield and the response had low heterogeneity. However, inoculation had no effect on diet digestibility and feed efficiency. Inoculation with LAB improved the fermentation of grass and legume silages and the performance of dairy cows but did not affect the fermentation of corn, sorghum and sugar cane silages or the aerobic stability of any silage. Further research is needed to elucidate how silage inoculated with homofermentative and facultative heterofermentative LAB improves the performance of dairy cows.
... The trends for farm-scale silos to have greater WSC concentration and fewer LAB may be because the harvested forage for the former is left in the field for longer periods than that for minisilos. The longer drying durations may have decreased epiphytic bacterial viability, increased moisture loss, and decreased plant respiration, and collectively, these factors likely increased the residual WSC in forage (Weinberg et al., 2010). ...
... The trends for farm-scale silos to have greater WSC concentration and fewer LAB may be because the harvested forage for the former is left in the field for longer periods than that for minisilos. The longer drying durations may have decreased epiphytic bacterial viability, increased moisture loss, and decreased plant respiration, and collectively, these factors likely increased the residual WSC in forage (Weinberg et al., 2010). ...
... The trends for farm-scale silos to have greater WSC concentration and fewer LAB may be because the harvested forage for the former is left in the field for longer periods than that for minisilos. The longer drying durations may have decreased epiphytic bacterial viability, increased moisture loss, and decreased plant respiration, and collectively, these factors likely increased the residual WSC in forage (Weinberg et al., 2010). ...
... The variation in the evolution of pH during sorghum silage was noted and shown in Figure 2. The initial pH was 7 which dropped gradually to 5.6 on the 28th day and after which no change in the pH was observed. On the other hand, the growth of lactic flora which is a part of the natural heritage of flora associated with the plant material (Makimattila et al., 2011), acts differently in silage because as shown in Figure 1, the growth is minimal at 2nd and 5th day but in the 8th day it was maximum (ICMSF, 2005;Weinberg et al., 2010). During this period of silage incubation, many factors can present favorable or unfavorable effect on microorganism's growth. ...
The lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from sorghum (Sorghum bicolor. L.) silage were identified during different periods of evolution of sorghum silage in west Algeria. Morphological, physiological, biochemical and technological techniques were used to characterize lactic acid bacteria isolates. A total number of 27 representatives of lactic acid bacterial strains were retained and among them four dominant genus were identified as Lactobacillus (44%), Lactococcus (14.81%), Weissella (29.62%) and Leuconostoc (11.11%). The representative species identified were Lactobacillus brevis (25%), Lactobacillus pentosus (3.7%), Lactobacillus manihotivorans (11.11%), and Lactobacillus fermentum (3.7%). Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar. diacetylactis (14.81%), Weissella cibaria (7.2%), Weissella minor (11.11%), Weissella soli (3.7%), Weissella viridescense (7.2%) and Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides (11.11%). Only two strains of lactic acid bacteria were amylolytic. These results will enable future research on the relationship between LAB species and silage fermentation quality.
... Wheat is cultivated beyond 240 million hectares, larger than any other crops in the developing country. As one of the top producers of world, China's share is almost one-sixth of the world production of wheat (Weinberg et al., 2010). Wheat is becoming more and more popular to be used as silage in the world, and there are some advantageous characteristics Gram stain: +, Gram-positive; -, Gram-negative. ...
Winter wheat is a suitable crop to be ensiled for animal feed and China has the largest planting area of this crop in the world. During the ensiling process, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) play the most important role in the fermentation. We investigated the natural population of LAB in whole-crop wheat (WCW) and examined the quality of whole-crop wheat silage (WCWS) with and without LAB inoculants. Two Lactobacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum strains, Zhengzhou University 1 (ZZU 1) selected from corn and forage and grass 1 (FG 1) from a commercial inoculant, were used as additives. The silages inoculated with LAB strains (ZZU 1 and FG 1) were better preserved than the control, with lower pH values (3.5 and 3.6, respectively) (p<0.05) and higher contents of lactic acid (37.5 and 34.0 g/kg of fresh matter (FM), respectively) (p<0.05) than the control. Sixty LAB strains were isolated from fresh material and WCWS without any LAB inoculation. These LAB strains were divided into the following four genera and six species based on their phenotypic, biochemical and phylogenetic characteristics: Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides, Leuconostoc citreum, Weissella cibaria, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, Lactobacillus buchneri, and Lactobacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum. However, the prevalent LAB, which was predominantly heterofermentative (66.7%), consisted of Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides, Leuconostoc citreum, Weissella cibaria, and Lactobacillus buchneri. This study revealed that most of isolated LAB strains from control WCWS were heterofermentative and could not grow well at low pH condition; the selective inoculants of Lactobacillus strains, especially ZZU 1, could improve WCWS quality significantly.
... Considering the present data, population size of LAB (10 8 ) in the silage is an indication of excellent bioconversion of forage. The addition of LAB inoculants at ensiling tends to ensure rapid and vigorous fermentation with rapid accumulation of lactic acid, low pH values in the initial stages of ensiling [86][87][88]. The effects of inoculation on microbial counts, fermentation products, and aerobic stability were determined by many investigators, Schmidt and Kung [89], Kung et al. [90]., Nishino et al. [91]., Ranjit and Kung [92] who indicated good preservation of silage with high counts of LAB, low yeasts counts when inoculated with Lactobacillus inoculants. ...
There is a chronic shortage of local feeds in Kuwait, and almost 95% of total feeds are expensively imported. Therefore, efforts were focused to explore the possible utilization of locally available landscape browse residues as feed ingredients. Landscape greenery residues have increased with locally implemented greenery programs. Conocarpus lancifolius is an ornamentally predominant tree among landscape plantations, daily resulting in over 120 t of residual by-products without being utilized. Ensiling, was considered as a technically sound strategy for proper utilization of Conocarpus residues as an upgraded feed ingredient substituting imported conventional feeds. A total premix of 24 t of silage was prepared in pilot-scale trench silos for 30 days. Nutritional value of Conocarpus silage was evaluated, where mean values of 4.2 ± 0.12, 4.95 ± 0.32%, and 7.3 × 108 ± 0.12 colony forming units (CFU)/g of silage for pH, lactic acid, and lactic acid bacteria were achieved, respectively. Palatability and feeding trials were performed for four months on 60 growing heifers of Holstein-Friesian breed grouped in six dietary treatments. Formulated feed rations contained 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60% silage partially replacing conventional roughages (alfalfa, hay straw). Control dietary treatment contained 100% conventional feed ingredients. Daily dry matter intake and feed conversion ratio were signifi cantly (p <0.05) high. Results showed that grossly 40% of the conventional roughages could be replaced by the ensiled Conocarpus greenery browse residues. Cost/benefi t analysis was carried out on pilot-scale production of Conocarpus silage, confi rming a feasible, low cost, and competitive product where the cost was calculated to be Kuwaiti Dinar 33 (US 120)/t silage. Break-even point could be achieved after 30 months with production of 3,159 t silage. Potentially, low-cost Conocarpus silage could partially substitute expensive imported roughages,thereby alleviating feed shortage and, currently, promoting livestock production.
... Ensiling is a common preservation method for moist forage crops. It is based on anaerobic fermentation, where epiphytic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) convert water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) into organic acids, mainly lactic acid (McDonald et al., 1991;Weinberg et al., 2010). As a result, a low pH value inhibits the undesirable microorganisms and the forage crop is preserved. ...
The changes in yields and nutritive composition of whole crop wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) during maturation and effects of maturity stage and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculants on the fermentation quality and aerobic stability were investigated under laboratory conditions. Whole crop wheat harvested at three maturation stages: flowering stage, milk stage and dough stage. Two strains of LAB (Lactobacillus plantarum: LAB1, Lactobacillus parafarraqinis: LAB2) were inoculated for wheat ensiling at 1.0×10(5) colony forming units per gram of fresh forage. The results indicated that wheat had higher dry matter yields at the milk and dough stages. The highest water-soluble carbohydrates content, crude protein yields and relative feed value of wheat were obtained at the milk stage, while contents of crude fiber, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber were the lowest, compared to the flowering and dough stages. Lactic acid contents of wheat silage significantly decreased with maturity. Inoculating homofermentative LAB1 markedly reduced pH values and ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N) content (p<0.05) of silages at three maturity stages compared with their corresponding controls. Inoculating heterofermentative LAB2 did not significantly influence pH values, whereas it notably lowered lactic acid and NH3-N content (p<0.05) and effectively improved the aerobic stability of silages. In conclusion, considering both yields and nutritive value, whole crop wheat as forage should be harvested at the milk stage. Inoculating LAB1 improved the fermentation quality, while inoculating LAB2 enhanced the aerobic stability of wheat silages at different maturity stages.
... Moreover, the greater number of fungi was found in ML and FKML crops in current experiment. In a previous study, Weinberg et al. (2010) reported that the porosity of the silage and its susceptibility to air ingress depend on the degree of compaction in the silo which is affected by the DM concentration of the crop. It was also reported that wet pack density in the silo tended to decline as the corn plant matured (Harrison et al. 1998). ...
The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the short- and long-time effects of a multispecies lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculant on biochemical characteristics of corn silages at hard dough (HD, 253.1 g DM kg−1), one-third milk line (ML, 293.7 g DM kg−1), and one-third milk line with a killing frost (FKML, 297.6 g DM kg−1) maturity stages. The crops were ensiled in laboratory silos with (1.5 × 105 cfu g−1 of fresh forage) or without Lactisil Maize. Concentrations of dry matter and neutral detergent fiber, value of pH, and population of fungi were higher in ML and FKML crops compared with HD (p p p Keywords: Lactisil Maize; aerobic stability; bacterial inoculant; corn silage; frost killed corn; heterolactic fermentation Document Type: Research Article DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09712119.2013.875903 Affiliations: 1: Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran 2: Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran Publication date: October 2, 2014 (document).ready(function() { var shortdescription = (".originaldescription").text().replace(/\\&/g, '&').replace(/\\, '<').replace(/\\>/g, '>').replace(/\\t/g, ' ').replace(/\\n/g, ''); if (shortdescription.length > 350){ shortdescription = "" + shortdescription.substring(0,250) + "... more"; } (".shortdescription a").click(function() { (".originaldescription").slideDown(); return false; }); }); Related content In this: publication By this: publisher By this author: Mohammadzadeh ; Khorvash ; Ghorbani GA_googleFillSlot("Horizontal_banner_bottom");
... Also, a great difference was found in the aerobic stability between high-and low-DM silages and HD silages showed greater aerobic stability. In a previous study, Weinberg et al. (2010) reported that the porosity of the silage and its susceptibility to air ingress depend on the degree of compaction in the silo, which is affected by the DM content of the crop. It was also reported that wet-pack density in the silo tended to decline as the corn plant matured (Harrison et al. 1998). ...
A multi-species lactic acid bacterial inoculant (Lactisil maize, LM) was applied to whole-crop corn at different maturities in laboratory silos, to evaluate its effects on biochemical characteristics and aerobic stability. The corn crop was harvested at hard dough (HD, 253.1 g/DM kg), one-third milkline (ML, 293.7 g/DM kg) and one-third milkline with a killing frost (MLF, 297.6 g/DM kg). Crops were chopped to a 2.5-cm theoretical cut length, subsampled and treated with two levels of inoculant (LB1 = 1.5 × 10⁵ cfu/g forage, LB2 = 3 × 10⁵ cfu/g forage) or untreated (WO). The chemical composition of MLF crops was very similar to that of ML crops. However, lower (P < 0.01) numbers of lactic acid bacteria and higher numbers of yeast were enumerated in MLF than in ML crops. Higher percentages of DM and neutral detergent fibre and higher pH, but lower (P < 0.01) concentrations of water soluble carbohydrate and crude protein were measured in ML and MLF crops than in HD crops. Application of the inoculant increased (P < 0.01) concentrations of volatile fatty acids, neutral detergent fibre and acid detergent fibre in silages. Lactic acid concentration increased (P < 0.01) in HD treatments with an increasing level of inoculant. In contrast, the highest (P < 0.01) lactic acid concentration was measured in LB1 treatment compared with WO and LB2 in ML and MLF silages. Silages prepared from ML and MLF crops had higher (P < 0.01) lactic and acetic acid concentrations but lower (P < 0.01) butyric acid concentrations than did those prepared from HD. The pH in LB1 and LB2 silages was higher (P < 0.01) than that measured in WO silages. Aerobic stability was not influenced by inoculant treatment but low-DM silages were more (P < 0.01) resistant to spoilage. Frost-killed corn crops had a good potential to produce well fermented silage. Using LM resulted in silages with slightly higher fermentation products but it failed to improve aerobic stability of silage after 120 days of ensiling. These results indicated that inoculation of corn crops with LM for a short-duration ensilage period cannot enhance aerobic stability of silages due to insufficient acetic acid production from lactic acid conversion.
... The IVDMD and IVOMD of WCWS averaged 58.2% and 56.1%, ranging from 48.6 to 64.8% and from 45.1 to 63.2%, respectively (Table 4). These were lower and more variable than the results of Weinberg et al. 30 , who reported that the IVDMD of WCWS was 67 to 69% at the flowering stage and 65 to 66% at the milk-ripe stage. ...
Wheat cropping is a characteristic point of double cropping system following rice cropping in Japan. Feed evaluation of forage wheat is important for dairy production based on the domestic feed resources. The objective of the present study was to determine the preservation and nutritive characteristics of whole crop wheat silage (WCWS) and wheat straw silage (WSS) cultivated in a drained paddy field of local farms. Whole crop wheat harvested at the dough to yellow ripe stages and wheat straw were ensiled in round-bales and stored for 2 to 12 months. Twenty five round-bales of WCWS and 10 round-bales of WSS were investigated in this study. Both WCWS and WSS were made at farmers fields in 4 different sites. The WCWS was well preserved and averaged of pH 4.46, and concentrations of lactate, acetate and butyrate were 19.2, 10.4 and 4.7 g kg-1 on a dry matter (DM) basis, respectively. The mean pH of WSS was 5.46 and it contained lower acids (1.9, 2.2 and 1.0 g kg-1 DM of lactate, acetate and butyrate, respectively), indicating suppressed fermentation due to high DM content. The WCWS had crude protein of 78 g kg-1 DM and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) of 546 g kg-1 DM, and non-fiber carbohydrate (NFC) of 306 g kg-1 DM on average. There was a higher variation in the CP and NFC contents but relatively less variation in the NDF content among the WCWS samples (variance coefficient 22.0, 12.8 and 6.1%, respectively), which as attributed to the difference in the maturity of grain. The WSS had NDF content of 775 g kg-1 DM, mostly cellulose (415 g kg-1 DM). The in vitro organic matter degradability (IVOMD) of WCWS and WSS were 56.1 and 29.3%, respectively. The IVOMD of WCWS was not significantly correlated with pH and lactate and acetate content, but slightly correlated with butyrate content and NH3-N ratio. The higher coefficient of variation for in vitro gas production at the initial stages of ruminal incubation of WCWS was associated with the observation of higher coefficient of variation for NFC content as compared to those of fiber fractions such as NDF and ADF. In conclusion, winter cropping of wheat plant at the post-rice cropping can supply fermentable energy in rumen as whole crop silage, and wheat straw also can be useful as fibrous material by ensiling.
... However, aerobic stability was very low in all frosted corn silages. This is confirmed by a previous study by Weinberg et al. (2010) who reported that silages with higher dry matter content have higher porosity which makes silages susceptible to air ingress and deterioration. These findings may imply that in contrast with L. buchneri, P. acidipropionici cannot improve aerobic stability of corn silage. ...
This experiment was conducted to study the effects of different bacterial inoculants on fermentation characteristics and chemical composition of frosted-corn silage and animal performance. The corn crop was harvested at 297.6 g/kg DM after a killing frost. Treatments were frost damaged corn silages: without inoculant (WI), inoculated with Lactisil Maize (LB, contains Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus plantarum, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Lactobacillus casei — and Lactobacillus buchneri — in total 1.5 × 105 cfu/g of fresh forage) or inoculated with LalsilMS01 (LP, L. plantarum and Propionibacterium acidipropionici − 1.5 × 105 cfu from each strain per g of fresh forage). Silages were fed to twelve multiparous lactating Holstein dairy cows in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design experiment. The addition of inoculants did not influence percentages of DM, CP and water soluble carbohydrate of silages. However, higher concentration of lactic acid and NDF was found in silages with inoculants compared with control (P < 0.01). Concentration of acetic acid was higher in LB compared with WI and LP (P < 0.01). In contrast, concentration of propionic acid was slightly higher in LP compared with LB and WI (P < 0.01). LB treatment improved aerobic stability of silage but inoculation with LP produced silage with lower resistance to spoilage (P < 0.05). Digestibility of nutrients in total gastric tract was not affected by inoculation. However, inoculated silages decreased DM intake, milk protein (P < 0.05) and milk fat (P < 0.01) yield. Percentages of milk fat, protein and lactose were lower in LP in comparison with LB and control. Cattle on inoculated silages produced lower FCM and ECM yield (P < 0.01). However, ratios of DMI/FCM and DMI/ECM were not affected by inoculation. These results imply that frosted corn silage successfully can be ensiled without inoculants. Using these inoculants has no beneficial effect on feed efficiency of animals.
... Ensiling, a preservation method for moist crops, is based on anaerobic fermentation, whereby epiphytic lactic acid bacteria convert water-soluble carbohydrates in to organic acids, mainly lactic. As a result, the pH decreases, and the forage is preserved (Weinberg et al. 2010). Various different plant materials can be used for ensiling: grass, clover, alfalfa, barley, corn, wheat, sorghum, and various moist " by-products " of the food industry, such as apple pomace, beet pulp, and brewer's mash (Ajila et al. 2012) and have been used to feed dairy and beef animals in both developed and developing countries (Touqir et al. 2007a, b). ...
Whole crop rice was harvested 120 days after planting and chopped to 2-3-cm length for silage making. The whole crop rice silage (WCRS) was supplemented with different levels of molasses and urea to study nutritive value and in situ rumen degradability. The ensiling study was randomly assigned according to a 6 × 5 factorial arrangement, in which the first factor was molasses (M) supplementation at M0, M1, M2, M3, M4, and M5 %, and the second was urea (U) supplementation at U0, U0.5, U1.0, U1.5, and U2.0 % of the crop dry mater (DM), respectively. After 45 days of ensiling, temperature, pH, chemical composition, and fermentation end products of the silages were measured. Ten U and M treatment combinations of WCRS were subsequently selected to study rumen degradability by nylon bag technique. The results showed that temperature and pH of the silages linearly increased with U supplementation level, while total volatile fatty acid (TVFA), acetic acid (C2) and propionic acid (C3) decreased. In contrast, increasing level of M supplementation decreased WCRS temperature and pH, whereas TVFA, C2, and C3 concentrations increased dramatically. Both M and U supplementation increased concentration of butyric acid (C4). Dry matter, organic matter (OM), and acid detergent fiber (ADF) contents of the silages were not influenced by either M or U supplementation. Increasing U supplementation increased crude protein (CP) content, while M level did not show any effect. Furthermore, neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content in silage was decreased by both M and U supplementation. The results of the in situ study showed that M and U supplementation increased both ruminal DM and OM degradation. The water-soluble fraction (a) was the highest in WCRS U1.5M3 and lowest in U0M0. Increasing M and U supplementation levels increased the potentially degradable fraction (b) of both DM and OM. Total rumen degradable fraction (a + b) was highest in WCRS U1.5M3, whereas OM degradability was highest in U0M3. However, effective degradation of both DM and OM were the highest in WCRS U1.5M3 and the lowest in U0M0. We conclude that supplementation of U and M increases WCRS quality and rumen degradability. Supplementation of U at 1.5 and M at 3-4 % of the crop DM is recommended for lactating dairy cows and fattening beef cattle.
Objective:
This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the impact of wilted and unwilted silage on various parameters, such as nutrient content, fermentation quality, bacterial populations, and digestibility.
Methods:
Thirty-six studies from Scopus were included in the database and analyzed using a random effects model in OpenMEE software. The studies were grouped into two categories: wilting silage (experiment group) and non-wilting silage (control group). Publication bias was assessed using a fail-safe number.
Results:
The results showed that wilting before ensiling significantly increased the levels of dry matter, water-soluble carbohydrates, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber, compared to non-wilting silage (p < 0.05). However, wilting significantly decreased dry matter losses, lactic acid, acetic acid, butyric acid, and ammonia levels (p < 0.05). The pH, crude protein, and ash contents remained unaffected by the wilting process. Additionally, the meta-analysis revealed no significant differences in bacterial populations, including lactic acid bacteria, yeast, and aerobic bacteria, or in vitro dry matter digestibility between the two groups (p > 0.05).
Conclusion:
Wilting before ensiling significantly improved silage quality by increasing dry matter and water-soluble carbohydrates, as well as reducing dry matter losses, butyric acid, and ammonia. Importantly, wilting did not have a significant impact on pH, crude protein, or in vitro dry matter digestibility.
Objective. Study the metabolic activity of strains of lactic acid bacterial strains after their introduction into alfalfa haylage as a component of preservatives. Methods. Microbiological (determining the number of microorganisms, obtaining antibiotic-resistant mutants of bacterial strains), zootechnical (pH level, accumulation and ratio of organic acids in the fermentation process), statistical. Results. Lactobacillus plantarum KT-L18/1str, L. plantarum 32str strains introduced into the haylage substrate are stored in the feed in an active state for a long time and at day 30 of fermentation take a dominant position among native lactic acid bacteria, retaining 80 % of the acid-forming capacity and antagonistic activity against Staphylococcus aureus. The best results of the action of the studied lactic acid bacteria (LAB) after introduction into alfalfa haylage were obtained when the mass was dry-cured to a moisture content of 60–61 %, while the share of lactic acid in the total amount of organic acids formed in the experimental variants of the haylage ranged from 85.5 % to 89.3 % versus the control, where the share of lactic acid reached only 42 %. Increasing the degree of feed acidification in experimental variants at a given alfalfa moisture content ensured a decrease in the butyric acid content to 1.12–1.7 % versus 26.3 % in the control variant. Treatment of alfalfa haylage dry-cured to a moisture content of 38–39 % with strains of lactic acid bacteria did not affect the increase in the proportion of lactic acid. Conclusion. The use of probiotic L. plantarum KT-L18/1str and L. plantarum 32str made it possible to establish their competitiveness and metabolic activity in the process of alfalfa haylage preparation. The use of LAB probiotic strains for alfalfa haylage preparation improved fermentation processes, in particular, when dry matter content was at the level of 39–40 %.
BACKGROUND
The influence of epiphytic microbiota and chemical composition on fermentation quality and microbial community of Italian ryegrass silage was evaluated. Italian ryegrass harvested at the filling stage (FS) and the dough stage (DS) was sterilized by gamma‐ray irradiation and inoculated as follows: (I) FS epiphytic microbiota + irradiated FS (FF); (II) FS epiphytic microbiota + irradiated DS (FD); (III) DS epiphytic microbiota + irradiated DS (DD); (IV) DS epiphytic microbiota + irradiated FS (DF).
RESULTS
After 60 days of ensiling, silage made from irradiated FS had a lower pH and ammonia nitrogen (NH3‐N) content and a higher lactic acid (LA) content than that made from irradiated DS. Similarly, silage inoculated with the epiphytic microbiota of DS had a lower pH and NH3‐N content and a higher LA content than that inoculated with the epiphytic microbiota of FS. However, LA‐type fermentation (lactic acid:acetic acid > 2:1) was presented at DF and DD. The principal coordinates analysis showed that the distance between FF and DF and FD and DD was closer than other treatments, suggesting that the microbial community of silages made from irradiated FS (or DS) was more similar.
CONCLUSION
The epiphytic microbiota played a more important role in the fermentation type, whereas the chemical composition had a great influence on the contents of fermentation end‐products. However, chemical composition had a stronger effect on the microbial community of silage than the epiphytic microbiota. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
The current study aimed to compare the nutritional, chemical, and fermentative changes of maize silages with some additives prepared in standard glass jars (SGJ) and vacuum-packed model polyethylene bags (VP, Rostock). The treatment groups were control group (no addition), barley group (grinded barley addition 20 and 40 g kg-1), lactic acid bacteria (LAB) group, and LAB+enzyme mixture group. The ensiling method had no effect on the pH of the silage. (P=0.974) but the pH was increased with LAB addition (P=0.030). The dry matter (DM) contents of silages were increased by barley addition (P=0.030). Silages hemicellulose (HEM) content was decreased by ENZ inoculation (P=0.017). Silages total carbohydrates (TC) and metabolizable energy (ME) concentrations were highest in 40 g kg-1 barley group (P0.05). These results showed that vacuum-packed polythene bags do provide practical, flexible, and cost-efficient alternative to fixed-capacity glass containers for laboratory scale silage experiments.
Blown pack spoilage (BPS) of vacuum packaged primals, caused by Clostridium estertheticum and Clostridium gasigenes, is a serious issue for the beef industry. There are multiple sources of these bacteria on beef farms, including grass and associated feed preparations. The aim of this study was to investigate the survival of C. estertheticum and C. gasigenes spores during the ensiling of grass and the subsequent opening of the silos. Grass, harvested from fields, with and without cattle slurry amendment, was inoculated with approximately 100 spores g–1 and ensiled using a laboratory (silo) model system at 20°C in the dark. Adding formic acid or sucrose resulted in 6 treatment combination as follows; no slurry (NS), no slurry plus formic acid (NSFA), no slurry plus sucrose (NSS), slurry (S), slurry plus formic acid (SFA) and slurry plus sucrose (SS). During the silage fermentation, samples were removed periodically and tested for C. estertheticum, C. gasigenes, total viable, Escherichia coli, Enterobacteriaceae and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) counts. The pH, ethanol, volatile fatty acids (VFA), lactic acid and ammonia concentrations were also monitored throughout the experiment. C. estertheticum did not survive the ensiling process, regardless of treatment. In contrast, C. gasigenes grew in the early stages and was detected during the entirety of the fermentation for all treatments. Based on these observations, it was concluded that the silage fermentation process described would not remove C. gasigenes and contaminated grass may result in contaminated feed for animals.
Objective:
To improve the utility of native grass resources as feed in China, we investigated the dynamics of protein and carbohydrate fractions among Inner Mongolian native grasses, during ensiling and the aerobic stage, using the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS).
Methods:
Silages were prepared without or with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculant. We analyzed the protein and carbohydrate fractions and fermentation quality of silages at 0, 5, 15, 20, 30, and 60 d of ensiling, and the stability at 0.5, 2, 5, and 10 d during the aerobic stage.
Results:
Inner Mongolian native grass contained 10.8% crude protein (CP) and 3.6% water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) on a dry matter (DM) basis. During ensiling, pH and CP and WSC content decreased (p<0.05), whereas lactic acid and ammonia nitrogen (N) content increased (p<0.05). Non-protein N (PA) content increased significantly, whereas rapidly degraded true protein (PB1), intermediately degraded true protein (PB2), total carbohydrate (CHO), sugars (CA), starch (CB1), and degradable cell wall carbohydrate (CB2) content decreased during ensiling (p<0.05). At 30 d of ensiling, control and LAB-treated silages were well preserved and had lower pH (<4.2) and ammonia-N content [<0.4 g/kg of fresh matter (FM)] and higher lactic acid content (>1.0% of FM). During the aerobic stage, CP, extract ether (EE), WSC, lactic acid, acetic acid, PB1, PB2, true protein degraded slowly (PB3), CHO, CA, CB1, and CB2 content decreased significantly in all silages, whereas pH, ammonia-N, PA, and bound true protein (PC) content increased significantly.
Conclusion:
Control and LAB-treated silages produced similar results in terms of fermentation quality, aerobic stability, and protein and carbohydrate fractions. Inner Mongolian native grass produced good silage, nutrients were preserved during ensiling and protein and carbohydrate losses largely occurred during the aerobic stage.
This study aimed to determine the effects of a homolactic inoculant on the nutritional value, fermentation pattern, aerobic stability and dry matter (DM) loss of wheat silage stored in farm-scale bunker silos. The experiment was carried out in a completely randomised design, whereas treatments were arranged in a 2 × 3 factorial scheme: wheat silage without inoculant (WS) or treated with a homolactic inoculants (Lactobacillus plantarum plus Pediococcus acidilactici at 1 × 10⁵ cfu/g; WSI), evaluated in three silo layers (bottom, middle and top layers) of a bunker silo. The WS silage had higher levels of acetic, propionic and butyric acids and greater fermentative DM losses. However, the homolactic inoculant (WSI) worsened the aerobic stability. As previously expected, silage stored at the top layer had lower density and higher DM losses. In conclusion, the homolactic inoculant decreased the formation of volatile fatty acids and fermentative losses, but led to worse aerobic stability of wheat silages stored in bunker silos.
Forage preservation through fermentation can result in substantial DM and economic losses. The objective of this research by the use of meta-analysis was to determine whether fermentation end-product measures and forage parameters were capable of predicting forage DM losses following ensiling. The data set was built by searching a database for "forage," "fermentation," and "dry matter loss." The data set contained 405 means from 43 peer-reviewed research reports. Forage DM losses (% of original forage DM) ranged from 0 to 28.6% with a raw mean of 6.2%. Report, forage biology, fermentation treatment, fermentation length, DM, pH, lactic acid, and acetic acid parameters were related to natural logarithm DM loss using a mixed-model approach. Parameters were evaluated for linear and quadratic effects and linear interactions. Report was classified as a random effect. The resulting model had a 1.403 mean natural logarithm DM, R2 of 0.813, and root mean square error of 0.418. Forage DM (%), acetic and lactic acid, pH, fermentation length, and forage biology were related to losses. Fermentation treatments tended (P < 0.10) to differ. Forage pH × lactic acid, DM × fermentation treatment, DM × forage biology, and lactic acid × forage biology all exhibited interactions. Forage DM, biology, fermentation, and treatment parameters were capable of describing most DM-loss variation across a range of published research reports (P = 0.01). The final model described here has utility to predict forage DM losses due to fermentation and may be useful to diagnose problematic fermentations and assess opportunity costs.
The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of inoculating Lactisil Maize, a dual-purpose inoculant, on the fermentation characteristics and nutritive value of high-moisture maize silage and the performance of lactating cows receiving the silage in their diets. Whole-crop maize was harvested at 253 g dry matter (DM)/kg fresh crop. Maize silage was produced with or without Lactisil Maize and ensiled in two different bunkers. Eight multiparous lactating Holstein dairy cows were used in a replicated 2 × 2 Latin square experimental design and were fed total mixed rations that contained 230 g/kg of either inoculated or control maize silage. Inoculation did not affect the nutritive value or the aerobic stability of the maize silage, but increased the neutral detergent and acid detergent fibre fractions of the silage. However, inoculation increased the concentrations of acetic acid and lactic acid, but reduced ammonia N concentration compared to the control. Cows fed the Lactisil Maize-inoculated silage had a lower DM intake, milk yield, and yields of milk fat and milk protein were lower, compared to control. The digestibility of nutrients was not affected by inoculation. It was concluded that although Lactisil Maize inoculation improved the fermentation quality of high-moisture maize silage, it did not improve aerobic stability of the silage or the production performance of dairy cows compared to the control.
The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of inoculating Lactisil Maize, a dual-purpose inoculant, on the fermentation characteristics and nutritive value of high-moisture maize silage and the performance of lactating cows receiving the silage in their diets. Whole-crop maize was harvested at 253 g dry matter (DM)/kg fresh crop. Maize silage was produced with or without Lactisil Maize and ensiled in two different bunkers. Eight multiparous lactating Holstein dairy cows were used in a replicated 2 × 2 Latin square experimental design and were fed total mixed rations that contained 230 g/kg of either inoculated or control maize silage. Inoculation did not affect the nutritive value or the aerobic stability of the maize silage, but increased the neutral detergent and acid detergent fibre fractions of the silage. However, inoculation increased the concentrations of acetic acid and lactic acid, but reduced ammonia N concentration compared to the control. Cows fed the Lactisil Maize-inoculated silage had a lower DM intake, milk yield, and yields of milk fat and milk protein were lower, compared to control. The digestibility of nutrients was not affected by inoculation. It was concluded that although Lactisil Maize inoculation improved the fermentation quality of high-moisture maize silage, it did not improve aerobic stability of the silage or the production performance of dairy cows compared to the control.
The primary goal in harvesting and ensiling a crop is to preserve as nearly as possible the quantity and quality of the crop at the time of cutting. Depending on climate, forages may be mown, laid on the stubble in a swath, and then allowed to wilt in the field prior to chopping and ensiling. Most forages that are wilted are cut with a mower-conditioner. The mowing operation is most frequently done via a reciprocating cutterbar or a rotary disk. Plant respiration causes the most significant physiological or metabolic loss during the wilting process, and some respiration loss is unavoidable. Proteolysis is the other major plant enzyme activity occurring during wilting. Proteases in the plant hydrolyze plant proteins into peptides, free amino acids, and amides. Rainfall during wilting has a variety of effects on a crop and its subsequent ensilability. © 2003 by the American Society of Agronomy, Inc., Crop Science Society of America, Inc., Soil Science Society of America, Inc.
In many parts of the world, conserved forage is an essential component of ruminant diets during those intervals when fresh crops are unavailable. A. J. G. Barnett subdivided the process of ensiling into four principal phases of different length and intensity, which cannot be separated precisely from each other. When silage is used as a feed source on a farm, several events take place that have relevance to the number of clostridial spores in silage and milk. During mowing and harvesting of a silage crop, contamination of the crop by soil particles, which contain clostridial spores, is unavoidable. The microbial population of standing or freshly harvested forage crops is considerably different from that found during the process of silage fermentation or in the final product. Most inoculants consist exclusively of homofermentative or facultatively heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria because these are the most efficient producers of lactic acid. © 2003 by the American Society of Agronomy, Inc., Crop Science Society of America, Inc., Soil Science Society of America, Inc.
Silage deteriorates readily when exposed to air, resulting in DM losses. Inoculation of silage with lactic acid bacteria may aid fermentation, but effects on aerobic stability are unclear. Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of commercial bacterial inoculants on aerobic stability and in vitro fiber digestibility of silage. Corn (Zea mays L.; Exp. 1) or sorghum (Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench; Exp. 2) forage (30% DM) was inoculated (1.1 x 10(5) colony forming units/g of fresh forage) with lactic acid bacteria (Pioneer brand 1174 on corn, Pioneer brand 1129 on sorghum) or bacterial inoculant plus an antifungal agent (potassium sorbate at .5 mg/g of fresh forage) and ensiled in 19-L microsilos. Corn was ensiled for 40 or 186 d and sorghum was ensiled for 30 or 160 d (five microsilos per treatment per ensiling time combination). Silages were exposed to air for 7 to 9 d after opening, and temperature was monitored daily. Water-soluble carbohydrates, pH, NDF, ADF, and in vitro digestibility of NDF and ADF were determined before and after ensiling and on exposed silages. Inoculation reduced (P < .05) silage pH in both corn and sorghum but did not prevent aerobic deterioration of the silages. Temperatures during aerobic exposure of silages did not differ (P > .05) between uninoculated and inoculated silages. Inoculant treatment did not affect (P > .05) concentrations or digestibility of NDF in corn; however, NDF and ADF concentration and in vitro digestibility of NDF increased (P < .05) with time of ensiling in sorghum silage, and in vitro ADF digestibility increased (P < .05) with time of ensiling in corn silage.
Several microorganisms and one chemical preservative were tested for their effects on the fermentation and aerobic stability of corn silage. Whole-plant corn (one-half milk line, 31.3% dry matter) was ensiled in quadruplicate 20-L laboratory silos untreated or after the following treatments: Lactobacillus buchneri at 1 x 10(5) and 1 x 10(6) cfu/g of fresh forage; two different strains of L. plantarum, each at 1 x 10(6) cfu/g; and a buffered propionic acid-based product at 0.1% of fresh forage weight. After 100 d of ensiling, silage treated with L. buchneri (1 x 10(6) cfu/g) had a lower concentration of lactic acid compared with the untreated silage, but was similar to other treated silages. The silage treated with the high (1 x 10(6) cfu/g), but not the moderate rate (1 x 10(5) cfu/g) of L. buchneri also had a greater concentration of acetic acid (3.60%) and less yeasts (2.01 log cfu/g) when compared with other treatments (average of 1.88% acetic acid and 5.85 log cfu of yeasts/g). Silages treated with L. plantarums, the moderate rate of L. buchneri, and the chemical preservative took longer to heat than untreated silage when exposed to air, but improvements were numerically small (6.3 to 10.5 h). In contrast, silage treated with the high rate of L. buchneri never heated throughout a 900-h period of monitoring. Inoculating corn silage with 1 x 10(6) cfu/g of L. buchneri resulted in a more heterolactic fermentation and dramatically improved the aerobic stability of corn silage.
The degradation of lactic acid under anoxic conditions was studied in several strains of Lactobacillus buchneri and in close relatives such as Lactobacillus parabuchneri,Lactobacillus kefir, and Lactobacillus hilgardii. Of these lactobacilli, L. buchneri andL. parabuchneri were able to degrade lactic acid under anoxic conditions, without requiring an external electron acceptor. Each mole of lactic
acid was converted into approximately 0.5 mol of acetic acid, 0.5 mol of 1,2-propanediol, and traces of ethanol. Based on
stoichiometry studies and the high levels of NAD-linked 1,2-propanediol-dependent oxidoreductase (530 to 790 nmol min−1 mg of protein−1), a novel pathway for anaerobic lactic acid degradation is proposed. The anaerobic degradation of lactic acid by L. buchneri does not support cell growth and is pH dependent. Acidic conditions are needed to induce the lactic-acid-degrading capacity
of the cells and to maintain the lactic-acid-degrading activity. At a pH above 5.8 hardly any lactic acid degradation was
observed. The exact function of anaerobic lactic acid degradation by L. buchneri is not certain, but some results indicate that it plays a role in maintaining cell viability.
Aerobic stability is an important characteristic of silages because they are exposed to air during storage and feedout. The objective of the current study was to investigate changes that occur in wheat silages during aerobic exposure. Silages of whole crop wheat harvested at the flowering, milk and dough stages of maturity were prepared in 1.5L anaerobic glass jars. Three months after ensiling, silages were subjected to a 7-day aerobic stability test. The silages of wheat harvested at the flowering stage were the most stable upon aerobic exposure, but had the largest fermentation losses. Silages of milk-stage wheat were unstable upon aerobic exposure, and had large amounts of CO2 and heating, large yeast populations, decreased amounts of fermentation products and decreased dry matter (DM) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility (from 667 to 572g/kg DM and from 597 to 558g/kg DM, following 7-day aerobic exposure, respectively). Silages of dough-stage wheat had relatively low fermentation losses and were quite stable for at least 4 days of aerobic exposure. Silage samples from the center of commercial bunker silos, and from areas adjacent to the walls of the silos, were judged to be of good quality. Samples from the shoulders of bunker silos were spoiled with higher pH (P
A series of laboratory silages were prepared and opened after 2, 20, 60 and 150 days. The silages were made without any additive and with formaldehyde, formic acid, hexanoic acid, benzoic acid or sulphuric acid. The cellulose, hemicellulose, acetyl, alkali-labile phenolic acids and core lignin were determined in all silages as well as the composition of the hemicelluloses. In all the silages, the core lignin remained unchanged while the cellulose content only decreased by up to 5%. Large losses of acetyl residues and alkali-labile phenolic acids were observed in all the silages and losses of 10–20% of the hemicelluloses were found. The losses of hemicellulose were not uniform. The arabinose side chains were preferentially cleaved relative to the xylose residues. It was shown that part of the loss of carbohydrate could have been caused by the acidic conditions in the silage as well as by microbial activity. The silages made using the acidic additives with the highest pKa values lost the greatest proportion of carbohydrate. The implications of these results on rumen activity are discussed.(Received March 27 1979)
The water activity of juice available for fermentation, after breakdown of the cell walls during the ensiling of plant material, depends largely on the moisture content of the sample. Water activity increases with moisture content, but probably never becomes so high as seriously to limit lactic-acid fermentation, although high moisture contents have other detrimental effects. With low moisture contents, the limited availability of the juice rather than its lowered water activity is most probably the factor primarily responsible for poor lactic-acid production.
Saccharomyces uvarum, Geotrichum candidum, Endomycopsis burtonii and Hansemula canadensis have been isolated from deteriorated silages and/or spoiled lactic acid fermented foods. All yeasts could grow in relatively high (100 mmol/l) concentrations of acetate or lactate in Wickerham's assimilation broth but were inhibited by increasing concentrations of these acids. Propionate was much more inhibitory than acetate or lactate. Growth rate, but not final cell yield, was adversely affected by increasing concentrations of these acids. The three acids used in combination were synergistically inhibitory to H. canadensis and G. candidum. Saccharomyces uvarum was inhibited by synergistic mixtures of acetate/propionate. Endomycopsis burtonii and H. canadensis were inhibited by synergistic mixtures of acetate/lactate, acetate/propionate and lactate/propionate. Lactate and propionate had a synergistic inhibitory effect on G. candidum. The mechanism of inhibition of growth of S. uvarum by acetate and propionate was further investigated. Acetate and propionate each caused a reduction in cellular efficiency (Y, μg cells/μmole glucose consumed). Mixtures caused a drastic reduction in growth rate and Y. These results suggest that the cells may expend energy in reducing intracellular concentrations of acetate while propionate probably acts in a different manner.
A simple technique for the determination in vitro of the dry- or organic-matter digestibility of small (0·5 g) samples of dried forages is described. It involves incubation first with rumen liquor and then with acid pepsin. Using 146 samples of grass, clover and lucerne of known in vivo digestibility (Y), the regression equation Y= 0·99 X– 1·01 (S.E. ± 2·31) has been calculated, where X=in vitro dry-matter digestibility. This technique has been used for the study of the digestibilities of plant breeder's material, of the leaf and stem fractions of herbage and of herbage consumed by animals.
The effect of applying commercial lactic acid bacteria inoculants at ensiling on the aerobic stability of silages was studied under laboratory conditions. The silages used were wheat, hedysarum, corn and various sorghum cultivars at various stages of maturity. Three inoculants were used, two containing Lactobacillus plantarum, Enterococcus faecium and Pediococcus acidilactici (H/M F, Medipharm, USA and Sil‐All, Alltech, UK) and one containing Ent. faecium (Lacticil, M74, Medipharm, Sweden). The inoculants were applied at 0.5 times 10 ⁶ cfu g ‐1 . Silages with no additives served as controls. After treatment, the chopped forages were ensiled in 1.5 1 anaerobic jars; there were six jars per treatment. After ensiling for 45 d, the silages were tested for aerobic stability in a test in which CO 2 production was measured along with chemical and microbiological parameters.
The inoculated silages that spoiled upon aerobic exposure faster than the controls were those of wheat and of the sorghum cultivar FS5 at the milk stage of maturity. This was evident from intensive CO 2 production and development of yeasts and moulds. Regression analysis indicated that aerobic deterioration of inoculated silages was associated with high levels of residual water‐soluble carbohydrates and lactic acid and lack of volatile fatty acids. Aerobic spoilage of inoculated silages was attributed mainly to yeast activity.
The effect of applying Lactobacillus buchneri (LB), alone or in combinations with L. plantarum (LP) and yeasts at ensiling, on the ensiling fermentation and aerobic stability of wheat and sorghum silages was studied
under laboratory conditions. Treatments comprised LB, LP, yeasts, LB + yeasts, LP + yeasts, LB + LP and B-589 (a lactic acid
bacterial strain isolated from wheat silage in Israel) alone. The treatments were also applied to sterilized aqueous extracts
of wheat which were incubated at 30°C for 10 days. The pH of all treatments was below 4.0 already on day 4 of the experiment.
Silages treated with LB had higher acetic acid concentrations than those treated with LP: 32–34 vs 16–18, and 28–34 vs 4–7 g kg−1 in the experiments with wheat and sorghum, respectively. Similar results were obtained in wheat extracts. In the aqueous
phase, marked differences in pH decrease were noticed among the treatments: 4.4 in LB, 6.0 in the yeast, and 3.7 in LP and
B-589 (from day 3 and onwards). In both crops LB resulted in aerobically stable silages when applied alone or with LP and
yeasts, whereas LP resulted in unstable silages upon aerobic exposure; the stability of the LB-treated silages is attributed
to the higher acetic acid concentrations. The isolated strain (B-589) did not exhibit any advantage with regard to aerobic
stability.
Simple sugars, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, and their derivatives, including the methyl ethers with free or potentially free reducing groups, give an orange-yellow color when treated with phenol and concentrated sulfuric acid. The reaction is sensitive and the color is stable. By use of this phenol-sulfuric acid reaction, a method has been developed to determine submicro amounts of sugars and related substances. In conjunction with paper partition chromatography the method is useful for the determination of the composition of polysaccharides and their methyl derivatives.
Wheat silages are the major roughage for high-producing lactating dairy cows in Israel; therefore, their quality is important. The main objective of the current study was to determine the preservation status and nutritional quality of commercial wheat silages in Israel. An additional objective was to develop predictive equations for dry matter digestibility (DMD) and neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD) based on chemical composition of the silages, which would permit estimation of the digestibility from chemical composition. A total of 143 commercial wheat silages were sampled and analyzed for 3 yr. Fourteen random samples that were not included in the regression analysis were used to validate the equations by the bias and error of the model. Results revealed that wheat silages were quite sensitive to aerobic exposure; additives resulted in some improvement of the aerobic stability. After choosing the significant terms from ash, crude protein (CP), NDF, acid detergent fiber (ADF), and acid detergent lignin (ADL) by PROC STEPWISE of SAS, the following prediction equations were obtained from all 143 samples: DMD = 86.3 + (0. 70 x CP) - (0.46 x ADF) - (1.67 x ADL); and NDFD = 20.3 + (1.00 x CP) + (1.16 x NDF) - (0.88 x ADF) - (2.25 x ADL). The bias and the error of the prediction model for DMD were approximately 0.006 and 0.065, respectively; the bias and error for NDFD were approximately 0.007 and 0.118, respectively. It was concluded that the prediction model for DMD was quite adequate, whereas that for NDFD was less acceptable.
There is a need to standardize the NDF procedure. Procedures have varied because of the use of different amylases in attempts to remove starch interference. The original Bacillus subtilis enzyme Type IIIA (XIA) no longer is available and has been replaced by a less effective enzyme. For fiber work, a new enzyme has received AOAC approval and is rapidly displacing other amylases in analytical work. This enzyme is available from Sigma (Number A3306; Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis, MO). The original publications for NDF and ADF (43, 53) and the Agricultural Handbook 379 (14) are obsolete and of historical interest only. Up to date procedures should be followed. Triethylene glycol has replaced 2-ethoxyethanol because of reported toxicity. Considerable development in regard to fiber methods has occurred over the past 5 yr because of a redefinition of dietary fiber for man and monogastric animals that includes lignin and all polysaccharides resistant to mammalian digestive enzymes. In addition to NDF, new improved methods for total dietary fiber and nonstarch polysaccharides including pectin and beta-glucans now are available. The latter are also of interest in rumen fermentation. Unlike starch, their fermentations are like that of cellulose but faster and yield no lactic acid. Physical and biological properties of carbohydrate fractions are more important than their intrinsic composition.
The most important single factor which influences the efficiency with which forage crops are conserved as silage is the degree of anaerobiosis achieved in the completed silo. Air trapped in the crop at harvesting stage and the time of ensiling will have an insignificant effect on the nutrient status of feed. During silo filling operations, however, respiratory activities of the plant material, and more important, those of aerobic microorganisms can result in considerable heat generation and loss of digestibility.
Two selected strains, Lactobacillus casei FG 1 and Lactobacillus plantarum FG 10 that were isolated from forage crops were used as additives at 1.0 x 10(5) cfu/g of fresh matter to alfalfa, Italian ryegrass, and sorghum, and their effect on fermentation characteristics and aerobic deterioration of silage was studied. The three silages treated with strains FG 1 or FG 10 were well preserved; had significantly lower pH values, butyric acid, propionic acid, and ammonia N concentrations, gas production, and dry matter losses; and had significantly higher contents of residual water-soluble carbohydrates and lactic acid than did the respective control silages. Yeast counts were high in all treated silages and increased rapidly during aerobic exposure. As a result, treated silages spoiled faster upon aerobic exposure than did the respective control silages. Most yeasts isolated from deteriorated silages showed high tolerance to lactic acid but low tolerance to butyric acid, and they were able to grow at low pH conditions and assimilate lactic acid. The results confirmed that L. casei and L. plantarum improved fermentation quality but did not inhibit the growth of silage yeast or aerobic deterioration of the silage.
VOLUMETRIC procedures have been used for the quantitative determination of sugars after separation by partition chromatography1,2. It has been our experience that these methods not only require considerable skill, but also they are lengthy and sensitive to slight variation of the conditions. We have therefore attempted to develop a simple quantitative colorimetric procedure. Preliminary experiments showed that the anthrone3 and the alpha-naphthol sulphonate4 reagents give good results with pure sugar solutions, but the presence of only traces of solvents such as butanol, phenol and propionic acid used in the chromatographic separation of the sugars rendered them useless.
To monitor the fate of inoculated Escherichia coli in dry and moist hay of various types, under laboratory conditions.
Wheat, vetch and clover hay were used as received or wetted to 250-300 g kg(-1) moisture. The hay was inoculated at about 10(6) CFU g(-1) with a kanamycin-resistant E. coli strain that expresses the green fluorescence protein, and was stored in small open glass jars that were covered with aluminium foil. Three jars per treatment were sampled on days 1 and 3, or 4 and 7, or 8, 20 and 50, respectively, after the initiation of the experiments, and the numbers of E. coli in the hay were determined. The results indicated that E. coli disappeared from both dry and moist hay by 7-8 days after inoculation. However, in a few cases colonies that were presumed to be E. coli developed after incubation in Luria broth medium.
The tagged E. coli strain usually disappeared rapidly from both the dry and the moist hay, in spite of the high level of inocula used. However, in some cases a few, possibly injured E. coli might have persisted, and could be detected after incubation in a rich growth medium.
This study is part of a risk assessment associated with sewage irrigation of forage crops in Israel. The results indicate that E. coli added to the hay is not likely to pose a health risk to cattle or to humans. Nevertheless, more research with natural strains of E. coli and other enteric pathogens that might be more adapted to forage conditions is warranted in order to ensure the safety of sewage-irrigated crops.
Silage Science and Technology. Agronomy Monograph No. 42
- G Pahlow
- R E Muck
- F Driehuis
- S J W H Oude Elferink
Pahlow, G., Muck, R.E., Driehuis, F., Oude Elferink, S.J.W.H., 2003. Microbiology of ensiling. In: Buxton, D.R., Muck, R.E., Harrison, J.H. (Eds.), Silage Science and
Technology. Agronomy Monograph No. 42. American Society of Agronomy, Inc., Crop Science Society of America, Inc., Soil Science Society of America,
Inc., Madison, WI, USA, pp. 31-94 (Chapter 2).