The results of adding Lactobacillus buchneri to silages from 43 experiments in 23 sources reporting standard errors were summarized using meta-analysis. The effects of inoculation were summarized by ...type of crop (corn or grass and small grains) and the treatments were classified into the following categories: 1) untreated silage with nothing applied (LB0), 2) silage treated with L. buchneri at ≤100,000 cfu/g of fresh forage (LB1), and 3) silage treated with L. buchneri at>100,000 cfu/g (LB2). In both types of crops, inoculation with L. buchneri decreased concentrations of lactic acid, and this response was dose-dependent in corn but not in grass and small-grain silages. Treatment with L. buchneri markedly increased the concentrations of acetic acid in both crops in a dose-dependent manner. The numbers of yeasts were lower in silages treated with LB1 and further decreased in silages treated with LB2 compared with untreated silages. Untreated corn silage spoiled after 25h of exposure to air but corn silage treated with LB1 did not spoil until 35h, and this stability was further enhanced to 503h with LB2. In grass and small-grain silages, yeasts were nearly undetectable; however, inoculation improved aerobic stability in a dose-dependent manner (206, 226, and 245h for LB0, LB1, and LB2, respectively). The recovery of DM after ensiling was lower for LB2 (94.5%) when compared with LB0 (95.5%) in corn silage and was lower for both LB1 (94.8%) and LB2 (95.3%) when compared with LB0 (96.6%) in grass and small-grain silages.
Summary
Advances in micro‐organism identification techniques have resulted in increased knowledge of the diversity of prokaryotes and eukaryotes in silage. Such knowledge has enhanced the ...understanding of how fermentation occurs in forage crops with different characteristics and how the process can be improved to enhance silage quality. Undesirable micro‐organisms can grow in silage when fermentation does not occur properly. Such micro‐organisms may be pathogenic and/or produce toxic metabolic compounds; however, information on the consequences of these metabolites on the health of animals that consume silage is still lacking. The major challenge of ensilage is to produce high‐quality feed that is nutritional, sanitary and stable, with a high dry matter recovery rate, in a process involving no interventions during fermentation and considerable variation in the characteristics of the substrates. It is important to note that each substrate has particularities and that we can only improve fermentation if we fully understand microbial diversity. This review is intended to update information related to the fermentation profile of silage, focusing on microbial diversity.
The objective of the experiment was to evaluate the nutritional composition, dry matter (DM) recovery and aerobic stability of winter cereal silages under different storage periods. The materials ...used were wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. BRS Gralha Azul), barley (Hordeum vulgare cv. BRS Brau), white oat (Avena sativa cv. URS Guara), black oat (Avena strigosa cv. Embrapa 139) and triticale (X Triticosecale IPR 11), in three storage periods: 60, 120 and 180 days. The experiment was conducted in a 5x3 factorial, completely randomized design, consisting of five forage species and three storage periods, with five replicates. In nutritional assessment, barley silage presented low values of acid detergent fiber (ADF; 331.2, 355.2 and 378.5 g kg DM.sup.-1 for 60, 120, 180 days, respectively), high total digestible nutrients (TDN; 558.2, 544.7 and 531.6 g kg DM.sup.-1 for 60, 120, 180 days, respectively), high DM recovery and aerobic stability. Wheat and triticale showed a decrease in DM recovery with the increase in storage length, although showed high aerobic stability. The storage period had a different effect on forages; however, storage period above 60 days provided no benefits for the variables evaluated. Keywords: storage, aerobic deterioration, DM recovery. O objetivo do experimento foi avaliar a composicao nutricional, a recuperacao de materia seca (MS) e a estabilidade aerobia de silagens de cereais de inverno submetidas a diferentes tempos de estocagem. Os materiais utilizados foram o trigo (Triticum aestivum cv. BRS Gralha Azul), cevada (Hordeum vulgare cv. BRS Brau), aveia branca (Avena sativa cv. URS Guara), aveia preta (Avena strigosa cv. Embrapa 139) e triticale (X Triticosecale cv. IPR 11), em tres tempos de estocagem: 60, 120 e 180 dias. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado em arranjo fatorial 5x3. Na avaliacao nutricional, a silagem de cevada apresentou baixos teores de fibra em detergente acido (FDA; 331; 355 e 378 g kg MS.sup.-1, para 60, 120 e 180 dias, respectivamente) e altos de nutrientes digestiveis totais (NDT; 558; 544 e 531 g kg MS.sup.-1 para 60, 120 e 180 dias, respectivamente), alem de alta recuperacao de MS e estabilidade aerobia. O trigo e o triticale apresentaram decrescimo na recuperacao de MS com o aumento dos dias de estocagem, embora tenham apresentado alta estabilidade aerobia. O tempo de estocagem influenciou de maneira distinta as forrageiras, no entanto, tempos de estocagem acima de 60 dias nao proporcionaram beneficios para as variaveis avaliadas. Palavras-chave: armazenamento, deterioracao aerobia, recuperacao de MS.
The first objective of this study was to examine effects of adding Escherichia coli O157:H7 with or without chemical or microbial additives on the bacterial diversity and composition of alfalfa ...silage. The second objective was to examine associations between the relative abundance of known and unknown bacterial species and indices of silage fermentation quality. Alfalfa forage was harvested at 54% dry matter, chopped to a theoretical length of cut of 19 mm, and ensiled in quadruplicate in laboratory silos for 100 d after the following treatments were applied: (1) distilled water (control); (2) 1 × 105 cfu/g of E. coli O157:H7 (EC); (3) EC and 1 × 106 cfu/g of Lactobacillus plantarum (EC+LP); (4) EC and 1 × 106 cfu/g of Lactobacillus buchneri (EC+LB); and (5) EC and 0.22% propionic acid (EC+PA). After 100 d of ensiling, the silage samples were analyzed for bacterial diversity and composition via the Illumina MiSeq platform (Illumina Inc., San Diego, CA) and chemically characterized. Overall, Firmicutes (74.1 ± 4.86%) was the most predominant phylum followed by Proteobacteria (20.4 ± 3.80%). Relative to the control, adding E. coli O157:H7 alone at ensiling did not affect bacterial diversity or composition but adding EC+LP or EC+LB reduced the Shannon index, a measure of diversity (3.21 vs. 2.63 or 2.80, respectively). The relative abundance of Firmicutes (69.2 and 68.8%) was reduced, whereas that of Proteobacteria (24.0 and 24.9%) was increased by EC+LP and EC+PA treatments, relative to those of the control (79.5 and 16.5%) and EC+LB (77.4 and 18.5%) silages, respectively. Compared with the control, treatment with EC+LP increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Sphingomonas, Pantoea, Pseudomonas, and Erwinia by 426, 157, 200, 194, and 163%, respectively, but reduced those of Pediococcus, Weissella, and Methylobacterium by 5,436, 763, and 250%, respectively. Relative abundance of Weissella (9.19%) and Methylobacterium (0.94%) were also reduced in the EC+LB silage compared with the control (29.7 and 1.50%, respectively). Application of propionic acid did not affect the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Weissella, or Pediococcus. Lactate concentration correlated positively (r = 0.56) with relative abundance of Lactobacillus and negatively (r = −0.41) with relative abundance of Pediococcus. Negative correlations were detected between ammonia-N concentration and relative abundance of Sphingomonas (r = −0.51), Pantoea (r = −0.46), Pseudomonas (r = −0.45), and Stenotrophomonas (r = −0.38). Silage pH was negatively correlated with relative abundance of Lactobacillus (r = −0.59), Sphingomonas (r = −0.66), Pantoea (r = −0.69), Pseudomonas (r = −0.69), and Stenotrophomonas (r = −0.50). Future studies should aim to speciate, culture, and determine the functions of the unknown bacteria detected in this study to elucidate their roles in silage fermentation.
Over the last 25 years, whole-plant corn silage has become an important and popular feedstuff for dairy production. Copious research has been dedicated to the development and evaluation of ...alternatives to enhance the nutritive value of whole-plant corn silage. These efforts have been aimed at manipulating the physical and chemical characteristics of whole-plant corn silage in an effort to maximize dairy profitability. Results from this review indicate that optimization of harvest maturity, kernel processing, theoretical length of cut, and cutting height improve or maintain the nutritive value and milk production of lactating dairy cows. Technological advancements have been developed and made available to dairy producers and corn growers desiring to enhance fiber and starch digestibility of whole-plant corn silage. Future research should be directed toward further assessment of new processors available in the market and the development of assessment methods for optimization of crop processor settings, harvest efficiency, and nutritional modeling.
This study aimed to evaluate the fermentation characteristics, losses and the chemical composition of two pearl millet genotypes silages submitted to nitrogen fertilization. The experimental design ...was a completely randomized blocks in a split plot scheme 2x5 (two nitrogen genotypes doses x five doses of nitrogen), with four replicates. Nitrogen doses were 0, 20, 40, 60, 80kg ha.sup.-1 and the pearl millet genotypes were the variety ADR300 and the hybrid ADR7010. The hybrid ADR 7010 showed average lactic acid content higher than the variety ADR 300, at all doses of N, recording values ranging from 4.09 to 10.46dag kg.sup.-1. There was an interaction between nitrogren doses and genotypes for the neutral detergent fiber, which ranged from 51.81 to 63.63dag kg.sup.-1 of dry matter. Dry matter recovery decreased linearly with increasing nitrogen doses only for hybrid ADR7010, the same did not happen for the ADR300. The nitrogen fertilization does not favor the fermentation characteristics and increases DM losses of the hybridADR7010. Key words: chemical composition, fermentation characteristics, lactic acid, semi-arid. Objetivou-se avaliar o perfil fermentativo, as perdas e a composicao bromatologica de silagens de dois genotipos de milheto, submetidos a adubacao nitrogenada. O delineamento utilizado foi em blocos casualizados em um esquema de parcelas subdivididas 2x5 (dois genotipos x cinco doses de nitrogenio), com quatro repeticoes. As doses de nitrogenio foram 0, 20, 40, 60, 80kg ha.sup.-1 e os genotipos de milheto foram a variedade ADR300 e o hibrido ADR7010. O hibrido ADR 7010 apresentou teores medios de acido latico superiores aos da variedade ADR 300 em todos os niveis de N, registrando valores que variaram de 4,09 a 10,46 dag kg.sup.-1. Houve interacao entre os niveis de adubo e os genotipos para a fibra em detergente neutro, que variaram de 51,81 a 63,63dag kg.sup.-1 de materia seca. A recuperacao de materia seca diminuiu linearmente com o aumento das doses de nitrogenio somente para o hibrido ADR7010, o mesmo nao acontecendo para a ADR300. A adubacao nitrogenada nao favorece o perfil fermentativo e incrementa as perdas de materia seca do hibrido ADR7010. Palavras-chave: composicao bromatologica, perfil fermentativo, acido latico, semiarido.
This project aimed to evaluate the effects 8 additives on the fermentation, dry matter (DM) losses, nutritive value, and aerobic stability of corn silage. Corn forage harvested at 31% DM was chopped ...(10mm) and treated with (1) deionized water (control); (2) Buchneri 500 (BUC; 1×105 cfu/g of Pediococcus pentosaceus 12455 and 4×105 cfu/g of Lactobacillus buchneri 40788; Lallemand Animal Nutrition, Milwaukee, WI); (3) sodium benzoate (BEN; 0.1% of fresh forage); (4) Silage Savor acid mixture (SAV: 0.1% of fresh forage; Kemin Industries Inc., Des Moines, IA); (5) 1×106 cfu/g of Acetobacter pasteurianus-ATCC 9323; (6) 1×106 cfu/g of Gluconobacter oxydans-ATCC 621; (7) Ecosyl 200T (1×105 cfu/g of Lactobacillus plantarum MTD/1; Ecosyl Products Inc., Byron, IL); (8) Silo-King WS (1.5×105 cfu/g of L. plantarum, P. pentosaceus and Enterococcus faecium; Agri-King, Fulton, IL); and (9) Biomax 5 (BIO; 1×105 cfu/g of L. plantarum PA-28 and K-270; Chr. Hansen Animal Health and Nutrition, Milwaukee, WI). Treated forage was ensiled in quadruplicate in mini silos at a density of 172kg of DM/m3 for 3 and 120d. After 3d of ensiling, the pH of all silages was below 4 but ethanol concentrations were least in BEN silage (2.03 vs. 3.24% DM) and lactic acid was greatest in SAV silage (2.97 vs. 2.51% DM). Among 120-d silages, additives did not affect DM recovery (mean=89.8% ± 2.27) or in vitro DM digestibility (mean=71.5% ± 0.63). The SAV silage had greater ammonia-N (0.85g/kg of DM) and butyric acid (0.22 vs. 0.0% DM) than other treatments. In contrast, BEN and Silo-King silages had the least ammonia-N concentration and had no butyric acid. The BEN and A. pasteurianus silages had the lowest pH (3.69) and BEN silage had the least ethanol (1.04% DM) and ammonia nitrogen (0.64g/kg DM) concentrations, suggesting that fermentation was more extensive and protein degradation was less in BEN silages. The BUC and BIO silages had greater acetic acid concentrations than control silages (3.19 and 3.19 vs. 2.78% DM), but yeast counts did not differ. Aerobic stability was increased by 64% by BUC (44.30h) and by 35% by BEN (36.49h), but other silages had similar values (27.0±1.13h).
Abstract
This study evaluated the effects of inoculation of whole crop corn silage with a mixture of heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria (LAB) composed of Lactobacillus hilgardii and ...Lactobacillus buchneri on ensiling, aerobic stability, ruminal fermentation, total tract nutrient digestibility, and growth performance of beef cattle. Uninoculated control corn silage (CON) and silage inoculated with 3.0 × 105 cfu g−1 of LAB containing 1.5 × 105 cfu g−1 of L. hilgardii CNCM I-4785 and 1.5 × 105 cfu g−1 of L. buchneri NCIMB 40788 (INOC) were ensiled in silo bags. The pH did not differ (P > 0.05) between the two silages during ensiling but was greater (P < 0.001) for CON than INOC after 14 d of aerobic exposure (AE). Neutral detergent insoluble crude protein (NDICP) content (% of DM and % of CP basis) of terminal INOC silage was greater (P ≤ 0.05) than that of CON. In terminal silage, concentrations of total VFA and acetate were greater (P < 0.001), while water-soluble carbohydrates were lower (P < 0.001) for INOC than CON. Yeast and mold counts were lower for INOC than CON (P ≤ 0.001) in both terminal and aerobically exposed silages. The stability of INOC was greater (P < 0.001) than that of CON after 14 d of AE. Ruminal fermentation parameters and DMI did not differ (P > 0.05) between heifers fed the two silages, while there was a tendency (P ≤ 0.07) for lower CP and starch digestibility for heifers fed INOC than CON. Total nitrogen (N) intake and N retention were lower (P ≤ 0.04) for heifers fed INOC than CON. Dry matter intake as a percentage of BW was lower (P < 0.04) and there was a tendency for improved feed efficieny (G:F; P = 0.07) in steers fed INOC vs. CON silage. The NEm and NEg contents were greater for INOC than CON diets. Results indicate that inoculation with a mixture of L. hilgardii and L. buchneri improved the aerobic stability of corn silage. Improvements in G:F of growing steers fed INOC silage even though the total tract digestibility of CP and starch tended to be lower for heifers fed INOC are likely because the difference in BW and growth requirements of these animals impacted the growth performance and nutrient utilization and a greater proportion of NDICP in INOC than CON.
The main challenge of ensiling is conserving the feed through a fermentative process that results in high nutritional and microbiological quality while minimizing fermentative losses. This challenge ...is of growing interest to farmers, industry and research and involves the use of additives to improve the fermentation process and preserve the ensiled material. Most studies involved microbial additives; lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been the focus of much research and have been widely used. Currently, LABs are used in modern and sustainable agriculture because of their considerable potential for enhancing human and animal health. Although the number of studies evaluating LABs in silages has increased, the potential use of these micro‐organisms in association with silage has not been adequately studied. Fermentation processes using the same strain produce very different results depending on the unique characteristics of the substrate, so the choice of silage inoculant for different starting substrates is of extreme importance to maximize the nutritional quality of the final product. This review describes the current scenario of the bioprospecting and selection process for choosing the best LAB strain as an inoculant for ensiling. In addition, we analyse developments in the fermentation process and strategies and methods that will assist future studies on the selection of new strains of LAB as a starter culture or inoculant.
Whole-plant corn was harvested at 33 (normal) and 41% (moderately high) dry matter (DM) and ensiled in quadruplicate 20-L laboratory silos to investigate the effects of Lactobacillus buchneri 40788 ...(LB) or L. plantarum MTD-1 (LP) alone, or in combination, on the fermentation and aerobic stability of the resulting silage. Aerobic stability was defined as the amount of time after exposure to air for the silage temperature to reach 2°C above ambient temperature. The chopped forage was used in a 2×2×2 factorial arrangement of treatments: normal and moderately high DM contents, LB at 0 (untreated) or 4×105 cfu/g of fresh forage, and LP at 0 or 1×105 cfu/g. After 240 d of ensiling, corn silage harvested at the moderately high DM had higher pH, higher concentrations of ethanol, and more yeasts compared with the silage ensiled at the normal DM content. Inoculation with LB did not affect the concentration of lactic acid in silages with a moderately high DM, but decreased the concentration of lactic acid in the silage with normal DM. Higher concentrations of acetic acid were found in the silage treated with LB compared with those not treated with this organism. Inoculation with LP increased the concentration of lactic acid only in the silage with the normal DM content. The concentration of acetic acid was lower in silage treated with LP with a moderately high DM content, but greater in the silage treated with LP with the normal DM content when compared with silages without this inoculant. Appreciable amounts of 1,2-propanediol (average 1.65%, DM basis) were found in all silages treated with LB regardless of the DM content. The addition of L. buchneri increased the concentration of NH3-N in silages but the addition of L. plantarum decreased it. Aerobic stability was improved in all silages treated with LB, with greater aerobic stability occurring in the silage with moderately high DM compared with silage with normal DM content. Inoculation with LP had no effect on aerobic stability. There were no interactions between L. buchneri and L. plantarum for most fermentation products or aerobic stability of the silages. This study showed that inoculating whole-plant corn with L. buchneri 40788 or L. plantarum MTD-1 has different beneficial effects on the resulting silage. There appear to be no major interactions between these organisms when added together to forage. Thus, there is potential to add both organisms simultaneously to improve the fermentation and aerobic stability of corn silage.
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