The effects of lactic acid bacteria on the fermentation, aerobic stability and nutritive value of maize silage

Abstract

Maize was harvested at one-third milk line (297 g kg-1 DM) stage. All inoculants were applied at 1 x 106 cfu g-1 of fresh forage. After treatment, the chopped forages were ensiled in 1 center dot 5-L anaerobic jars. Three jars per treatment were sampled on days 2, 4, 7, 12 and 90 after ensiling, for chemical and microbiological analysis. Homofermentative LAB-inoculated silages had lower pH and higher lactate:acetate ratio (except for Lactobacillus plantarum/Pediococcus cerevisiae and L. plantarum/Propionibacterium acidipropionici) than the control and both heterofermentative LAB-inoculated silages. Both L. buchneri inhibited yeast growth and CO2 production during exposure of silage to air. The L. plantarum/P. cerevisiae, L. plantarum (Ecosyl) and L. plantarum/Enterococcus faecium-inoculated silages had higher dry-matter digestibility than the control and L. buchneri-inoculated silages. Inoculants did not affect digestibility of neutral detergent fibre, except for L. buchneri (Biotal), organic matter nor ME content of silages. The LAB silage inoculants generally had a positive effect on maize silage characteristics in terms of lower pH and shifting fermentation toward lactate with homofermentative LAB or toward acetate with L. buchneri. The use of L. buchneri can improve the aerobic stability of maize silages by the inhibition of yeast activity.