Addition of Consortium of Lactic Acid Bacteria Inoculants Improved Fermentation Quality and Microbial Communities of Whole Corn Silage

摘要

This study aimed to explore how a consortium of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculants impacted fermentation quality and microbial communities of whole corn silage. Corn forage was chopped and ensiled with distilled water (CON) or a consortium of LAB inoculants [1 × 106 cfu of Lactobacillus plantarum and 5 × 105 cfu of Lactobacillus buchneri per gram of fresh material (FM)] for 2, 4, 7, 15, 30 and 60 days. The results showed that the dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) contents decreased following 60 days of ensiling. During the initial 7 days of ensiling, LAB silages showed a faster decrease in pH and rise in lactic acid content. The DM loss, ammonia-N concentration, and yeast count were lower in LAB silages than in CON silages during the ensiling process. The dominant phylum and genus in FM were Proteobacteria and Rosenbergiella, respectively. In both silage types, Lactobacillus was the genus present with the highest abundance. Interestingly, undesirable microorganisms, including Paenibacillus and Klebsiella, were significantly decreased in LAB silages. In conclusion, the addition of a consortium of LAB inoculants can enhance fermentation quality and reduce population of undesirable microorganisms in corn silage.