Fermentative quality of guineagrass silage by using fermented juice of the epiphytic lactic acid bacteria (FJLB) as a silage additive

This experiment examined the characteristics of fermented juice of epiphytic lactic acid bacteria (FJLB) prepared by the addition of glucose, sucrose and molasses as a fermentation substrate. The effect of FJLB on the fermentative quality and changes in chemical composition during fermentation of guineagrass silage were also investigated. The pH value of the silages treated with FJLB rapidly decreased, and reached to the lowest value within 7 days of start of fermentation, as compared to the control. The number of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in the treated silages increased for the first 3 days, thereafter the number of LAB declined gradually up to the end of the experiment. Silages treated with FJLB had larger populations of LAB than the control. Ammonia-nitrogen production increased throughout the ensiling period, which in the control and no-sugar added FJLB silages were higher than the other treated silages. Lactic acid levels varied with the time of ensiling and among the silage treatments. For any sugar FJLB treated silages, the lactic acid increased initially, and then slightly reduced to less than 50 g/kg of dry matter until 49 days after ensiling, except the silage treated with glucose added FJLB. Nevertheless, lactic acid content of the control decreased constantly from the beginning of ensiting and was not found after 35 days. Moreover, acetic acid content increased throughout the ensiling period. All the FJLB treated silages had significantly (p < 0.05) lower pH and ammonia-nitrogen content, while significantly (p < 0.05) higher lactic acid content and V-score value compared with the control. This study confirmed that the applying of FJLB with any sugar substrate improved fermentative quality of silage.