A SIMULATION-MODEL OF THE MICROBIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL-CHANGES ACCOMPANYING THE INITIAL-STAGE OF AEROBIC DETERIORATION OF SILAGE

A mathematical model is presented that predicts the time‐course of aerobic deterioration in grass and whole‐crop maize silages. The model predicts the stability of the silage taking into account the buffering capacity of the silage, the initial contents of organic acids and ethanol, pH, the initial temperature and the initial populations of the microorganisms. The specific processes simulated include the growth of yeast and acetic acid bacteria, the oxidation of fermentation products, the consumption of oxygen and the production of carbon dioxide, the rise in temperature. and the increase in pH. The deterioration of silage is seen to be initiated by acetic acid bacteria or by yeast, or by both groups together. The factors that determine which groups will prevail are the dry matter contents and the chemical composition of the silage. The output of the model is validated by comparison of the simulated data with data from published work on the deterioration of silage. Copyright © 1990, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved