The effect of Lactobacillus buchneri and L-plantarum, applied at ensiling,on the ensiling fermentation and aerobic stability of wheat and sorghum silages

The effect of applying Lactobacillus buchneri (LB), alone or In combination s with L. plantarum (EP) and yeasts at ensiling, on the ensiling fermentati on and aerobic stability of wheat and sorghum silages was studied under lab oratory conditions. Treatments comprised LB, LP, yeasts, LB + yeasts, LP yeasts, LB + LP and B-589 (a lactic acid bacterial strain isolated from whe at silage in Israel) alone. The treatments were also applied to sterilized aqueous extracts of wheat which were incubated at 30 degrees C for 10 days. The pH of all treatments was below 4.0 already on day 4 of the experiment. Silages treated with LB had higher acetic acid concentrations than those t reated with LP: 32-34 vs 16-18, and 28-34 vs 4-7 g kg(-1) in the experiment s with wheat and sorghum, respectively. Similar results obtained in wheat e xtracts, In the aqueous phase, marked differences in pH decrease were notic ed among the treatments: 4.4 In LB, 6.0 in the yeast, and 3.7 in LP and B-5 89 (from day 3 and onwards). In both crops LB resulted in aerobically stabl e silages when applied alone or with LP and yeasts, whereas LP resulted in unstable silages upon aerobic exposure; the stability of the LB-treated sil ages is attributed to the higher acetic acid concentrations. The isolated s train (B-589) did not exhibit any advantage with regard to aerobic stabilit y.