The effect of Lactobacillus buchneri, Lactobacillus plantarum, or a chemical preservative on the fermentation and aerobic stability of corn silage

Several microorganisms and one chemical preservative were tested for their effects on the fermentation and aerobic stability of corn silage. Whole-pla nt corn rone-half milk line, 31.3% dry matter) was ensiled in quadruplicate 20-L laboratory silos untreated or after the following treatments: Lactoba cillus buchneri at 1 x 10(5) and 1 x 10(6) cfu/g of fresh forage; two diffe rent strains of L. plantarum, each at 1 x 10(6) cfu/g; and a buffered propi onic acid-based product at 0.1% of fresh forage weight. After 100 d of ensi ling, silage treated with L. buchneri (1 x 10(6) cfu/g) had a lower concent ration of lactic acid compared with the untreated silage, but was similar t o other treated silages. The silage treated with the high (1 x 10(6) cfu/g) , but not the moderate rate (1 x 10(5) cfu/g) oft. buchneri also had a grea ter concentration of acetic acid (3.60%) and less yeasts (2.01 log cfu/g) w hen compared with other treatments (average of 1.88% acetic acid and 5.85 l og cfu of yeasts/g). Silages treated with L, plantarums, the moderate rate of L. buchneri, and the chemical preservative took longer to heat than untr eated silage when exposed to air, but improvements were numerically small ( 6.3 to 10.5 h). In contrast, silage treated with the high rate oft. buchner i never heated throughout a 900-h period of monitoring. Inoculating corn si lage with 1 x 10(6) cfu/g oft. buchneri resulted in a more heterolactic fer mentation and dramatically improved the aerobic stability of corn silage.