SummaryEnsilage provides an effective means of conserving summer‐grown green forage to supply as winter feed to ruminants. The fermentation process involved in the ensilage process relies on lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Here, 16S ribosomal DNA amplicon pyrosequencing was used to follow the dynamic behaviour of the LAB community during the ensilage of maize biomass, with a view to identify the key species involved in the process. The biomass used for ensilage was a single‐cross maize hybrid, harvested at the milk‐line stage. The crop was grown at three contrasting locations. Aspects of the physico‐chemical composition of the material and the LAB species present were sampled at 0, 3, 6, 14, 21 and 32 days after ensilage was initiated. In all three cases, members of the Leuconostocaceae family dominated the epiphytic bacterial community, notably Leuconostoc and Weissella, but some variation was noted in the abundance of certain Leuconostocaceae and Lactobacillaceae species, as well as that of some Acetobacteraceae, Enterobacteriaceae and Moraxellaceae species. The constellation of the microbiome which developed during the ensilage process differed markedly from that of the epiphytic one, with Lactobacillaceae, particularly Lactobacillus and Pediococcus spp. dominating. The abundance of heterofermentative Leuconostocaceae spp. in the epiphytic community and the extent of the transition from hetero‐ to homo‐fermentation during the initial ensilage period are important factors in determining silage quality.
Background
Ferulic acid esterase (FAE)-secreting Lactiplantibacillus plantarum A1 (Lp A1) is a promising silage inoculant due to the FAE’s ability to alter the plant cell wall structure during ensiling, an action that is expected to improve forage digestibility. However, little is known regarding the impacts of Lp A1 on rumen microbiota. Our research assessed the influences of Lp A1 in comparison to a widely adopted commercial inoculant Lp MTD/1 on alfalfa’s ensilage, in vitro rumen incubation and microbiota.
Results
Samples of fresh and ensiled alfalfa treated with (either Lp A1 or Lp MTD/1) or without additives (as control; CON) and ensiled for 30, 60 and 90 d were used for fermentation quality, in vitro digestibility and batch culture study. Inoculants treated silage had lower (P < 0.001) pH, acetic acid concentration and dry matter (DM) loss, but higher (P = 0.001) lactic acid concentration than the CON during ensiling. Compared to the CON and Lp MTD/1, silage treated with Lp A1 had lower (P < 0.001) aNDF, ADF, ADL, hemicellulose, and cellulose contents and higher (P < 0.001) free ferulic acid concentration. Compared silage treated with Lp MTD/1, silage treated with Lp A1 had significantly (P < 0.01) improved ruminal gas production and digestibility, which were equivalent to those of fresh alfalfa. Real-time PCR analysis indicated that Lp A1 inoculation improved the relative abundances of rumen’s total bacteria, fungi, Ruminococcus albus and Ruminococcus flavefaciens, while the relative abundance of methanogens was reduced by Lp MTD/1 compared with CON. Principal component analysis of rumen bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicons showed a clear distinction between CON and inoculated treatments without noticeable distinction between Lp A1 and Lp MTD/1 treatments. Comparison analysis revealed differences in the relative abundance of some bacteria in different taxa between Lp A1 and Lp MTD/1 treatments. Silage treated with Lp A1 exhibited improved rumen fermentation characteristics due to the inoculant effects on the rumen microbial populations and bacterial community.
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that silage inoculation of the FAE-producing Lp A1 could be effective in improving silage quality and digestibility, and modulating the rumen fermentation to improve feed utilization.
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