Dynamics of Fermentation Parameters and Bacterial Community in High-Moisture Alfalfa Silage with or without Lactic Acid Bacteria

Abstract

The aim of this study was to gain deeper insights into the dynamics of fermentation parameters and the bacterial community during the ensiling of high-moisture alfalfa. A commercial lactic acid bacteria (YX) inoculant was used as an additive. After 15 and 30 days of ensiling, the control silage (CK) exhibited a high pH and a high concentration of ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N); Enterobacter and Hafnia-Obesumbacterium were the dominant genera. At 60 d, the pH value and the concentration of NH3-N in CK silage increased compared with 15 and 30 d, propionic acid and butyric acid (BA) were detected, and Garciella had the highest abundance in the bacterial community. Compared with CK silage, inoculation of YX significantly promoted lactic acid and acetic acid accumulation and reduced pH and BA formation, did not significantly reduce the concentration of NH3-N except at 60 d, and significantly promoted the abundance of Lactobacillus and decreased the abundance of Garciella and Anaerosporobacter, but did not significantly inhibit the growth of Enterobacter and Hafnia-Obesumbacterium. In conclusion, high-moisture alfalfa naturally ensiled is prone to rot. Adding YX can delay the process of silage spoilage by inhibiting the growth of undesirable microorganisms to a certain extent.

Fermentation Profiles, Bacterial Community Compositions, and Their Predicted Functional Characteristics of Grass Silage in Response to Epiphytic Microbiota on Legume Forages

“…However, inhibiting the population of Hafnia-Obesumbacterium seems to be a difficult task. Zhao et al (2021) found that the commercial LAB inoculants notably enhanced the production of lactic acid and reduced pH values but cannot suppress the flourishment of Hafnia-Obesumbacterium . Hence, the research about controlling the Hafnia-Obesumbacterium population in silages needs to be further conducted.…”

The Effect of Early and Delayed Harvest on Dynamics of Fermentation Profile, Chemical Composition, and Bacterial Community of King Grass Silage

“…The decrease in DM content during ensiling was due to the activity of undesirable bacteria, which metabolized soluble carbohydrates to CO 2 , causing DM losses ( Ávila et al, 2014 ), while the severe decline in DM in KN90S during 7 days of fermentation was due to effluent production. High-moisture silage often bears a high risk of effluent production, leading to high DM loss ( Zhao et al, 2021 ), and the peak effluent of silage typically occurs within 10 days after ensiling given the time required for plant cell to rupture ( Gebrehanna et al, 2014 ). This is consistent with the view of Savoie et al (2002) , who found that the amount of daily effluent collected from the timothy silage was relatively high within 7 days of ensiling, and the effluent flow declined in subsequent days.…”

Evaluating the fermentation quality and bacterial community of high-moisture whole-plant quinoa silage ensiled with different additives

“…Recent advances in culture‐independent analyses, such as high‐throughput sequencing technology, have enabled microbial communities to be defined with a degree of detail that is impossible using classical microbiology (Dong, Li, Chen, Wang, & Shao, 2019). Understanding of the microbial communities involved in the ensiling process would provide an insight into approaches to improve the forage conservation (Tian et al, 2021; Zhao et al, 2021). Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of different additives on the fermentation quality and bacterial community of high‐moisture WPQ silage.…”