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The experiment aimed to evaluate the fermentative and nutritional profile of the silage of four soybean plant genotypes (BRS 333 RR, Pampeanas: C50, C60, and C70) ensiled with levels of sugarcane (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%). The experiments were conducted in a completely randomized design, in factorial scheme 4 × 5 (four soybean genotypes and five levels of sugarcane inclusion) with four replicates. Silages with 100% soybean plant presented the highest levels of butyric acid (P < 0.001) and ammoniacal nitrogen (P < 0.047); however, the intermediate addition of sugarcane contributed to lactic fermentation (P < 0.001). Besides, there was a quadratic effect (P < 0.05) for the recovery of dry matter, which ranged from 83.28 to 95.29%, with higher values observed for silage with the same proportions of soybean plant and sugarcane. It was verified that the crude protein content exhibited decreasing linear effects (P < 0.001), varying among 4.60 to 7.48% in the silages. It was concluded that the highest recovery of dry matter, the best fermentation profile, and the highest levels of crude protein and digestibility occurred in the inclusion between 25 and 50% of sugarcane in soybean silage, with the superiority of the C50 soybean genotype.

Upgrading the nutritive value of rice straw (RS) is necessary to increase its contribution to enhancing meat and milk production. Present work verified whether novel Crabtree negative yeast inoculant could promote RS utilization, rumen fermentation, and milk quality in tropical crossbred lactating Holstein cows. The new stain of Crabtree negative yeasts ( Pichia kudriavzevii KKU20 and Candida tropicalis KKU20) was isolated from the rumen of dairy cattle. This study used 6 multiparous crossbreds between Holstein Frisian × Zebu dairy cows in their mid-lactation period. Dairy cows were randomly allocated to three ensiled RS with various yeast stains including Saccharomyces cerevisiae , P. kudriavzevii KKU20, and C. tropicalis KKU20 according to a 3 × 3 replicated Latin square design. Crabtree-negative yeast ( P. kudriavzevii and C. tropicalis ) increased the apparent digestibility of dry matter by about 6.9% when compared with Crabtree-positive yeast ( S. cerevisiae ). Bacterial populations were highest with ensiled RS by C. tropicalis KKU20. Ensiled RS with Crabtree-negative yeasts were significantly increased with total volatile fatty acids, but they did not affect volatile fatty acid profiles. Milk protein precentage was highest at 35.6 g/kg when C. tropicalis  was fed, and lowest when applied with S. cerevisiae and P. kudriavzevii KKU20 in ensiled RS at 34.5 and 34.1 g/kg, respectively. Thus, feeding ensiled RS with novel Crabtree negative yeast could improve RS digestion, rumen fermentation, and milk protein content in dairy cows.

This study investigated whether two exopolysaccharides could serve as exogenous carbon sources to enhance fermentation quality in oat silage, providing a theoretical foundation for their future application in silage. The oats were harvested at the heading stage and, following a period of wilting, were chopped into 2–3 cm lengths for the ensiling experiment. The treatments applied were as follows: (1) a control group (CK), which received only sterile water; (2) a group with added dextran (D); and (3) a group with added levan (L). The fermentation process was monitored at various intervals: 3, 7, 14, 30 and 60 days (d), respectively. Following 60 days of ensiling, the silage was subjected to a 5‐day period of aerobic exposure (AE). EPS changed the fermentation quality of silage, altered the composition of the bacterial community, and had an impact on the feature dissimilarity between sample groups. Meanwhile, EPS showed different regulatory effects on carbohydrate metabolism at different fermentation times. EPS treatment increased the lactic acid content and decreased the pH of silage. After 60 days of fermentation, the treatment also increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus. Dextran and levan increased the relative abundance of Hafnia–Obesumbacterium and Sediminibacterium, respectively. Under the treatment of dextran, silage retained more WSC content and achieved higher aerobic stability. Upon comparing the bacterial correlation networks, it became evident that the fermentation time altered the composition of inter‐bacterial correlations. In conclusion, EPS can effectively enhance the fermentation quality of oat silage, with dextran yielding the most pronounced positive effects. Bacterial extracellular polysaccharides can serve as an external carbon source to provide additional substrates for microbial fermentation in oat silage.

Oat is a main feed crop in high- altitude areas of western China, but few studies have been done on its silage making. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of silage additives on fermentation, aerobic stability, and nutritive value of different oat varieties (OV) grown in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China. Two OV (Avena sativa L. cv. Longyan No.1 (OVL1) and Avena sativa L. cv. Longyan No.3 (OVL3)) were planted in a randomized complete block design, harvested at early dough stage with 32.6% and 34.1% DM, respectively. The fresh material was chopped to 2-cm length and treated with additives (0, Sila-Mix (MIX), Sila-Max (MAX) in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments with three replicates. Both additives contained a mixture of lactic acid bacteria and supplied a final application rate of 2.5 × 108 of lactic acid bacteria per kg of fresh forage weight. After 60 d of ensiling, the number of lactic acid bacteria in treated silages was about 10-fold greater than the control and generally resulted in a lower pH and ammonia-nitrogen (P < 0.001), greater total acids and ratios of lactic acid/acetic acid (P < 0.001), and DM recovery (P = 0.028). Treatment with additives also decreased (P < 0.001) the number of yeasts, which resulted in marked (P < 0.001) improvements in aerobic stability with the effect being greatest with MAX. Both additives improved (P ≤ 0.036) the 48-h in situ DM digestion in OVL1, but not in OVL3 (P ≥ 0.052). Treatment with both additives also increased (P ≤ 0.003) NDF digestion in OVL1 while it was improved (P < 0.001) only by MAX in OVL3. In contrast, the additives did not affect (P ≥ 0.088) in situ hemicellulose digestion in OVL1, but it was improved (P = 0.048) by MIX and further improved (P = 0.002) by MAX in OVL3. Treatment with MAX improved yields of digestible DM and digestible NDF in both varieties. Dry matter recovery was not affected (P = 0.121) by variety. Compared to CTRL, silage treated with MAX had a greater (P = 0.015) DM recovery (96.7% vs. 93.9%). Inoculation improved (P < 0.001) aerobic stability. The MAX was the most effective for both varieties, while MIX was intermediate and was more effective in OVL3 than OVL1 silage. The results also showed that in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, compared to OVL1, OVL3 resulted in greater (P ≤ 0.002) yields of digestible nutrients; specifically, treated with MAX improved silage fermentation efficiency, DM recovery, and provided excellent aerobic stability for feeding to ruminants.

This experiment aimed to determine the effect of incorporating 10% (w/w) Alfalfa‐based deshydrated Silage Pellets (ABSP) into a commercial control diet on the production performance of Novogen Brown light layers. Twenty‐one‐week‐old hens were divided into two groups (control—C and treatment—T) using a randomized block design, and the experiment lasted for 4 weeks. Feed intake, live weight and egg parameters were measured weekly. Weight gain was slightly lower in the T group, whereas the feed conversion ratio was improved (p < 0.05). Laying rate was similar in both groups. Yolk colour intensity was significantly increased (p < 0.001), along with an improvement in the yolk's fatty acid profile, showing lower SFA, higher ω‐3 PUFA and an increased ω‐6 to ω‐3 ratio (p < 0.001). Gut microbial communities were analysed through 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing. The results indicated that bacterial diversity was significantly lower at the genus level (p < 0.01) in the T group. Positive effects were observed on beneficial bacteria abundance, especially Lactobacillus spp., and with a reduction in potentially pathogenic bacteria. These findings suggest that ABSP can replace at least 10% of feed in organic layer diet without compromising production parameters and with positive effects on yolk quality and gut microbial communities. Alfalfa‐based silage pellets (ABSP) showed significant results regarding production performance, yolk colour and ω‐3 (PUFAs), as well as the ratio ω‐6/ω‐3 (p < 0.05). The ABSP group also exhibited a higher abundance of beneficial bacteria and a lower abundance of pathogenic bacteria compared to the control group (p < 0.05).

The results of adding Lactobacillus buchneri to silages from 43 experiments in 23 sources reporting standard errors were summarized using meta-analysis. The effects of inoculation were summarized by type of crop (corn or grass and small grains) and the treatments were classified into the following categories: 1) untreated silage with nothing applied (LB0), 2) silage treated with L. buchneri at ≤100,000 cfu/g of fresh forage (LB1), and 3) silage treated with L. buchneri at>100,000 cfu/g (LB2). In both types of crops, inoculation with L. buchneri decreased concentrations of lactic acid, and this response was dose-dependent in corn but not in grass and small-grain silages. Treatment with L. buchneri markedly increased the concentrations of acetic acid in both crops in a dose-dependent manner. The numbers of yeasts were lower in silages treated with LB1 and further decreased in silages treated with LB2 compared with untreated silages. Untreated corn silage spoiled after 25h of exposure to air but corn silage treated with LB1 did not spoil until 35h, and this stability was further enhanced to 503h with LB2. In grass and small-grain silages, yeasts were nearly undetectable; however, inoculation improved aerobic stability in a dose-dependent manner (206, 226, and 245h for LB0, LB1, and LB2, respectively). The recovery of DM after ensiling was lower for LB2 (94.5%) when compared with LB0 (95.5%) in corn silage and was lower for both LB1 (94.8%) and LB2 (95.3%) when compared with LB0 (96.6%) in grass and small-grain silages.

Background The strategic delay of aerobic deterioration in Sesbania cannabina and corn (SC) mixed silage, coupled with effective fermentation, could increase the protein-rich silage utilization by ruminants. Thus, we sought to investigate the role of a compound lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculant ( Lactobacillus plantarum  +  Lactobacillus farciminis  +  Lactobacillus buchneri  +  Lactobacillus hilgardii ; at a level of 10 6  CFU/g fresh weight) in enhancing the aerobic stability of SC mixed silage. Specifically, we focused on the potential for corn supplementation to improve fermentation quality while concurrently increasing the susceptibility of SC mixed silage to aerobic spoilage. Results Results revealed that compound LAB additive diversified the microbial community of SC mixed silage, making Lactobacillus hilgardii and Lactobacillus buchneri dominant bacterial species, while decreasing the abundance of Kazachstania humilis fungal specie. As a result, the LAB-treated mixed silages had higher acetic acid contents and lower yeast populations. Aerobic stability analysis revealed that the SC mixed silages with a high corn proportion deteriorated rapidly when the silages were exposed to air. The high aerobic stability of the LAB-treated mixed silages especially S7C3 contrasted with the low acetic acid concentrations in the CK mixed silages (processed with sterilized water), concomitant with increased Kazachstania humili s abundance. Conclusion Our study revealed that inoculation with a compound LAB additive altered the consequences of aerobic exposure by increasing acetic acid production after ensiling, promoting diverse bacterial populations, and mitigating the negative effects of fungi on the aerobic stability of SC mixed silage.

Mycotoxins contaminate crops worldwide and play a role in animal health and performance. Multiple mycotoxins may co-occur which may increase the impact on the animal. To assess the multiple mycotoxin profile of corn (Zea mays), we conducted a 7-year survey of new crop corn grain and silage in the United States. A total of 711 grain and 1117 silage samples were collected between 2013 and 2019 and analyzed for the simultaneous presence of 35 mycotoxins using ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. The measured mean number of mycotoxins per sample were 4.8 (grain) and 5.2 (silage), ranging from 0 to 13. Fusaric acid (FA) was most frequently detected in 78.1 and 93.8% of grains and silages, respectively, followed by deoxynivalenol (DON) in 75.7 and 88.2% of samples. Fumonisin B1 (FB1), fumonisin B2 and 15-acetyl-deoxynivalenol (15ADON) followed. The greatest (p < 0.05) co-occurrence was between FA and DON in 59.1% of grains and 82.7% of silages, followed by FA with FB1, DON with 15ADON, and FA with 15ADON. Although many samples had lower mycotoxin concentrations, 1.6% (grain) and 7.9% (silage) of tested samples had DON ≥ 5000 µg/kg. Fumonisins were detected ≥ 10,000 µg/kg in 9.6 and 3.9% of grain and silage samples, respectively. Concentrations in grain varied by year for eight mycotoxin groups (p < 0.05), while all 10 groups showed yearly variations in silage. Our survey suggest that multiple mycotoxins frequently co-occur in corn grain and silage in the United States, and some of the more prevalent mycotoxins are those that may not be routinely analyzed (i.e., FA and 15ADON). Assessment of multiple mycotoxins should be considered when developing management programs.

The aim of the experiment was to evaluate the potential of promising summer maize genotypes and optimal stage of harvesting these genotypes for ensiling in terms of dry matter (DM), starch, and crude protein (CP) yields, silage fermentation quality, nutrients profile, total digestible nutrients, metabolizable energy (ME) content, Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS) carbohydrate (CHO) subfractions composition, in vitro DM digestibility (DMD) and in situ starch degradation characteristics. Six maize genotypes were chosen for the study: DK9108 from Monsanto, P30Y87, P3939 from Pioneer, QPM-300 (quality protein maize) and W94 from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), and a local cultivar, Afgoii, from the Cereal Research Institute (Persabaq, KP). A total of 72 plots (8 m × 10 m) were blocked in three replicate fields, and within each field, each genotype was sown in four replicate plots according to a randomized complete block design. For the data analysis, the Proc-Mixed procedure of Statistical Analysis System with repeated measure analysis of variance was used. The DM yield was strongly influenced ( P  < 0.001) by maize genotypes, varying from 12.6 to 17.0 tons/ha. Except for total CHO and ammonia nitrogen (NH 3 -N), the contents of all measured chemical components varied ( P  < 0.001) among the genotypes. Further comparison revealed that, genotype P3939 had a higher ( P  < 0.05) content of CP (7.27 vs. 6.92%), starch (36.7 vs. 27.9%), DMD (65.4 vs. 60.0%), ME (2.51 vs. 2.30 Mcal/kg) and lactic acid (5.32 vs. 4.83%) and lowest content of NDF (37.3 vs. 43.1%), pH (3.7 vs. 4.10) compared to the local cultivar (Afgoii). Advancement of post-flowering maturity from 25 to 35% DM (23 to 41 days after flowering (DAF)) increased ( P  < 0.05) the DM yield (10.4 to 17.8 tons/ha), starch content (29.1 to 35.0%), DMD (65.3 to 67.3%) and ME (2.34 to 2.47 Mcal/kg), and decreased ( P  < 0.001) the contents of CP (7.42–6.73%), NDF (48.8–38.5%), pH (4.10 to 3.60), NH 3 -N (8.93–7.80%N) and effective degradability of starch (95.4 to 89.4). Results showed that for higher yields and silage nutritional and fermentation quality, maize crops should be harvested at whole crop DM content of 30–35% (34 to 41 DAF). It was further concluded that genotype P3939 is the most suitable summer maize genotype for silage production in terms of yields and silage nutritional and fermentation quality under the hot environmental conditions of the tropics.

Abstract This study evaluated the effects of inoculation of whole crop corn silage with a mixture of heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria (LAB) composed of Lactobacillus hilgardii and Lactobacillus buchneri on ensiling, aerobic stability, ruminal fermentation, total tract nutrient digestibility, and growth performance of beef cattle. Uninoculated control corn silage (CON) and silage inoculated with 3.0 × 105 cfu g−1 of LAB containing 1.5 × 105 cfu g−1 of L. hilgardii CNCM I-4785 and 1.5 × 105 cfu g−1 of L. buchneri NCIMB 40788 (INOC) were ensiled in silo bags. The pH did not differ (P > 0.05) between the two silages during ensiling but was greater (P < 0.001) for CON than INOC after 14 d of aerobic exposure (AE). Neutral detergent insoluble crude protein (NDICP) content (% of DM and % of CP basis) of terminal INOC silage was greater (P ≤ 0.05) than that of CON. In terminal silage, concentrations of total VFA and acetate were greater (P < 0.001), while water-soluble carbohydrates were lower (P < 0.001) for INOC than CON. Yeast and mold counts were lower for INOC than CON (P ≤ 0.001) in both terminal and aerobically exposed silages. The stability of INOC was greater (P < 0.001) than that of CON after 14 d of AE. Ruminal fermentation parameters and DMI did not differ (P > 0.05) between heifers fed the two silages, while there was a tendency (P ≤ 0.07) for lower CP and starch digestibility for heifers fed INOC than CON. Total nitrogen (N) intake and N retention were lower (P ≤ 0.04) for heifers fed INOC than CON. Dry matter intake as a percentage of BW was lower (P < 0.04) and there was a tendency for improved feed efficieny (G:F; P = 0.07) in steers fed INOC vs. CON silage. The NEm and NEg contents were greater for INOC than CON diets. Results indicate that inoculation with a mixture of L. hilgardii and L. buchneri improved the aerobic stability of corn silage. Improvements in G:F of growing steers fed INOC silage even though the total tract digestibility of CP and starch tended to be lower for heifers fed INOC are likely because the difference in BW and growth requirements of these animals impacted the growth performance and nutrient utilization and a greater proportion of NDICP in INOC than CON.