Aims:  To evaluate the fermentation characteristics and the effects of Lactobacillus buchneri inoculation in ensiling whole crop rice. Methods and Results:  Laboratory‐scale silages were prepared from whole crop rice harvested at yellow‐ripe stage. The crop was ensiled for 2 months with and without inoculation of L. buchneri at 104, 105 and 106 CFU g−1. The effect of prolonged ensiling was also studied by using the same crop; the silos were opened at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months, while the inoculation was made at 105 CFU g−1. Enhanced alcoholic fermentation was found in untreated silage; the sum of ethanol and 2,3‐butanediol were seven times higher at 2 months than those of lactic and volatile fatty acids, while the differences were diminished at 12 months owing to the reduction of ethanol in the late ensiling period. Inoculation of L. buchneri inhibited the alcohols; however, ethanol yet prevailed over the fermentation until 6 months, after which acetic acid became the main product in the inoculated silage. Regardless of inoculation and ensiling period, yeasts were not found in whole crop rice silage. Conclusions:  Substantial amounts of ethanol and 2,3‐butanediol would be produced in silage prepared from whole crop rice. The alcoholic fermentation can be suppressed when inoculated with L. buchneri. Significance and Impact of the Study:  Inoculation of L. buchneri could be an option to prevent ethanol fermentation in silage.

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The freshwater planarian Dugesia japonica was used to examine the influence on the axial polarity of a tail piece transplanted into the following three regions: in experiment I posterior to the head; in experiment I1 just anterior to the pharynx; and in experiment I11 in the postpharyngeal region. The hosts were transversely amputated at a level 0.5 mm posterior to the grafted site at various times after transplantation. After this procedure, the regenerating blastemas from the posterior cut ends of the hosts were examined to determine if they were the head or the tail. The regeneration of the head occurred as a result of the reversal of the original anteroposterior polarity of the planarian body.In experiment I, when the hosts were amputated immediately after transplantation, a head regenerated in about 50% of the cases. The longer the time after amputation, the higher the rate of head regeneration, and the reversal of polarity was completed within 7 days or more after transplantation. In experiment 11, the rate of head regeneration was lower than that in the first experiment at every time point after posterior amputation. In experiment 111, a reversal of polarity was also observed, but the rate of head regeneration gradually decreased after the 4th day from the time of amputation, and the tail completed its regeneration on the 10th day in all cases. Based on these results, a discussion is presented on the role of the tail in axial polarity during its regeneration.