Effect of a homofermentative lactic acid bacteria additive on the quality of sugar-beet pulp silage and animal response of dairy cows with restricted access to pasture

Abstract

Sugar-beet (Beta vulgaris L. subsp. vulgaris) pulp is a valuable by-product from the manufacture of beet sugar fresh which is normally preserved in the form of silage. The aim of the present research was to evaluate the effect of adding a homofermentative lactic acid bacteria silage additive during the ensiling period on fermentation and quality of sugar-beet (SB) pulp silage and the animal performance of dairy cows given restricted daily access to pasture. Twelve Holstein × Friesian crossbred cows were assigned to two groups according to milk yield, body weight, days in milk, parity and body condition score. Groups were randomly allocated to two treatments: silage of SB pulp without additive (control diet, SB) and silage of SB pulp with additive (SB+additive). The experiment was carried out in two periods of 28 d each. Once finished each period, cows were crossed for treatments. Chemical composition of SB silage was modified by the additive: Neutral detergent fiber (41.8% vs. 45.7% DM) and metabolizable energy (2.54 vs. 2.55 Mcal kg -1 DM) were greater and butyrate lower (0.34 vs. 4.10 mmol L -1 ) for SB+additive compared with SB. However, milk production (24.6 and 25.2 kg d -1 ) and composition were not affected (P > 0.05) by treatments. Similarly, rumen volatile fatty acids were similar between treatments. In conclusion, the use of homofermentative lactic acid additive on SB silage modified the chemical composition of silage and reduced the pasture intake, however, no changes in milk production and composition were detected.

Microbial Inoculation to High Moisture Plant By-Product Silage: A Review

“…In contrast, Li et al [72] treated corn steep liquor silage with LAB and reported improved DM digestibility, which resulted in less methane production compared to untreated silage. Further, a study by Pulido et al [90] showed an improvement in the nutritive value of sugar beef pulp silage with LAB inoculation, which increased milk production from dairy cows by 2%, though milk composition was not affected by the inoculation.…”

Mesquite (Prosopis juliflora) extract as a phytogenic additive for sheep finished on pasture in the semiarid region

“…Gram-positive bacteria in the rumen have low molecular weight, so they are prone to the action of tannins, and are consequently inhibited (Benchaar and Greathead, 2011;Patra and Saxena, 2011;Francisco et al, 2015;Morales and Ungerfeld, 2015;Thao et al, 2015). Pulido et al (2020) reported that the addition of lactic acid bacteria as additive increased the metabolizable energy content of the silage and reduced its butyrate concentration.…”

The Replacement of Ground Corn with Sugar Beet in the Diet of Pasture-Fed Lactating Dairy Cows and Its Effect on Productive Performance and Rumen Metabolism

“…There are studies that have evaluated the inclusion of fresh or ensiled sugar beets [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ] and fodder beets [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ] in dairy cow diets. Few studies have involved the feeding of high concentrations of sugar from beets to replace starch in the diet.…”