BACKGROUND: Lactic acid bacteria inocula have been developed over the years to improve the aerobic stability of silages. The aims of the study were to evaluate the effect of various conservation periods and the use of Lactobacillus hilgardii inoculum on aerobic stability, fermentative profile and microbial population of corn and sorghum silages. Trials were carried out on two corns and one sorghum crops. The crops were untreated or treated with L. buchneri (LB, application rate 300 000 cfu g −1 FM), L. hilgardii (LH, application rate 300 000 cfu g −1 FM) and a combination (LB + LH, application rate 150 000 cfu g −1 FM each). Silos were opened after 15, 30, 100 and 250 days of conservation, and the silages were analysed for fermentative profile, microbial count and aerobic stability. RESULTS: During conservation, the inocula influenced the fermentation profile. The use of LH increased the aerobic stability at 15 and 30 days in one out of three trials, while after 100 and 250 days, the presence of LB alone or with LH led to greater stability. In all the trials, the acetic acid content increased, the yeast count decreased and the aerobic stability increased during the conservation period.
CONCLUSIONS: This study has shown that a long period in complete anaerobiosis reduced yeast count and improved aerobic stability in all silages. The addition of LB was confirmed to be a good option for increasing aerobic stability of silages, whereas the effect of LH alone or in combination with LB on aerobic stability was not consistent between trials.
Sample preparation and analysesAll replicates of pre-ensiled material and the silage were split into five subsamples. One subsample was analysed immediately for the DM content by oven drying at 80 ∘ C for 24 h. DM was corrected according to Porter and Murray,25 in order to consider the losses of volatile compounds that can take place at 80 ∘ C. The second subsample was oven-dried at 65 ∘ C to constant weight and was air-equilibrated, weighed and ground in a Cyclotec mill (Tecator, Herndon, VA, USA) to pass a 1 mm screen. The dried samples were analysed for total nitrogen, according to the Dumas method (method number 992.23), 26 using a nitrogen analyser (Primacs SN, Skalar, Breda, The Netherlands), for crude protein (CP) (total N × 6.25), for ash by ignition (method number 942.05), 26 for water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), by the phenol sulfuric acid method, according to DuBois et al., 27 and for ether extract (EE), J Sci Food Agric 2019; 99: 2530-2540