Propanol in maize silage at Danish dairy farms

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to investigate the prevalence maize silage containing propanol, the seasonal variation in propanol content of maize silage, and correlations between propanol and other fermentation products in maize silage collected from 20 randomly selected Danish dairy farms. Propanol concentrations in samples ranged from not detectable to 9.1 g/kg DM. Propanol concentrations were positively correlated with concentrations of propyl acetate, acetic acid, 2-butanol, propanal, ammonia, and propionate, and negatively correlated with the concentration of L-lactate. At 4 out of 20 farms, the maize silage had ]5 g propanol/kg DM. The present study indicates that dairy cows in Denmark are commonly exposed to propanol and that approximately 20% of the dairy cows will have an intake in the range of 75Á100 g propanol/d under common feeding conditions.

Effects of Lactobacillus buchneri inoculation or 1-propanol supplementation to corn silage on the performance of lactating Holstein cows

“…A headspace analysis by gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry indicated that 1-propanol was the major volatile compound in those silages inoculated with L. buchneri (unpublished data) and may be involved with the lower feed intake. A positive correlation between 1-propanol and heterofermentation has been previously reported (Raun and Kristensen, 2010).…”

“…It is commonly observed that silages with heterofermentative fermentation patterns have more complex headspace-profiles than silages dominated by lactic acid fermentation , leading to an intense debate among researchers and field consultants on the possible negative effects of silages with high concentrations of volatile compounds (e.g., alcohols and esters) on the performance of dairy cows (Raun and Kristensen, 2010;Weiss et al, 2016). We have recently demonstrated that silages inoculated with high doses R. Bras.…”

Effects of potassium sorbate and Lactobacillus plantarum MTD1 on production of ethanol and other volatile organic compounds in corn silage

“…The production of alcohols, esters, and other volatile organic compounds (VOC) during ensiling has recently received attention because of possible effects on air quality (Howard et al, 2010;Hu et al, 2012;Hafner et al, 2013) and feed intake (Raun and Kristensen, 2010;Daniel et al, 2013;Gerlach et al, 2013). Reducing VOC production through the use of silage additives could address both problems.…”

“…For example, the alcohol 1-propanol is generally present at lower concentrations than ethanol, and seems to make a much smaller contribution to air quality problems (Hafner et al, 2013), despite a higher reactivity than ethanol (Carter, 2009). However, its concentration varies widely in corn silage, and it may make more of a contribution to poor air quality than ethanol in some cases (Raun and Kristensen, 2010;Hafner et al, 2013Hafner et al, , 2014.…”

Apple pomace silage ethanol intake and its effect on sheep

“…Ensiling could be one method of preserving AP and it blended with other ingredients to improve nutritional balance of AP (Islam et al 2014). Ethanol is a normal constituent in silages at various concentrations, depending on the fermentation pattern (Raun and Kristensen 2010). Moreover, ensiling of apple pomace results in the conversion of most of the water-soluble carbohydrates into fermentation end-products (McDonald et al 1991).…”