Effect of Using Bacterial Inoculant and Organic Acid on the Aerobic Stability and Feed Value of Small Bale Maize Silages Containing Low Dry Matter

Abstract

This research was carried out to determine the effect of a homofermentative lactic acid bacterial (LAB) inoculant and formic acid-based preservative (FAP) on the aerobic stability and feed value of low dry matter (DM) small bale maize (Zea mays L.) silage. Maize was harvested at milk stage (26.4 % DM) and chopped about 2.0 cm. Commercial products Pioneer 1132 H/M F and KemiSile 2000 were used as LAB inoculant and FAP in this research. Additives were applied to maize LAB 106 cfu/g; FAP 3, 4 and 5 g/kg; LAB+FAP 106 cfu/g+3 g/kg, 106 cfu/g+4 g/kg, 106 cfu/g+5 g/kg, respectively. Control and additives applied maize ensiled in 30 kg capacity plastic bag as 3 replicates for each treatment. Silages were sampled for chemical and microbiological analyses on day 60 after ensiling and subjected to aerobic stability test for 5 days. In addition in vitro organic matter (OM) digestibility‘s and metabolic energy (ME) values of silages were determined. As a result, the homofermentative LAB inoculant, FAP and combination of LAB+FAP did not affect aerobic stabilities and decreased in vitro OM digestibility‘s and ME values of low DM maize silages.