Populações microbianas e composição química de silagem de milho

Microbial populations, pH and chemical composition of corn silage, produced or not with bacterial inoculants, were examined in six periods of opening of the silos (1, 3, 7, 14, 28, and 56 days). Treatments were performed in a completely randomized block design, in a 6 x 3 factorial arrangement (six fermentation periods x three inoculants), with three replicates. The bacterial inoculants Kera Sil® and Lacto Sil®, as well as the control treatment (without inoculation) were evaluated.  At 56 days of fermentation, the counts of lactic acid bacteria did not differ among treatments, and the treatment with inoculant Kera Sil® had lower counts of fungi and mesophilic aerobes. The pH values did not differ among treatments. The contents of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), ash (A), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF) were not affected by the fermentation periods.