Effect of inoculation rate of selected strains of lactic acid bacteria on fermentation and in vitro digestibility of grass-legume forage.

Abstract Grass-legume forage was used to evaluate the effect of inoculation rate of selected strains of lactic acid bacteria on fermentation and in vitro digestibility during 57 d of ensiling. Chopped forage (DM = 28%) was ensiled in 4 to 6-kg quantities and treated as: 1) control, 10 3 epiphytic lactic acid bacteria; 2) 10 5 added lactic acid bacteria; and 3) 10 6 added lactic bacteria/g of wet forage. Samples were obtained for analyses on d 0, 1, 2, 3, 6, 10, 14, 29, and 57 of fermentation. Treated silages were observed to have: 1) greater quantities of lactic acid bacteria, 2) a greater proportion of homofermentative lactic acid bacteria, and 3) lactic acid bacteria with greater biological activity. Addition of each amount of lactic acid bacteria: 1) increased the rate of utilization of water-soluble carbohydrate and decline in pH, 2) limited the formation of NH 3 N, and 3) increased the in vitro digestibility of DM and ADF. No differences were observed in the lactic acid content of the silages after 57 d of fermentation.