Inoculation of Corn Seedlings with Piriformospora indica Influences Grain Biomass Yield, Forage Quality, Rumen Degradation Kinetics and Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy Molecular Structures

Piriformospora indica (P. indica) as a root growth promoting endophyte may improve corn grain production and forage quality in ruminant under semi-arid climate condition. The aim of current study was to evaluate the influence of corn seedling- P. indica endophyte inoculation on grain and forage biomass yield, nutritive value and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) of molecular structures. Corn seedlings were inoculated with P. indica and were grown under natural condition and were compared with control group (12 experimental boxes per each treatment). Half of the experimental boxes from each treatment selected to make corn silage and the other half remained for grain biomass yield. Inoculation with P. indica increased grain biomass yield (P=0.05) but had no impact on chemical composition except for total carbohydrate content which tended to be greater for P. indica-inoculated group (p <0.10). Leaf to stem ratio decreased (P=0.04) and ether extract increased in silages from treated corn compared with control group (P=0.04). In situ ruminal dry matter and organic matter degradability at 24 h of ruminal incubation were greater in P. indica corn grain from inoculated samples compared with control grain samples (P=0.02). Silage from P. indica group had greater in vitro rate of gas production (p <0.05) and tended to have greater volume of gas produced until 24 h of incubation (P=0.06). The FTIR ratio between amid I to amid II and amid II to lignin area tended to decrease in silages from P. indica group compared with control group samples (P=0.09). The principle component analysis differentiated the FTIR area related to carbohydrate between experimental groups. In conclusion, under semi-arid climate condition inoculation of corn seedlings with P .indica may improve the feeding value of corn seed and silage in ruminants.