Effects of an esterase-producing inoculant on fermentation, aerobic stability, and neutral detergent fiber digestibility of corn silage

This experiment evaluated effects of an inoculant containing esterase-producing bacteria on fermentation, aerobic stability, in situ dry matter digestibility (DMD), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility (NDFD) of corn silage. Two corn hybrids grown on adjacent fields [Croplan Genetics 851RR2 (CS1) and Vigoro 61R36 (CS2)] were harvested at approximately 39% dry matter. Each forage was conserved in quadruplicate in 20-L mini silos with or without application of an inoculant at a level to achieve 1.0 × 10⁴ cfu/g of Lactobacillus casei and 1.0 × 10⁵ cfu/g of Lactobacillus buchneri. After 110 d of ensiling, silos were opened and silages were analyzed for chemical composition, fermentation indices, microbial counts, and aerobic stability. In situ DMD, 24-h and 48-h DMD, and NDFD were measured by incubating ground (6-mm) samples in triplicate in each of 2 lactating, fistulated dairy cows fed a corn silage-based diet. Inoculation decreased concentrations of total fermentation acids and lactate, as well as lactate to acetate ratio, and increased propionate concentration compared with the uninoculated control in CS1 but not CS2. Inoculation tended to decrease yeast counts of CS1 but increased yeast counts and tended to increase the mold counts of CS2. Consequently, inoculation improved the aerobic stability of CS1 by 57.3 h (98%) but decreased that of CS2 by 20.5 h (20%). Inoculation also increased the potentially degradable fraction of CS1 and the total degradable fraction, 24-h and 48-h DMD, and 48-h NDFD of CS2. Inoculation of CS1 modified the fermentation, improved the aerobic stability, and increased the potentially degradable DM fraction. Inoculation of CS2 did not affect fermentation, but decreased the aerobic stability and increased the total degradable DM fraction, 24-h and 48-h DMD, and 48-h NDFD.