A meta-analysis of 158 peer-reviewed articles was conducted to examine effects of inoculation with Lactobacillus buchneri (LB)-based inoculants (LBB) that did or did not include homolactic or obligate heterolactic bacteria on silage fermentation and aerobic stability. A complementary meta-analysis of 12 articles examined LBB inoculation effects on dairy cow performance. Raw mean differences between inoculant and control treatment means weighted by inverse variance were compared with a hierarchical effects model that included robust variance estimation. Meta-regression and subgrouping analysis were used to identify effects of covariates including forage type, application rate (≤104, 105, 106, or ≥ 107 cfu/g as fed), bacteria type (LB vs. LB plus other bacteria), enzyme inclusion, ensiling duration, and silo type (laboratory or farm scale). Inoculation with LBB increased acetate (62%), 1, 2 propanediol (364%) and propionate (30%) concentration and aerobic stability (73.8%) and reduced lactate concentration (7.2%), yeast counts (7-fold) and mold counts (3-fold). Feeding inoculated silage did not affect milk yield, dry matter intake, and feed efficiency in lactating dairy cows. However, forage type, inoculant composition, and dose effects on silage quality measures were evident. Inoculation with LBB increased aerobic stability of all silages except tropical grasses. Adding obligate homolactic or facultative heterolactic bacteria to LB prevented the small increase in DM losses caused by LB alone. The 105 and 106 cfu/g rates were most effective at minimizing DM losses while aerobic stability was only increased with 105, 106, and ≥ 107 cfu/g rates. Inoculation with LBB increased acetate concentration, reduced yeast counts and improved aerobic stability but did not improve dairy cow performance.

This study examined the effects of bacterial inoculants on chemical composition and fermentation indices of barley silage. Barley forage (Youngyang) was harvested at 24% dry matter (DM) and wilted to 47.9% DM. The wilted barley forage was chopped to 3-5 cm length and applied with no inoculant (CON), L. plantarum (1×10(10) cfu/g, LP) or Effective Microorganisms (0.5×10(9) cfu/g, EM). Then the forages were ensiled in four replications for each treatment in 20 L mini silos and stored for 100 days. The contents of crude protein and ether extract were higher in CON silage ensiled for 100-d, while the contents of DM and crude ash were higher in EM silage (p0.05). The pH, ammonia-N concentration and lactate to acetate ratio were higher (p<0.05) in CON silage, while lactate concentrations were higher (p<0.05) in CON and LP silage. Acetate concentration and lactic acid bacteria was increased (p<0.05) by both inoculants (LP and EM), but propionate concentration and yeast was increased (p<0.05) by EM and LP, respectively. These results indicated that the fermentation quality of barley silage was improved by the application of bacterial inoculants.

This study was conducted to screen dual-purpose lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from uncontrolled farm-scale silage, and then we confirmed their effects on corn silage. The LAB were isolated from eight farm-scale corn silages, and then we screened the antifungal activity against Fusarium graminearum and the carboxylesterase activity using spectrophotometer with p-nitrophenyl octanoate as substrate and McIlvane solution as buffer. From a total of 25 isolates, 5M2 and 6M1 isolates were selected as silage inoculants because presented both activities of antifungal and carboxylesterase. According 16S rRNA gene sequencing method, 5M2 isolate had 100.0% similarity with Lactobacillus brevis, and 6M1 isolate had 99.7% similarity with L. buchneri. Corn forage was ensiled in bale silo (500 kg) for 72 d without inoculant (CON) or with mixture of selected isolates at 1:1 ratio (INO). The INO silage had higher nutrient digestibility in the rumen than CON silage. Acetate was higher and yeasts were lower in INO silage than in CON silage on the day of silo opening. In all days of aerobic exposure, yeasts were lower in INO silage than CON silage. The present study concluded that Lactobacillus brevis 5M2 and L. buchneri 6M1 confirmed antifungal and carboxylesterase activities on farm-scale corn silage.

This study was conducted to estimate the nutritional values of different parts of chestnut and the effects of chestnut meal on feed intake, nutrient digestibility and blood metabolites in pig. Nutritionally, chestnut kernel was found as the best considering the highest crude protein and energy content, highest dry matter and protein digestibility and absence of tannin in it. In the animal experiment, 16 pigs were selected and randomly allocated in one of four dietary treatments in which chestnut meal replaced 0, 5, 10 and 15% of dry matter with basal diet, and housed individually into a metabolic cage for 21 days. Dry matter and crude protein intakes were highest (p < 0.05) in 10% supplementation. Digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, ether extract, crude ash and tannin decreased linearly (p < 0.05) with increasing chestnut meal supplementation. Considering feed intake and digestibility, supplementation of chestnut meal at 5% for pig could be suggested.

Objective: This study was conducted to confirm the effects of new inoculants producing-antifungal or esterase substances on rye silage and its rumen fermentation indices by comparing wild with mutated types.Methods: Rye harvested at dough stage was ensiled into 3 L mini bucket silo (1 kg) for 90 d in triplicate following: distilled water at 20 μL/g (CON); Lactobacillus brevis 100D8 (AT) and its inactivation of antifungal genes (AT-m) at 1.2×105 cfu/g, respectively; and Leuconostoc holzapfelii 5H4 (FD) and its inactivation of esterase genes (FD-est) at 1.0×105 cfu/g, respectively. After silo opened, silage was sub-sampled for the analysis of ensiling quality and its rumen fermentation indices.Results: Among the wild type inoculants (CON vs AT vs FD), FD inoculant had higher (p<0.05) in vitro digestibilities of dry matter and neutral detergent fiber, the total degradable fraction, and total volatile fatty acid in rumen, while AT inoculant had higher (p<0.05) lactate, acetate, and lactic acid bacteria in silage. Silage pH and the potentially degradable fraction in rumen increased (p<0.05) by inactivation of antifungal activity (AT vs AT-m), but lactate, acetate, and lactic acid bacteria of silage decreased (p<0.05). In silage, acetate increased (p<0.05) by inactivation of esterase activity (FD vs FD-est) with decreases (p<0.05) of pH, ammonia-N, lactate, and yeast. Moreover, inactivation of esterase activity clearly decreased (p<0.05) in vitro digestibilities of dry matter and neutral detergent fiber, the total degradable fraction, and total volatile fatty acid in the rumen.Conclusion: This study concluded that FD inoculant confirmed esterase activity on rye silage harvested at dough stage, while AT inoculant could not be confirmed with antifungal activity due to the absence of mold in all silages.

This study estimated the effects of a new inoculant producing antifungal and esterase activity on quality of high moisture sorghum-sudangrass (SS) silage with two different hybrids (SX-17 and Speed-up). The SS hybrids were chopped, treated without an inoculant (CON) and with an inoculant containing Lactobacillus plantarum R48-27 and Lactobacillus buchineri R4-26 at ratio 1:1 (INO), then ensiled into 20-L mini silo in quadruplicate for 60 days. After ensiling, silage was placed under aerobic condition for 8 days to estimate yeast and mold. The INO silages had higher (P < 0.05) dry matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fibre, and acid detergent fibre than those of CON silages. The INO silages also had higher (P < 0.05) pH and acetate, but lower (P < 0.05) ammonia-N, butyrate, and lactate to acetate ratio than those of CON silages. Applied INO in both hybrids had lower (P < 0.05) yeast after 4–8 days of aerobic exposure than CON. In rumen, INO silages had higher (P < 0.05) in vitro dry matter digestibility, pH, ammonia-N, and acetate than those of CON silages. In conclusion, the new inoculant application improved not only fermentation quality, but also rumen digestibility of high moisture SS silage.