Stability of silage inoculants and methods for improving aerobic stability of silage

Abstract

There is provided a method for treating silage which includes adding to the silage a silage inoculant including a silage preserving effective amount of Lactobacillus hilgardii. The silage inoculant being effective to prevent or reduce aerobic spoilage.

Description

[0001]The present description relates to silage. More specifically to silage inoculants and method of use of silage inoculants for enhancing aerobic stability of silage.[0002]Silage is fermented, high-moisture forage to be fed to ruminants, such as cud-chewing animals like cattle and sheep. The silage is fermented and stored in a storage silo, a process called ensilage. Silage is most often made from grass or cereal crops, including ryegrass, alfalfa, fescue, corn (maize) or sorghum. Silage is made from the entire plant, or part of it. Silage can also be made from many other field crops, including sugar cane, and other names such as, for example oatlage for oats, haylage for alfalfa are sometimes used when this is done. Sometimes a mixture is used, such as oats and peas.[0003]The production of silage and the associated crop husbandry have over recent years developed to an extent that a number of different processes can be defined. These are: (i) the ensiling of young grass with part...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent is about improving silage using a special inoculant that can help increase the amount of dry matter recovered and make it more stable over time. While other treatments can reduce spoilage, this new method can provide a better solution to prevent wasted silage from going bad.

Problems solved by technology

While these processes generally produce a good yield, they are not without their problems.

Particularly in cases (ii) and (iii), one major problem occurs on a regular basis.

While treatments using Lactobacillus buchneri reduce spoilage in silage, they do so to only a limited extent.