the effects of a microbial inoculant and formic acid as silage additives on chemical composition, ruminal degradability and nutrient digestibility of corn silage in sheep

the effects of a microbial inoculant (containing propionic and lactic acid bacteria) and formic acid onchemical composition, ruminal degradability of dry matter (dm) and nutrient digestibility of corn silage wereexamined. whole-plant corn was ensiled for 60 days in plastic polyethylene bags, and three treatments werecompared, 1: control (no additive), 2: propionibacterium acidipropionici plus lactobacillus plantarum at 3 ×1010 cfu/g of fresh forage, and 3: formic acid (98%) at 2.41/t fresh forage. the silages were subjected tochemical analysis, dm degradability and nutrients digestibility in sheep. at the end of ensiling period,treatment 3 had significantly higher (p