Bacterial Inoculant Effects on Corn Silage Fermentation and Nutrient Composition

The survival and effect of three new probiotic inoculants (Lactobacillus plantarum CCM 4000, L. fermentum LF2, and Enterococcus faecium CCM 4231) on the nutritive value and fermentation parameters of corn silage was studied under laboratory conditions. Whole corn plants (288.3 g/kg DM) were cut and ensiled at 21°C for 105 days. The inoculants were applied at a concentration of 1.0×10 cfu/ml. Uninoculated silage was used as the control. The chopped corn was ensiled in 40 plastic jars (1 L) divided into four groups (4×10 per treatment). All corn silages had a low pH (below 3.55) and 83-85% of total silage acids comprised lactic acid after 105 days of ensiling. The probiotic inoculants in the corn silages affected corn silage characteristics in terms of significantly (p<0.05-0.001) higher pH, numerically lower crude protein content and ratio of lactic to acetic acid compared to control silage. However, the inoculants did not affect the concentration of total silage acids (acetic, propionic, lactic acids) as well as dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) of corn silages in vitro. In the corn silages with three probiotic inoculants, significantly (CCM 4231, CCM 4000) lower n-6/n-3 ratio of fatty acids was detected than in control silage. Significant decrease in the concentration of C18:1, and significant increase in the concentration of C18:2 and C18:3 was mainly found in the corn silages inoculated with the strains E. faecium CCM 4231 and L. plantarum CCM 4000. At the end of ensiling, the inoculants were found at counts of less than 1.0 log10 cfu/g in corn silages. (