The Effect of Processing of Corn Silage with Schizophyllum Commune on Chemical Composition, Ruminal Degradability and in Vitro Gas Production

Extended Abstract Introduction and Objective: To overcome the problems caused by animal feed shortages, efforts are made to increase the availability of nutrients and their digestibility, such as improving the nutritional value of forage plants through biological processing. Schizophyllum commune is an edible fungus of the basidiomycete’s family that has been used for biological processing of forage. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Schizophyllum commune liquid and solid state culture on chemical composition, volume of gas produced, degradability of dry matter, degradability of Neutral Detergent Fiber and volatile fatty acids produced by corn silage. Material and Methods: For processing, 1×1 cm2 of seven-day-old fungi grown in solid culture medium containing potatoes, dextrose and agar were inoculated into glass jars containing 200gr sterilized and soaked corn silage. 100 ml of Liquid culture medium containing secreted enzymes was inoculated into a glass chamber containing 200gr sterile and soaked corn silage after filtration of liquid surface fungi and kept at 26 ° C for 25 days. Gas production of the treatments in glass vials and degradability were measured using nylon bags and three fistulated Holstein cows. Results: Processing of corn silage by both methods reduced dry matter, organic matter and Neutral Detergent Fiber (p˂0.05). The amount of protein in the treated groups increased compared to the control group and solid culture processing had the greatest effect on changing the amount of silage protein. The amount insoluble Neutral Detergent Fiber increased in the treatment group. Solid culture corn silage showed higher gas volume, digestibility of organic matter and more Metabolisable energy than liquid culture and control group. Solid culture treatment had no effect on the degradability of dry matter. But liquid culture processing reduced the degradability. Liquid culture method could increase the total amount of volatile fatty acids produced in corn silage, but processing by both methods had no effect on the amount of ammonia nitrogen produced by corn silage. Conclusion: In general, the results showed that processing of corn silage by solid and liquid culture can improve some of the nutritional components of silage, including increasing the amount of protein, gas volume and metabolisable energy, digestibility of dry matter and organic matter, but due to the nature of enzymatic activity of Schizophyllum commune the degradability of dry matter and neutral detergent fiber of processed corn silage was reduced.