Assessing the impact of various ensilage factors on the fermentation of grass silage using conventional culture and bacterial community analysis techniques

Grass silage is an important ruminant feedstuff on farms during winter. The ensilage of grass involves a natural lactic acid bacterial fermentation under anaerobic conditions, and numerous factors can influence the outcome of preservation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of dry m...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of applied microbiology 2010-05, Vol.108 (5), p.1584-1593
Main Authors: McEniry, J, O'Kiely, P, Clipson, N.J.W, Forristal, P.D, Doyle, E.M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Air
air infiltration
Analysis of Variance
Bacteria - classification
Bacteria - genetics
bacterial community
Bacterial Physiological Phenomena
Biodiversity
Biological and medical sciences
compaction
dry matter
ensiling system
Fermentation
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
grass silage
Microbiology
Poaceae - chemistry
Poaceae - microbiology
Silage - analysis
Silage - microbiology
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Summary:Grass silage is an important ruminant feedstuff on farms during winter. The ensilage of grass involves a natural lactic acid bacterial fermentation under anaerobic conditions, and numerous factors can influence the outcome of preservation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of dry matter concentration, ensiling system, compaction and air infiltration on silage bacterial community composition. The impact of these factors was examined using conventional methods of microbial analysis and culture-independent Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (T-RFLP). Silage fermentation was restricted in herbage with a high dry matter concentration, and this was reflected in a shift in the bacterial population present. In contrast, ensiling system had little effect on bacterial community composition. Air infiltration, in the absence of compaction, altered silage bacterial community composition and silage pH. Dry matter concentration and the absence of compaction were the main factors affecting silage microbial community composition, and this was reflected in both the conventional culture-based and T-RFLP data. T-RFLP proved a useful tool to study the factors affecting ensilage. Apart from monitoring the presence or absence of members of the population, shifts in the relative presence of members could be monitored.
ISSN:1364-5072
1365-2672
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2672.2009.04557.x