Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Forage Crops and Silage Fermentation

Six strains, Lactobacillus plantarum CM 1, Lactobacillus rhamnosus CM 2, Pediococcus acidilactici CM 4 Enterococcus faecalis CM 5, Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides CM 7 and Weissella paramesenteroides CM 8 isolated from forage crops were used as additives at 1.0x105 cfu g-1 of fresh matter to Italian ryegrass and alfalfa, and their effect on silage fermentation was studied. The two silage’s treated with strains CM 1, CM 2 and CM 4 were well preserved; had significantly lower pH values, butyric acid and ammonia N concentrations; and had significantly higher lactic acid content than did the respective control, strains CM 5, CM 7 and CM 8-treated silage’s. Compared with the strain CM 5-treated silage’s, strains CM 1, CM 2 and CM 4-treatments reduced the fermentation losses, but strains CM 7 and CM 8 increased the fermentation losses. The results confirmed that P. acidilactici, L. plantarum and L. casei were more effective to improve silage quality than E. faecalis, L. pseudomesenteroides and W. paramesenteroides