Efficiency and peculiarities of grass ensilage using preparations of lactic acid bacteria
Contrary to widespread opinion, the use of lactic acid leavens for grass ensilage of fresh-cut herbage does not by no means results in increasing yield of lactic acid, in percent of sugar content. The yield of lactic acid is maximal at sugar-buffer ratio 1.7 and above this value it is decreased, since excess of sugar is fermented with ethanol formation. Unfortunately, the use of lactic acid leavens for ensilage of sun-semidried herbage for long time was not the focus of attention for researchers. With the aim to eliminate putrescent and butyric acid bacteria in herbage mass with nitrate content below 0.5 g/kg, the process of acidification has to be accelerated. The effective use of lactic acid leavens is possible only on herbages with dry matter content above 30%. The results obtained in series of experiments indicate that the use of preparations made on the base of osmotolerant strains of lactic acid bacteria may be effective for obtaining high quality silage, but herbage must be sun-semidried to dry matter content of 30-40% and it is to have sugar-buffer ratio in the range of 1,5 - 4,0.