Effect of different additives on fermentation characteristics and nutritional quality of whole plant corn
The experiment aimed to screen suitable types and amounts of additives for the whole-plant corn silage preparation,promoting the industrial development of corn silage.Using the wax-ripe whole-plant corn as a raw material,a study was conducted on the effects of formic acid,lactic acid bacteria,and molasses on the fermentation characteristics,nutritional quality,and aerobic stability of whole-plant corn.The results showed that compared with natural fermentation,6 mL/kg of formic acid could significantly reduce the number of undesirable microorganisms and the content of NH3-N in silage(P<0.05),and improve the content of WSC and aerobic stability.Adding Lactobacillus brucei or a combination of Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus brucei significantly increased the acetic acid content(P<0.05),reduced the quantity of harmful microorganisms and NH3-N content,and improved aerobic stability.The addition of molasses significantly increased the quantity of harmful microorganisms and NH3-N content in silage(P<0.05),while reducing the content of acetic acid,DM,and WSC.The study indicates that considering the fermentation characteristics,nutritional quality,and aerobic stability of whole corn silage,it is recommended to use 6 mL/kg of formic acid,Lactobacillus brucei alone,or a combination of Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus brucei in a 1∶5 ratio for silage preparation in production.