Ekin Sucu

The effect of Propionibacterium acidipropionici, with or without Lactobacillus plantarum, on the fermentation and aerobic stability of wheat, sorghum and maize silages

Aims:  To determine the effect of Propionibacterium acidipropionici, alone or in combination with Lactobacillus plantarum, on the fermentation and aerobic stability of wheat, sorghum and maize silages.

The effect of Lactobacillus buchneri on the fermentation, aerobic stability and ruminal degradability of maize silage.

Aims:  To evaluate the effect of Lactobacillus buchneri, heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria (LAB), on the fermentation, aerobic stability and ruminal degradability of whole‐crop maize silages under laboratory conditions. Two homofermentative LAB were tested for the purpose of comparison.

Effect of a Chemical Preservative on Fermentation, Aerobic Stability and Nutritive Value of Whole-Crop Wheat Silage

Abstract Filya, I. and Sucu, E. 2007. Effect of a chemical preservative on fermentation, aerobic stability and nutritive value of whole-crop wheat silage. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 32: 133–138. To evaluate the effect of formic acid based preservative (FAP) on fermentation, aerobic stability and nutritive value of whole-crop wheat silage, wheat was harvested at early dough stage and ensiled for 90 d with 0, 2, 3 and 4 ml/kg FAP. The FAP treatment did not affect the concentrations of lactic and acetic acid but increased formic and propionic acid and decreased concentrations of butyric acid, ethanol, ammonia-N and gas losses of the silages. Under aerobic conditions, FAP treated silages had lower pH, CO2 production and the numbers of yeasts (except FA2) and moulds than the control silage (P<0.05). Contents of neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, acid detergent lignin and cellulose decreased in the FAP treated silages, but 96 h in vitro gas production and in vitro organic matter digestibility of the silages were not affected by FAP treatment. Applying 4 ml/kg FAP on wheat silages was most effective.

Effects of ensiling density on nutritive value of maize and sorghum silages

Studies were conducted to determine the effects of different ensiling densities on fermentation, aerobic stability, and nutritive value of maize and sorghum silages. Maize and sorghum were harvested at dough (363 g/kg) and milk stages (275 g/kg), respectively. Herbages were chopped approximately 1.5 cm after harvest and then ensiled in mini silos at high and low-bulk densities for 8.5 weeks. Different bulk densities were achieved by ensiling different weights of herbage in the fixed-volume mini silos (1.5-L anaerobic jars, Weck, Germany). The obtained dry matter (DM) densities were 168 and 216 kg of DM/m3 for maize forage and 132 and 178 kg of DM/m3 for sorghum forage. Fermentation kinetics, the rate of aerobic deterioration upon aerobic exposure, and nutrient digestibility were followed during the periods of ensiling (on days 2, 4, 8, 15, and 60). In all cases, increased packing density resulted in silages with lower acetate content, ammonium N levels, and fermentation losses, but lactate content did not differ. Butyrate was detected in appreciable amounts only in sorghum silage. Propionate was not detected in any silage. Tightly packed silages remained stable upon exposure to air. Tight packing increases the digestibly of nutrients and improves the energy content of silages. These data show that high density limits air infiltration and reduces the oxidation loss during storage and feed-out. As a consequence, more dry matter is recovered and more energy is preserved.

Effects of lines and inoculants on nutritive value and production costs of triticale silages

The current study was undertaken to investigate the ensilage characteristics in triticale lines treated by inoculants and their interaction on fermentation metabolites and rumen degradability. Costs were estimated for growing and feeding whole-crop triticale lines for animal production. Triticale hybrids were harvested at the dough stage of maturity (38% dry matter, DM). Plants were chopped approximately 2 cm after harvest and then treated with inoculants and were ensiled in 1.5-L mini laboratory silos. Two lactic acid bacterial inoculants with enzymes (LAB+enzymes I: Pediococcus acidilactici, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Streptococcus faecium with cellulase, hemicellulase, pentosanase, and amylase; LAB+enzyme II: P. acidilactici, L. plantarum, and amylase) were used as silage additives. Inoculants were applied at 1.5 × 105 cfu/g chopped fresh material. Silages with no additive served as the control. Four jars per treatment were sampled on day 60 after ensiling for chemical and microbiological analysis. At the end of the ensiling period (60 day), the silages were subjected to an aerobic stability test. The nutrient degradability of silages was determined in situ. Overall, there were no obvious interactions between triticale lines and the treatments for any of the parameters measured. The fermentation and nutritive value of silages were affected by treatments. LAB+enzymes increased the concentrations of lactic acid of the triticale silages and decreased the concentrations of butyric acid, total alcohols, and ammonia-N. Under aerobic conditions, LAB+enzyme treated silages had lower pH, CO2 production, and number of yeasts. Fibrous fractions were decreased with the application of LAB+enzymes. The 48 h in situ organic matter, DM, and neutral detergent fiber digestibility of the silages were enhanced by treatments. Addition LAB+enzymes to dough stage triticale silage reduces proteolysis; the inoculant possess antimicrobial properties and improves fermentation and nutritional value. The economic results are favorable financially for growing winter triticale as an animal feed in Mediterranean-type climates.

The Effects of Supplemental Protease Enzymes on Production Variables in Lactating Holstein Cows

A study was conducted to examine the effects of supplemental dietary protease enzymes on production variables in dairy cattle. Ninety-six multiparous lactating Holstein cows (624±62 kg body weight and 154±104 days in milk) were blocked according to parity, days in milk, and previous milk production and randomly assigned to a control total mix ration (TMR) or a TMR containing a blend of supplemental protease enzymes (PE; 4 g/cow/d) in a crossover design with two 21-day experimental periods. Daily pen milk yield and dry matter intake (DMI) were recorded and milk composition from all cows was determined on d 15, 17, 19 and 21 of each period. There was no treatment effect on milk yield (37.6 kg/d), but supplemental PE-fed cows consumed less DMI (P<0.05) compared to controls and therefore tended to have improved feed efficiency (P=0.06). Feeding supplemental PE decreased blood urea nitrogen (P<0.05) compared to the control cows. However, feeding PE had no effect on milk fat and protein content but tended (P=0.08) to increase milk lactose concentration and tended (P=0.10) to decrease milk urea nitrogen levels and somatic cell score. Results indicate that supplemental PE may enhance production efficiency and improve parameters of nitrogen status.