Effect of microbial inoculation on the fermentative parameters and chemical composition of high moisture corn and sorghum grain silages

Two experiments were run to evaluate the pattern of fermentation and the chemical composition of high moisture corn and sorghum grain silages, with or without microbial inoculation. Experiment 1 dealt with corn grain and experiment 2 dealt with sorghum grain. In each experiment, the experimental treatments resulted from a 2 x 9 factorial arrangement (2 levels of inoculation and 9 fermentation times: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 days). The experimental design was completely randomized with 3 replications. The material was ensiled in experimental silos of PVC (50 cm length and 100 mm diameter). Samples were taken before (0) and after 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 days of ensilage. There was no effect of inoculation and days of fermentation on the DM content of high moisture corn grain silages, with averages of 64.13 and 64.03%, and of high moisture sorghum grain, with averages of 67.66 and 67.48%, for control and inoculated silages, respectively. There was no effect of inoculation on the silages pH, after 64 days of ensilage of corn and sorghum grain, with averages of 3.97 and 3.92 and 3.94 and 3.95 unities, for control and inoculated silages, respectively. The microbial inoculation of high moisture corn and sorghum grain did not promote alterations neither in the chemical composition nor In the DM losses. The fermentative pattern of high moisture corn and sorghum grain silages did not respond to the inoculation treatment under the studied conditions.

DM losses; microbial inoculation; Lactobacillus plantarum