Application of lactic acid bacteria producing antifungal substance and carboxylesterase on whole crop rice silage with different dry matter

Abstract

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate effects of antifungal substance and carboxylesterase-producing inoculant on fermentation indices and rumen degradation kinetics of whole crop rice (WCR) silage ensiled at different dry matter (DM) contents.Methods: Dual-purpose inoculants, Lactobacillus brevis 5M2 and <i>Lactobacillus buchneri</i> 6M1, confirmed both activities of antifungal and carboxylesterase in the previous study. The WCR at mature stage was chopped, and then wilted to obtain three different DM contents consisting of 35.4%, 43.6%, and 51.5%. All WCR forages were applied distilled water (CON) or mixed inoculants with 1:1 ratio at 1×10⁵ colony forming unit/g (INO), and ensiled into 20 L mini silo (5 kg) in quadruplicates for 108 d.Results: The INO silages had lower lactate (p<0.001) and butyrate (p = 0.022) with higher acetate (p<0.001) and propionate (p<0.001) than those of CON silages. Ammonia-N (p<0.001), lactate (tendency; p = 0.068), acetate (p = 0.030), and butyrate (p<0.001) concentrations of INO silages decreased linearly with increasing DM content of WCR forage. The INO silages presented higher lactic acid bacteria (p<0.001) with lower molds (p< 0.001) than those of CON silages. Yeasts (p = 0.042) and molds (p = 0.046) of WCR silages decreased linearly with increasing DM content of WCR forage. In the rumen, INO silages had higher the total degradable fraction (p<0.001), total volatile fatty acid (tendency; p = 0.097), and acetate (p = 0.007), but lower the fractional degradation rate (p = 0.011) and propionate (p<0.001) than those of CON silage. The total degradable fraction (p<0.001), total volatile fatty acid (p = 0.001), iso-butyrate (p = 0.036), and valerate (p = 0.008) decreased linearly with increasing DM content of WCR forage, while the lag phase (p<0.001) was increased linearly.Conclusion: This study concluded that application of dual-purpose inoculants on WCR silage confirmed antifungal and carboxylesterase activities by inhibiting mold and improving rumen digestibility, while increase of wilting times decreased organic acids production and rumen digestibility.