Performance of New Lactic Acid Bacteria Strains as Inoculants on the Microorganism Composition during Fermentation of Alfalfa Silage Containing Different Dry Matter Content

Abstract

Alfalfa is the most planted perennial legume in the world due to its high nutritive value, protein content, productivity, and digestibility in addition to high vitamin and mineral content. It is also one of the hardest plants to ensile owing to its low reducible sugar and dry matter (DM) contents and high buffering capacity. In this study, the effects of inoculation with Lactobacillus bifermentans which is homofermentative and Lactobacillus brevis which is heterofermentative on the silage fermentation of different DM containing alfalfa forage. Alfalfa forages were unwilted, or wilted for 9 or 24 hours in order to achieve low (L), moderate (M) and high (H) DM contents. As a result of the research, it was determined that wilting improved the fermentation properties, decreased the pH value, and increased dry matter recovery. Microbial inoculation decreased the pH value, increased the dry matter recovery, and decreased the number of undesirable enterobacteria in silage. As a result of the research, it was determined that the wilting and inoculation should be applied for successful fermentation of alfalfa silage. It was also determined that inoculation with L. bifermentans gave the highest crude protein (CP) content while L. brevis gave the highest dry matter recovery (DMR).