Response of common silage corn hybrids to inoculant application: fermentation profile, carbohydrate fractions, and digestibility during ensiling
Marija Duvnjak A B , Kristina Kljak A and Darko Grbeša A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Department of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Svetošimunska cesta 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
B Corresponding author. Email: mduvnjak@agr.hr
Animal Production Science 59(9) 1696-1704 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN16840
Submitted: 4 December 2015 Accepted: 4 November 2018 Published: 10 January 2019
Abstract
Corn silage digestibility studies have focussed on genetically distant corn types. Conversely, silage additive studies monitored fermentation differences without discussing the subject of hybrid digestibility. How ensiling phases and additives affect silage quality in commercial corn hybrids has not been properly examined yet. As corn silage quality is a result of combined silage fermentation and digestibility characteristics, the aim of the study was to examine fermentation and digestibility responses to inoculant application in whole-plant corn silage of commercial hybrids intended for silage production in several time points during ensiling. Three corn hybrids grown under identical conditions in a split-plot field test were ensiled without inoculant application and with inoculant containing lactic acid bacteria and carbohydrate-degrading enzymes. Silages were sampled before ensiling, at the peak of the fermentation phase and during the stable phase. The fermentation profile, carbohydrate fraction, ruminal in vitro true dry matter digestibility, ruminal in vitro starch digestibility, and ruminal in vitro neutral detergent fibre digestibility were monitored. Although adding inoculant to silage improved its lactic acid production and decrease in pH, it did not affect its starch and fibre contents or their digestibility. Digestibility improved as ensiling continued, with the highest in vitro neutral detergent fibre digestibility and in vitro true dry matter digestibility values observed in the stable phase. Corn hybrids in this study differed in main fermentation characteristics, carbohydrate contents, and digestibility. These results suggest that even for commercial corn hybrids, the hybrid type is more important than inoculant for optimising silage characteristics and digestibility.
Additional keywords: fibre, dry matter, starch.
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