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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Madison, Wisconsin » U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center » Cell Wall Biology and Utilization Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #198659

Title: EFFECT OF INOCULANTS ON THE ENSILING OF CORN STOVER

Author
item Muck, Richard
item SHINNERS, KEVIN - UNIV. OF WISCONSIN-MADISO

Submitted to: ASABE Annual International Meeting
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/7/2006
Publication Date: 7/9/2006
Citation: Muck, R.E., Shinners, K.J. 2006. Effect of inoculants on the ensiling of corn stover. Proceedings of ASABE Annual International Meeting. Paper No. 061013.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Four different varieties of corn stover were harvested and ensiled over a range of DM contents from approximately 30 to 60% DM with and without the use of lactic acid bacterial inoculants. Stovers ensiled as harvested (45 to 58% DM) ensiled well with no additive. Similarly stovers rehydrated to 40% DM ensiled well and were stable over 90 d. Stovers rehydrated to 30% DM initially ensiled well (21 d) but experienced secondary fermentations by 90 d. It appears that ensiling stover at 30% DM may result in occasional clostridial activity that could reduce the recovery and quality of the stover for downstream uses. All three inoculants tested were successful in affecting ensiled stover quality in all trials even when the inoculant application rates were less than 1% of the natural lactic acid bacterial population. The homofermentative inoculant shifted fermentation to lactic acid, and reduced pH relative to the untreated control particularly in stovers above 45% DM. The two inoculants with L. buchneri shifted fermentation toward acetic acid and 1,2-propanediol. These two inoculants would help to guarantee the stability of stover in transit between the farm and bioprocessing plant.