Effect of lactic acid bacteria and propionic acid on conservation characteristics, aerobic stability and in vitro gas production kinetics and digestibility of whole-crop corn based total mixed ration silage

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of lactic acid bacteria and propionic acid on the fermentation quality, aerobic stability and in vitro gas production kinetics and digestibility of whole-crop corn based total mixed ration (TMR) silage. Total mixed ration was ensiled with four treatments: (1) no additives (control); (2) an inoculant (Lactobacillus plantarum) (L); (3) propionic acid (P); (4) propionic acid+lactic acid bacteria (PL). All treatments were ensiled in laboratory-scale silos for 45 days, and then subjected to an aerobic stability test for 12 days. Further, four TMR silages were incubated in vitro with buffered rumen fluid to study in vitro gas production kinetics and digestibility. The results indicated that all TMR silages had good fermentation characteristics with low pH (<3.80) and ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) contents, and high lactic acid contents as well as Flieg points. Addition of L further improved TMR silage quality with more lactic acid production. Addition of P and PL decreased lactic acid and NH3-N contents of TMR silage compared to the control (P<0.05). After 12 days aerobic exposure, P and PL silages remained stable, but L and the control silages deteriorated as indicated by a reduction in lactic acid and an increase in pH, and numbers of yeast. Compared to the control, addition of L had no effects on TMR silage in terms of 72 h cumulative gas production, in vitro dry matter digestibility, metabolizable energy, net energy for lactation and short chain fatty acids, whereas addition of PL significantly (P<0.05) increased them. L silage had higher (P<0.05) in vitro neutral detergent fiber digestibility than the control silage. The results of our study suggested that TMR silage prepared with whole-crop corn can be well preserved with or without additives. Furthermore, the findings of this study suggested that propionic acid is compatible with lactic acid bacteria inoculants, and when used together, although they reduced lactic acid production of TMR silage, they improved aerobic stability and in vitro nutrients digestibility of TMR silage.