Silage Preparation and Fermentation Quality of Crop By-product in Tropics

To effectively utilize crop by-product resources to cover the shortage of animal feed during the dry season in tropics, the characteristics of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from corn stover and sugarcane top and their silage fermentation with high quality were analyzed. Both silages were prepared with control, LAB inoculant, cellulase enzyme and their combination. After harvesting, the dry matter (DM) of fresh corn stover and sugar can top were 43% and 26%, and it is adequate moisture range for silage fermentation. The neutral detergent fiber were 65% for corn stover and 76% for sugarcane top on a DM basis, while their crude protein (CP) contents were similar, ranging from 6%~7% of DM. The natural LAB communities including Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus brevis, Weissella cibaria, Lactococcus latcis and Pediococcus acidilactici. were present with 10² to 10⁶ colony-forming unit/g of FM on both crops by-products. Lactobacillus plantarum and Weissela cibaria were the dominant LAB population in corn stove and sugarcane top, respectively. Lactobacillus brevis and Pediococcus acidilactici were the frequent isolates from both crops by-products. When their silages inoculated with LAB and cellulase, the fermentation quality was improved with lower pH value and higher lactic acid content than those of control. Both crop by-products can be used to produce high quality silage and preserve nutrients in the feed well.