Effect of adding Lactobacillus mixtures containing L. buchneri to grass and maize on silage quality, nutritive value and dairy cattle performances

From the studies in micro-silos during two years, it is clear that the addition of 11GFT to wilted grass resulted in a clearly better silage quality (less DM-losses, more lactic and acetic acid, a lower pH, less protein degradation) and aerobic stability. The NDF-content of the grass harvested at a young growth stage was partly degraded to complex sugars. NDF and OM rumen degradation characteristics were not affected by the inoculant after the short
ensiling period, whereas after the long ensiling period OM degradability increased for the first two growth stages and in vitro OM digestibility for all growth stages. Feeding treated grasssilage, harvested at moderate late growth stage, to dairy cows did not result in a higher roughage intake and better milk production performances.
The use of the inoculant in maize harvested at a about 300 g kg-1 DM in the two years of trial resulted in higher DM-losses, lower lactic acid and higher acetic acid contents as well as a higher pH, thus indicating worse silage quality. On the other hand, aerobic stability was improved by the treatment. The effects were more pronounced after 150 d of ensiling than after 60 d. The inoculant hardly affected silage quality of whole plant maize harvested at more than 380 g kg-1 DM. No effects on chemical composition nor rumen degradation characteristics of NDF or OM were observed at all maturity stages and after both ensiling
periods. The treated maize silage seems to negatively affect roughage intake, resulting in a lower milk production.