Hygienic condition of maize silage (Zea mays L.) depending on cutting height and ensiling additive

Authors: GRAZYNA SZYMANSKA, HANNA SULEWSKA, MAREK SELWET

Abstract: Maize silage is a high energy bulk feed, extensively used in the nutrition of dairy and meat purpose cattle due to the high yielding potential of this crop, high concentration of energy, palatability, and easy application in the total mixed ration feeding regime. A necessary precondition for the complete utilization of the nutritive value of maize is to prepare high quality silage. In North America and Europe, cattle nutrition is increasingly based on maize silage fed throughout the year, resulting in the need to store silage in silos for 14 months or even longer. Thus, it is necessary to collect a greater amount of data on the microbial composition of silage throughout its storage. In view of the above, the aim of this study was to assess the effect of cutting height (CH) and the application of ensiling additives (EAs) on the hygienic status and aerobic stability of maize silage. The experiment was run in a 2-factorial design with 3 replications. The first factor was CH of the maize plants: 20 cm, 30 cm, and 40 cm. The second degree factor was connected with the EAs: Inokulant 11A44, Inokulant 1132, Bioprofit, Pro-Stabil AP 80 L, and the control with no additives. Analyses showed that the applied EAs, both microbial and chemical, influenced both the quality and stability of maize silage. Applied EAs in the tested silage reduced the counts of mold fungi, yeasts, bacteria from the genus Clostridium, and coliform bacteria. The chemical preparation containing propionic acid (E-280) and ammonium propionate (E-284) was found to be the most effective at limiting microbial counts in silage.

Keywords: Aerobic stability, cutting height, ensiling additive, maize silage

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