Aims: To evaluate the effects of various epiphytic microbiota from Italian ryegrass (IR), maize (MZ) and sorghum (SG) on fermentative profile and microbial community dynamics in sterile IR.
Methods and results: Using microbiota transplantation, the irradiated IR was treated with the following: (i) sterile water; (ii) epiphytic microbiota on IR (IRIR); (iii) epiphytic microbiota on MZ (IRMZ); (iv) epiphytic microbiota on SG (IRSG). After 60 days of ensiling, MZ and SG microbiota significantly (P < 0·05) decreased lactic acid (LA) and acetic acid (AA) concentrations compared to IR microbiota, while SG microbiota notably (P < 0·05) reduced the ratio of LA to AA than MZ and IR microbiota. Apparently (P < 0·01) higher amounts of Lactobacillus genus were observed in IRIR and IRMZ groups on 60 day compared to IRSG group, and the dominant Lactococcus genus on 3 day was eventually replaced by Enterobacteriaceae and Lactobacillus in IRSG group.
Conclusions: Exogenous microbiota could evidently affect the fermentative profile and microbial community dynamics of IR silage. The numbers of Enterobacteriaceae and Lactobacillus were mainly responsible for this.
Significance and impact of the study: Identifying the role of microbe during ensiling is of great significance to manipulate the fermentation products and improve the preservation of silage.
Keywords: ensiling; epiphytic microbiota; fermentation product; microbial community; silage.
© 2020 The Society for Applied Microbiology.