This study aimed to evaluate the effects of exogenous epiphytic microbiota inoculation on the fermentation quality and microbial community of sudan grass silage. Gamma irradiated sudan grass was ensiled with distilled water (STR), epiphytic microbiota of sudan grass (SUDm), forage sorghum (FSm), napier grass (NAPm) and whole crop corn (WCCm). The FSm inoculated silage have significantly lower lactic acid (LA) concentration and higher pH during early ensiling, while LA concentration gradually and significantly increased with the progression of ensiling and have lower pH in relation to other treatments for terminal silage. Inoculation of NAPm resulted in lower LA and higher acetic acid (AA) concentrations, higher pH, ammonia-N and dry matter losses for terminal silage, followed by SUDm silage. Inoculations of WCCm significantly increased LA production and pH decline during early ensiling and have higher LA and pH then NAPm and SUDm silages during final ensiling. The early fermentation of SUDm silage was dominated by genus of Pediococcus. The genera of Lactobacillus were predominant in WCCm and NAPm silages during 3 days of ensiling, while Weissella dominated initial microbial community of FS silage. The terminal silage of NAPm was dominated by Enterobacter and Rosenbergiella, while Enterobacter and Lactobacillus dominated terminal SUDm silage. The final silage of FSm was dominated by Lactobacillus, Weissella and Pediococcus, while Lactobacillus and Acetobacter dominated terminal WCCm silages. The results demonstrated that among the four forages the epiphytic microbiota from forage sorghum positively influenced the microbial community and fermentability of sudan grass silage.
Keywords: Epiphytic microbiota; Microbial community diversity; Silage; Sudan grass.