The dynamics of the bacterial communities developed in maize silage.

ABSTRACT: Ensilage provides an effective means of conserving summer-grown green forage to supply as winter feed to ruminants. The fermentation process involved in the ensilage process relies on lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Here, 16S ribosomal DNA amplicon pyrosequencing was used to follow the dynamic behaviour of the LAB community during the ensilage of maize biomass, with a view to identify the key species involved in the process. The biomass used for ensilage was a single-cross maize hybrid, harvested at the milk-line stage. The crop was grown at three contrasting locations. Aspects of the physico-chemical composition of the material and the LAB species present were sampled at 0, 3, 6, 14, 21 and 32 days after ensilage was initiated. In all three cases, members of the Leuconostocaceae family domina

SUBMITTER: Gharechahi J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5658587 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature