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Silage Inoculants Can Improve the Longevity, Quality of Silage by Jill J. Dunkel Many farmers do not understand the purpose or benefits of silage inoculants, and therefore, do not use the products. In fact, leas than half of the silage produced annually in the U.S. is treated with an inoculant. Why? According to Kevin Brewer of Ecosyl Products Inc., a company that manufactures inoculants, it is often difficult to visually observe the differences between treated and non-treated silage, and reliable on-farm evaluations are extremely difficult to conduct. Thus, many producers have not been convinced inoculants improve profitability. Benefits of Inoculants When forage is cut for silage, it is full of bacteria that work anaerobically. When the crop is packed tightly into a silo, the oxygen is excluded and plant sugars can be fermented by these anaerobic bacteria. Thus the crop is preserved using a "pickling" effect. Although most crops carry a sufficient population of natural bacteria to produce silage, there is no control over the type of acid produced or how long the process takes. According to Lynn Reed managing director of Ecosyl Products, Inc., additional fermentation time results in additional dry matter and energy losses, leaving fewer nutrients available for the cattle. The type of acid produced by the bacteria in the crop has a major impact on the speed of preservation and the palatability of the resulting silage. An inoculant speeds up the process, allowing rapid fermentation to stop crop nutrients from being consumed by undesirable microorganisms present With forage inoculation, livestock producers can take control of the fermentation process by bombarding the crop with friendly "bugs" that produce the maximum amount of lactic acid in the fastest possible time. This maximizes the quantity of silage retained in the silo and its nutrient value. Roger Clift, feedlot manager of Hansford County Feeders in Gruver, Texas, began inoculating silage in his feedyard eight years ago. He first became interested in inoculant use when he came across persuasive research on inoculants from a professor at the University of Kansas. "I believe there are ample forms of data to use inoculants," Clift says. "The cost benefit is one of the cheapest. We can benefit from every dollar we spend to increase profitability." 
The Biology of Inoculants The majority of inoculants contain the bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum, a highly efficient lactic acid producer which grows vigorously at pH 5.3 and below, according to Brewer. However, a fresh crop of silage typically has a pH of 6.5, which makes L. plantarum initially slow to grow. Therefore, choosing the strain of L. plantarum is important, as some strains start growing faster than others. "Just as there are major differences between breeds of cattle, there can be major differences among individual strains of a single bacterial species," says Brewer. "Many strains of Lactobacillus plantarum are commercially available. They have basic similarities, but also important differences that make each strain unique." MTD/1 is a high performance strain of L. plantarum that has a number of unusual features, making it ideal for a silage inoculant, according to Brewer. "It is a highly efficient producer of lactic acid over a pH range from above pH 7 to below pH 4, so it starts to work as soon as it is applied to the crop. MTD/1 also has the ability to thrive within a wide range of crop moisture and sugar situations, making it effective on a variety of crop types, including corn, alfalfa, grasses, high moisture corn and small grain forages, as well as in a wide range of harvesting conditions." MTD/1 has shown improved fermentation in over 150 independent trails and reduced fermentation losses in over 20 trials. Currently, MTD/1 is marketed as a silage inoculant by Ecosyl. It is the only bacterial inoculant in the U.S. to have fermentation claims recognized by the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine. 
It is important to know the product's stability to be sure the bacteria are still alive when they are applied to the crop, according to Brewer. The products ability to survive packing, transport and storage is essential. Products containing MTD/1 have a shelf life of three years, compared to three to six months that is typical of most inoculants. Clift became interested in Ecosyl after reading independent university trials, and has since used it on his silage for the past seven years. "There is quite a difference in inoculants," says Clift. "They are not regulated and many can't back up their claims. Dairy data on Ecosyl is profound and easily measured. I'm pretty sold on it." Clift has seen improvements in the fermentation of his silage, resulting in "a bright color and consistency throughout. "Silage is a major roughage. Companies have to do everything to ensure it is properly stored. It gives us more insurance and gives us comfort to know we are producing the highest quality product for a client," Clift says. "It is very important that we do everything we can to make it good. We make the feed in two weeks, but feed it for fifty weeks." |
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