EFFECT OF Lactobacillus plantarum AND Lactobacillus buchneri ON COMPOSITION, AEROBIC STABILITY, TOTAL LACTIC ACID BACTERIA AND E. COLI COUNT OF ENSILED CORN STOVER WITH OR WITHOUT MOLASSES SUPPLEMENTATION.

This study was conducted to evaluate the molasses and bacterial inoculant effects on ensiled corn stover chemical composition, physical characteristics, aerobic stability and total microbial cell count. Corn stover (CS) was ensiled into 24 laboratory silos with molasses or without molasses (3 and 0%), with inoculant (10 and 0 ml/kg of CS) and air ingression (air ingressed or no air ingressed) for 60 days. On day 30 of ensiling, air ingressed treatments were exposed to air. A significant interaction was observed among molasses, inoculant and air ingressed for chemical composition of ensiled CS (P<0.05). Highest crude protein contents were present in non-air ingressed, molasses, without inoculant treated ensiled CS (P<0.05). The molasses and inoculant interaction showed lowest neutral detergent fibre contents in molasses and inoculant treated CS (P<0.05). The lowest acid detergent fibre contents were found in molasses treated CS compared to CS without molasses treatment (P<0.05). The molasses, inoculant and air ingressed interaction showed the lowest ash contents in air ingressed CS ensiled with inoculant and without molasses (P<0.05). While, this interaction showed highest ash contents by ensiled CS treated with molasses, without inoculant and air ingressed (P<0.05). The highest total lactobacillus cell load was expressed by Molasses with inoculant with air ingression (MIA), MA (Molasses with air ingression) treatments than MN (Molasses with non-air ingression), IN (Inoculant with non-air ingression), IA (Inoculant with air ingression), N (non-air ingression), A (air ingression) and MIN (Molasses with inoculant with non-air ingression) treatments (P<0.05). Lowest cell count of E.coli was expressed by IN treatments than MN, MA, MIA, IA, N, A and MIN treatments (P<0.05). Based on findings, it is concluded that bacterial inoculants (L. buchneri 40788 and L. plantarum MTD-1) along with molasses supplementation improves the physical characteristics, nutritional profile and aerobic stability of ensiled CS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]