• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.214-221
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• 2011

Effects of the cell wall-degrading enzymes derived from Acremonium cellulolyticus and Trichoderma viride on the silage fermentation and in sacco degradation of tropical grasses i.e. rhodesgrass (Chloris gayana Kunth. cv. Callide) and guineagrass (Panicum maximum Jacq. cv. Natsukaze) were investigated in laboratory-scale experiments. These two grasses were either treated with or without the enzymes before ensiling. Untreated rhodesgrass produced acetate fermentation silage (lactate, $13.0\;g\;kg^{-1}$ DM; acetate, $38.7\;g\;kg^{-1}$ DM) with high final pH value and $NH_3$-N content (5.84 and $215\;g\;kg^{-1}$ DM). Addition of enzymes significantly increased (p<0.01) the lactate production (lactate, 45.6; acetate, $34.0\;g\;kg-^{1}$ DM) and decreased (p<0.01) the pH and $NH_3$-N (4.80 and $154\;g\;kg^{-1}$ DM) in the ensiled forages when compared with the control silages. Untreated guineagrass was successfully preserved with a high lactate proportion (lactate, 45.5; acetate, $24.1\;g\;kg^{-1}$ DM), and the addition of enzymes further enhanced the desirable fermentation (lactate, $57.5\;g\;kg^{-1}$ DM; acetate, $19.4\;g\;kg^{-1}$ DM). The content of NDF was lowered (p<0.05) by enzymes in both silages, but the extent appeared greater in the enzyme-treated rhodesgrass (rhodesgrass, $48\;g\;kg^{-1}$ DM; guineagrass, $21\;g\;kg^{-1}$ DM). Changes in the kinetics of in sacco degradation showed that enzyme treatment increased (p<0.01) the rapidly degradable DM (rhodesgrass, 299 vs. $362\;g\;kg^{-1}$ DM; guineagrass, 324 vs. $343\;g\;kg^{-1}$ DM) but did not influence the potential degradation, lag time and degradation rate of DM and NDF in the two silages.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.807-811
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• 2005

This experiment examined the characteristics of fermented juice of epiphytic lactic acid bacteria (FJLB) prepared by the addition of glucose, sucrose and molasses as a fermentation substrate. The effect of FJLB on the fermentative quality and changes in chemical composition during fermentation of guineagrass silage were also investigated. The pH value of the silages treated with FJLB rapidly decreased, and reached to the lowest value within 7 days of start of fermentation, as compared to the control. The number of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in the treated silages increased for the first 3 days, thereafter the number of LAB declined gradually up to the end of the experiment. Silages treated with FJLB had larger populations of LAB than the control. Ammonia-nitrogen production increased throughout the ensiling period, which in the control and no-sugar added FJLB silages were higher than the other treated silages. Lactic acid levels varied with the time of ensiling and among the silage treatments. For any sugar FJLB treated silages, the lactic acid increased initially, and then slightly reduced to less than 50 g/kg of dry matter until 49 days after ensiling, except the silage treated with glucose added FJLB. Nevertheless, lactic acid content of the control decreased constantly from the beginning of ensiling and was not found after 35 days. Moreover, acetic acid content increased throughout the ensiling period. All the FJLB treated silages had significantly (p<0.05) lower pH and ammonia-nitrogen content, while significantly (p<0.05) higher lactic acid content and V-score value compared with the control. This study confirmed that the applying of FJLB with any sugar substrate improved fermentative quality of silage.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.9
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• pp.1273-1278
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• 2005

This study is to evaluate the effect of different levels of ensiling density on the fermentation quality of guineagrass silages during the early stage of ensiling. Guineagrass at the milky ripe stage was chopped and ensiled into a small-scale laboratory silo at two ensiling density levels (high density at 95 g/silo and low density at 75 g/silo). Three silos per level were opened after six ensiling periods (0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3 and 7 days of ensiling) and the fermentation qualities were analyzed. Within the initial 1.5 days of ensiling there were not significant (p>0.05) differences in the fermentation qualities between two density levels silages, and an almost constant pH and no or only small amounts of lactic acid, acetic acid and total volatile fatty acids were detected. However, the high density silage significantly (p<0.05) increased the rate and extent of fermentation after 1.5 days of ensiling, which was well reflected in significantly (p<0.05) faster and larger pH decline and lactic acid production at each elapsed time as compared with the low density silage. This resulted in significantly (p<0.05) lower finial pH and significantly (p<0.05) higher lactic acid content at the end of the experiment. Moreover, there was higher AA content relative to LA in both the H-D and L-D silages during the full fermentation course, and resulted in the AA-type silage. There were generally somewhat or significantly (p<0.05) higher acetic acid, volatile fatty acids and ammonia-N/total nitrogen in the high density silage than in the low density silage during the initial 3 days of ensiling. However, there were higher (p>0.05) ammonia-N/total nitrogen and significantly (p<0.05) higher butyric acid content in the low density silage at day 7 of ensiling. The silages of two density levels showed an initial increase in glucose between 0.5 and 1 day for the high density silage and between 1 and 1.5 days for the low density silage, respectively, thereafter showed a large decrease until the end of the experiment. There were not large differences (p>0.05) in ethanol content between the low density and high density silages that showed small amounts within initial 3 days of ensiling. However, the low density silage had a significantly (p<0.05) higher ethanol content than the high density silage at the end of experiment. From the above results it was suggested that the increase in ensiling density was an effective method to improve the fermentation quality, especially for tropical grasses.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.808-813
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• 2004

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of adding glucose (G), sorbic acid (S), pre-fermented juice of epiphytic lactic acid bacteria (FJLB) and their combinations on the fermentation qualities and residual mono-and di-saccharides compositions of guineagrass silage. The additives used in this experiment were 1% glucose, 0.1% sorbic acid and FJLB at a theoretical application rate of 9.0${\times}$105 CFU $g^{-1}$ on the fresh weight basis of guineagrass, respectively. There was a total of eight treatments in this experiment: (1) C (without additives), (2) FJLB, (3) S, (4) G, (5) FJLB+S, (6) FJLB+G, (7) S+G, (8) FJLB+S+G. After 30 days of storage, the silos were opened for chemical analyses. Based on the results, all additives were efficient in improving the fermentation quality of guineagrass silage. This was well indicated by significantly (p<0.05) lower pH and BA content and significantly (p<0.05) higher LA content in the treated silages except for the FJLB than in the C. However, there was only a slight increase in LA for the FJLB as compared with the C, which might be due to the low WSC content of the original guineagrass (34.4 g $kg^{-1}$). When the FJLB+S and FJLB+G were added, there were significant (p<0.05) decreases in pH and significant (p<0.05) increases in LA as compared with the FJLB alone. This indicated that the G, S and FJLB were of synergestic effects on the silage fermentation quality. The G combination treatments including the G alone showed large improvements in the fermentation quality as compared with the treatments without the G. This suggested that adding fermentable substrates (G) to plant materials such as guineagrass, which contain low WSC, intermediate population of epiphytic LAB, CP and DM content, is more important and efficient for improving the fermentation quality of silages than adding a number of species of domestic LAB (FJLB) and aerobic bacteria inhibitor (S).

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.1727-1734
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• 2005

The fermentation characteristics and mono- and di-saccharides compositions during the early stage of ensiling were studied with a temperate grass, Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) and a tropical grass, guineagrass (Panicum maximum Jacq.). The laboratory silos were kept in the room set at 25$^{\circ}C$, and then were opened on 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 days (14 days in Italian ryegrass) after ensiling, respectively. The Italian ryegrass silage showed a fast and large pH decrease caused by a fast and large production of lactic acid during the first 5 days of ensiling and succeeded to achieve lactic acid type fermentation; high lactic acid/acetic acid and lactic acid content at the end of ensiling (14 days), low values of pH (3.74), acetic acid, ethanol and ammonia-N/total nitrogen, none or only small amounts of Butyric acid, valeric acid and propionic acid. The guineagrass silage showed a slow decrease in pH and a slow increase in lactic acid content during the full ensiling period, causing a high final pH value, low contents of lactic acid, acetic acid, total volatile fatty acids and total organic acids. In Italian ryegrass silage, mono- and di-saccharides compositions decreased largely within the initial 0.5 day (12 h) of ensiling. Sucrose disappeared rapidly within the initial 0.5 day of ensiling, but fructose and glucose contents showed an initial rise by the activity of enzymes in plant tissues, and then decreased gradually. On the other hand, the contents of monoand di-saccharides in guineagrass showed the largest decreases due mainly to plant respiration within the initial 0.5 day of ensiling, and no initial rises in fructose and glucose contents during the early stage of ensiling because of the absence of fructans which are hydrolyzed into fructose and glucose in temperate grasses. In both silages, the rate of reduction in mono- and di-saccharides compositions within the initial 5 days of ensiling was ranked in the order of glucose>fructose>sucrose, suggesting that glucose and fructose might be more favorably utilized than sucrose by microorganisms and glucose is the first fermentation substrate. It was concluded that the silage made from Italian ryegrass with high moisture content had a good fermentation quality owing to the dominance of lactic acid bacteria and active lactic acid fermentation during the initial stage of ensiling. These results can be explained by rapid plant sap liberation and the high activity of plant enzyme hydrolyzed fructans into fructose and glucose within the initial 2 days of ensiling, which stimulate the homofermentative lactic acid bacteria growth. In ensiling a temperate grass, the physical characteristics may ensure the rapid onset of fermentation phase, which results from the smaller losses of water-soluble carbohydrates during the initial stage of ensiling and providing sufficient water-soluble carbohydrates for lactic acid bacteria. The silage made from guineagrass with intermediate dry matter and high initial mono- and di-saccharides content was stable silage. This could be explained by the higher incorporation of air during the very early stage of ensiling and the restriction of cell breakdown and juice release due to the properties of a tropical grass with coarse porosity and stemmy structures. These physical characteristics delayed the onset of lactic acid bacteria fermentation phase by extending the phases of respiration and aerobic microorganisms activity, causing the higher loss of water-soluble carbohydrates and the shortage of lactic acid bacteria fermentation substrates.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.358-363
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• 2011

To investigate the effect of nitrogen fertilization on the quality of tropical grass silage, guinea grass grown with 3 types of nitrogen fertilizers, namely, urea, ammonium sulfate, and compound fertilizer 804, at 2 fertilization levels, 0.5 and 2.5 kg $Na^{-1}$ (0.5 N and 2.5 N, respectively), was subjected to silage fermentation. Silage fertilized with 0.5 N showed butyrate-dominant fermentation, irrespective of the type of fertilizer used. On the other hand, fermentation of silage fertilized with 2.5 N was significantly affected by the type of fertilizer used; fertilization with ammonium sulfate and compound fertilizer 804 resulted in silage that contained a large amount of butyrate and no lactate; this silage was considered to be of a significantly low quality as compared with silage fertilized with 0.5 N. Among silage fertilized with 2.5 N, the desirable butyrate-free fermentation was found only in urea-fertilized silage, which had the best quality. Grass material fertilized with a high level of urea accumulated a relatively high concentration of nitrate nitrogen (0.22% dry matter). Our results presented here suggest that nitrogen fertilizer management could affect the quality of tropical grass silage and that a relatively high concentration of nitrate in silage may promote butyrate-free fermentation even in tropical grass silage.