Tom Rehberger, PhD

Since the late 1970's the commercialization of silage inoculants has created widespread hope of improving silage quality and the preservation of feeds. Ultimately, this allowed better control of the ensiling process, reducing spoilage and improving the overall diet for dairy cattle.

The first commercial silage inoculants were often composed of lactic acid bacteria used as starter cultures for cheese production. Since these products were not specifically developed for silage and their potency often suspect, the results were often variable. In the decade that followed, substantial improvements in silage inoculants have been achieved through dedicated research in silage microbiology.

The focus of much of this early research was to improve the fermentation phase of the ensiling process. Inoculants became more consistent, performance improved and more producers began to routinely use inoculants. At the same time, the idea that one product could successfully treat all crops was the standard in the inoculant industry. However, in the early 1990's, the research focus turned to improving bunk life which resulted in a new generation of improved inoculants. Today, inoculants developed for the utilization of specific sugars for each crop are the industry standard and what ANC strives to achieve with Pro-Store.

Recent plant varieties and crop processing techniques have impacted the availability of plant nutrients offering new challenges for maintaining the quality of silage. These changes in available nutrients have changed the technology necessary for optimal silage fermentation. The ultimate goal of a silage inoculant is to speed up and control the fermentation process. The beneficial bacteria in inoculants produce more lactic acid, helping to lower pH, stop plant respiration and retard spoilage organisms. By controlling the fermentation process, more favorable organic acids are produced and silage bunk life is extended. Be aware that forage digestibility is even more important than bunk life!

Traditional microbiological methods are a wonderful tool for studying the interactions of the microbial populations as they relate to pH levels and acidity. Unfortunately, we cannot use these techniques to predict the microbial populations and how they will effect the quality of silage. Through standard techniques, we can only detect about 0.1-1.0% of the total bacterial populations in silage at a given point in time. If quality is the focus, then application of current molecular DNA techniques will improve the ability to create premium quality silage.

The use of molecular techniques to improve silage inoculants has become the focus of the silage research program at Agtech Products, Inc. Molecular techniques which do not depend on microbial culturing can give a more detailed overview of what is actually happening during the ensiling process and help identify what types of bacterial strains play a role in quality silage. This will also help in understanding how these bacterial strains interact with one another during and after fermentation.

Quality silage preservation is becoming increasingly important for efficient dairy production. Traditional methods alone can no longer be the standard in predicting the natural bacterial populations and how they will affect silage quality. Through this understanding we are developing the next generation of silage inoculants which will enhance the ensiling process. ANC Pro-Store inoculant products can help increase your profitability and allow producers to make good silage even better. Talk to your ANC consultant soon if you haven't already ordered your inoculant for the coming season!