Effects of Bacterial Inoculants and Cutting Height on Fermentation Quality of Barley Silage

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of bacterial inoculation (Lactobacillus plantarum) and cutting height on thechemical composition, fermentation characteristics and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) in whole crop barley silage. Barley forage (Youngyang hybrid) was harvested at about 27% of dry matter (DM) level at two different cutting height (5 vs. 15cm). And it was chopped to 5 cm length and treated with or without L. plantarum. Four replicates of each treatment were ensiledinto 10 L mini silo (3 kg) for 100 days. After 100 days, bacterial inoculation decreased (p=0.001) DM content, while increasedcutting height increased (p=0.002) DM in uninoculated silage. Crude protein (CP) concentration was decreased by increasing heightin uninoculated silage (8.84 vs. 8.16) but increased in inoculated silage (8.19 vs. 8.99). Both neutral detergent fiber (NDF) (p<0.011)and acid detergent fiber (ADF) (p<0.004) were decreased by increasing cutting height of forage at harvest. The IVDMD andammonia-N was increased (p=0.001) by increasing cutting height and inoculation, respectively. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) was increased(p=0.002) in inoculated silage, but yeast count was decreased (p=0.026) in uninoculated silages. It is concluded that increasedcutting height of forage at harvest could be useful to make a fibrous portion with increase of dry matter digestibility of silages.