Microorganisms in Silage

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2025 | Viewed by 1356

Special Issue Editors

School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
Interests: fermentation; forage silage; ruminant nutrition; feed; microbial community
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Guest Editor
Production Systems, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), FI-31600 Jokioinen, Finland
Interests: biowaste; animal nutrition and feeding; milk production; ruminant nutrition; silage making; feed preservation; ruminant metabolism
College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Interests: silage fermentation; woody forage; microbial community; metabonomics; silage additives; lactic acid bacteria; plant extracts; bioactive substances; rumen fermentation
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Guest Editor
College of Horticulture, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
Interests: forage processing, storage and utilization

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Microbial activity plays a crucial role in the ensiling process, which is widely used to preserve forage crops for animal feed. Silage production involves the fermentation of plant material by lactic acid bacteria and other microbial species under anaerobic conditions. This fermentation process results in a decrease in pH, thus inhibiting the growth of spoilage microorganisms and preserving the nutritional quality of silage. Additionally, microbial interactions within the silage ecosystem influence fermentation efficiency and their extent, hygienic quality, and animal performance upon feed consumption. Understanding the dynamics of microbial populations and communities in silage is essential to optimize silage production, improve hygienic quality, and mitigate the potential risks associated with microbial contamination.

This Special Issue aims to explore various aspects of microbial ecology, physiology, and biotechnology in the silage ecosystem. Original research articles, short communications, and reviews are welcome, and areas of interest may include but are not limited to the following:

  • The diversity and dynamics of microbial populations and communities in silage.
  • Functional roles of lactic acid bacteria and other microorganisms in silage fermentation.
  • The influence of environmental factors on microbial activity and silage quality.
  • Biotechnological approaches to improve silage fermentation and feed preservation.
  • The impact of microbial interactions on silage stability, their nutritious value, and animal health.
  • Strategies for monitoring and controlling microbial contamination in silage production.

Dr. Musen Wang
Dr. Marcia De Oliveira Franco
Dr. Qing Zhang
Dr. Siran Wang
Dr. Chunsheng Bai
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • ensiling
  • microbial community
  • microbial contamination
  • functional lactic acid bacteria
  • fermented feed

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 3411 KiB  
Article
Effects of Selenium Application on Fermentation Quality, Chemical Composition, and Bacterial Community of Hybrid Pennisetum Silage
by Xinzhu Chen, Shuiling Qiu, Liang Huang, Yanie Yang, Xiaoyun Huang, Xiusheng Huang and Deqing Feng
Microorganisms 2024, 12(11), 2144; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12112144 - 25 Oct 2024
Viewed by 394
Abstract
The primary objective of this study is to facilitate the conversion of inorganic selenium (Se) into organic Se within plants via assimilation, subsequently feeding it to livestock and poultry to enhance healthy animal production and yield Se-enriched livestock and poultry products. Therefore, it [...] Read more.
The primary objective of this study is to facilitate the conversion of inorganic selenium (Se) into organic Se within plants via assimilation, subsequently feeding it to livestock and poultry to enhance healthy animal production and yield Se-enriched livestock and poultry products. Therefore, it is imperative to first investigate the impact of varying Se doses on the agronomic traits of plants as well as their forage storage and processing. This experiment investigated the effect of Se fertilizer application on the fermentation quality, chemical composition, and bacterial community of Pennisetum americanum × Pennisetum purpureum cv Minmu 7 (HPM7). There were nine Se fertilizer dissolution levels of HPM7 treated, which were 0 mg/kg (Se0), 0.50 mg/kg (Se1), 1.00 mg/kg (Se2), 2.00 mg/kg (Se3), 5.00 mg/kg (Se4), 10.00 mg/kg (Se5), 20.00 mg/kg (Se6), 30.00 mg/kg (Se7), 40.00 mg/kg (Se8), and 50.00 mg/kg (Se9). The results showed that after silage, the water-soluble carbohydrates of Se1, Se2, and Se3 were lower than Se0, and the pH of Se3, Se4, and Se6 were lower than the Se0. The number of OTUs in the nine groups was sequentially Se1 > Se2 > Se3 > Se8 > Se6 > Se5 > Se7 > Se4 > Se0. The dominant bacterial phyla in silage samples were Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. Compared with Se0, Bacterial Shannon index in Se1 and Se2 were higher, while Chao1 and ACE indices of Se1, Se2, Se3, Se5, and Se6 were higher. A beta diversity analysis indicated that the Se1 exhibited the highest number of significant biomarkers. Escherichia coli between Se0 and Se3 and Clostridium sardiniense and Clostridium perfringens between Se0 and Se1 exhibited significant differences at a species level. The most abundant pathways for metabolism were membrane transport, carbohydrate metabolism, translation, replication, repair, and amino acid metabolism. The correlation analysis indicated that the dry matter content was negatively correlated with Bacillus (p < 0.01), Lactobacillus (p < 0.05), Pediococcus (p < 0.05), and Hirschia (p < 0.05); the contents of neutral detergent fiber and hemi-cellulose were positively correlated with Lactobacillus (p < 0.05, p < 0.01). The protein content was negatively correlated with proteus (p < 0.05). This study demonstrated that the application of Se fertilizer could enhance the Se content in HPM7. The optimal fertilization concentration was found to range from 0.50 to 2.00 mg/kg, which facilitates the metabolism of soluble carbohydrates and enhances both the fermentation quality and microbial relative abundance of HPM7 silage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microorganisms in Silage)
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15 pages, 2981 KiB  
Article
Impact of Additives and Packing Density on Fermentation Weight Loss, Microbial Diversity, and Fermentation Quality of Rape Straw Silage
by Baozhu Yang, Na Na, Nier Wu, Lin Sun, Ziqin Li, Moge Qili, Hongyan Han and Yelin Xue
Microorganisms 2024, 12(10), 1985; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12101985 - 30 Sep 2024
Viewed by 446
Abstract
To investigate the effects of the combined addition of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and sucrose on the fermentation weight loss (FWL), fermentation quality, and microbial community structure of ensiled rape straw under varying packing density conditions. After harvesting, the rapeseed straw was collected, cut into [...] Read more.
To investigate the effects of the combined addition of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and sucrose on the fermentation weight loss (FWL), fermentation quality, and microbial community structure of ensiled rape straw under varying packing density conditions. After harvesting, the rapeseed straw was collected, cut into 1–2 cm pieces, and sprayed with sterile water to adjust the moisture content to 60%. The straw was then divided into two groups: one treated with additives (1 × 105 CFU/g fresh material of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and 10 kg/t fresh material of sucrose), and the other sprayed with an equivalent amount of sterile water as the control (CK). The treated materials were thoroughly mixed and packed into silos at densities of 450, 500, and 550 kg/m3. FWL was recorded on days 1, 3, 6, 15, 20, and 45 of fermentation. On day 45, the samples were analyzed for fermentation quality, microbial counts, and microbial diversity. FWL increased significantly (p < 0.05) in both the treated (LS) and control groups during fermentation. The LS group showed higher lactic acid (LA) levels (p < 0.05) and lower ammonia nitrogen levels (p < 0.05) compared to CK. The CK group had significantly higher (p < 0.05) counts of Coliforms and lower bacterial counts (p < 0.05) than LS. The dominant genera in the silage were Xanthomonas, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, and Lentilactobacillus. In the LS group, the relative abundances of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Lentilactobacillus ranged from 16.93% to 20.43% and 15.63% to 27.46%, respectively, with their combined abundance being higher than in CK. At a packing density of 500 kg/m3, the relative abundances of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Lentilactobacillus in the LS group were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than in CK. Increasing packing density and applying additives to rape straw silage effectively reduced FWL, improved fermentation quality, boosted the relative abundance of beneficial lactic acid bacteria, and decreased the presence of undesirable bacteria such as Enterobacter and Bacillus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microorganisms in Silage)
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