Effect of particle size and inoculation of homofermentative and heterofermentative bacteria in high moisture corn forage on the silage quality

This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of corn silage particle size, homofermentative and heterofermentative fermenting bacteria inoculation on chemical compounds, sensory evaluation, aerobic stability, and gas production on days 30, 45, 60, and 90 after silage preparation. The corn forage was harvested in coarse and fine sizes (16 and 8 mm, respectively), and the silage was prepared in nylon bags with a size of 90×45 cm (4050 cm2). During the preparation of the silage, bacterial inoculation was added to 50 percent of coarse and fine corn forage. Silages were sampled at 30, 45, 60, and 90 days after the preparation of silage. On the 90th day after silage preparation, the score of total sensory evaluation of silages was higher in inoculated silage (p < /em><0.05). On the 45th and 60th days after silage preparation, pH was the highest in fine silage (3.77 and 3.80, respectively) (p < /em><0.05). The crude protein content of silage was higher in fine silage only on day 90. The percentage of the neutral detergent fiber was the highest in coarse and non-inoculated silages on day 30 after the preparation of silage (p < /em><0.05). Aerobic stability was higher in coarse and inoculated silages on day 45 (p < /em><0.05). The gas production potential (A+B) in fine silages was the greatest on day 90 after the preparation of silage. The results of the experiment showed that the effect of particle size on the quality of silage was greater than bacterial inoculation, but inoculation of bacteria increased the aerobic stability of silages.