Impact of corn shredlage and crabtree-negative yeast on silage quality and rumen fermentation characteristics

Abstract

Abstract The physical attributes of corn silage are enhanced by shredlage (SHR), while there is a rising interest in boosting its biological performance. This study aimed to assess and compare the impact of both the chopping method and different yeast strains on ensilage quality including the in vitro evaluation of corn silage. Both types of corn, including chopped and shredded, were harvested on the same day from the same field where the same corn hybrid (Suwan 5) was grown. Subsequently, whole-corn plants were fermented with additives. A 2 × 5 Factorial completely randomized design was employed, where factor A represents corn chopped (CON) and corn shredded (SHR), and factor B represents the additives: no additives, molasses + urea (M + U), M + U + Candida tropicalis KKU20, M + U + Pichia kudriavzevii KKU20, and M + U + saccharomyces cerevisiae. The results demonstrated that SHR fermentation with M + U and yeast significantly increased in vitro dry matter degradability (IVDMD) and organic matter degradability (IVOMD). Specifically, at 4 h post-incubation, the addition of Crabtree-negative yeast led to a 5.8% increase in total volatile fatty acids (TVFA) compared to the Crabtree-positive yeast group (P < 0.01). The C2 (acetic acid) + C4 (normal butyric acid and isobutyric acid): C3 (propionic acid) ratio showed a significant decrease without additives, but P. kudriavzevii KKU20 led to the highest ratio and methane production (P < 0.01). Based on this study, it could be concluded that SHR harvesting led to higher digestion efficiency in the rumen. The use of M + U + yeast also demonstrated uncertain effects on rumen fermentation efficiency, and the inclusion of P. kudriazevii KKU20 may potentially reduce rumen fermentation efficiency when used with corn silage.

Keywords

• Corn shredlage
• Crabtree yeast
• Nutritive value
• Rumen fermentation
• In vitro degradation