Investigating the efficacy of an exopolysaccharide (EPS)‐producing strain Lactiplantibacillus plantarum L75 on oat silage fermentation at different temperatures

Abstract

Abstract This study investigates the effectiveness of an exopolysaccharide (EPS)‐producing strain (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum L75) alone or in combination with Saccharomyces cerevisiae on the fermentation characteristics, antioxidant capacities and microbial community successions of oat silage stored at various temperatures. A rapid decrease in pH and lactic acid accumulation was observed in silages treated with L. plantarum and S. cerevisiae (LS) as early as 3 days of ensiling (p < 0.05). Over the ensiling period of 7–60 days, L. plantarum (L)‐inoculated groups showed the lowest pH, lowest ammonia nitrogen and the highest amount of lactic acid regardless of the storage temperatures. When the oat silage was stored at 15°C, LS‐inoculated group exhibited a higher superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity than control and L‐inoculated group. Furthermore, the proportion of Lactiplantibacillus in the combined inoculation group increased by 65.42% compared to the L‐inoculated group (33.26%). Fungal community data revealed abundant Penicillium carneum in the control and L‐inoculated groups stored at 15°C. Conclusively, these results showed that combined inoculation of L. plantarum L75 and S. cerevisiae improved the fermentation quality of oat silage at 15°C, thus proposing a technique for enhancing the fermentation quality of silage in regions with low temperatures during harvest season.