title: Corn silage management: effects of maturity, inoculation, and mechanical processing on pack density and aerobic stability.
abstract: Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of inoculation, maturity, and mechanical processing of corn silage on aerobic stability and pack density. Corn silage was stored in 20-L mini silos for the three aerobic stability experiments. Corn silage was stored in 80-L mini silos for the three pack-density experiments. The wet pack density of corn silage tended to decrease as maturity advanced in all of the pack-density experiments, and processed corn silage had a greater wet pack density compared with unprocessed corn silage in two of the three 20-L mini silo experiments. Aerobic stability, measured as the number of hours to reach 1.7 degrees C above ambient, was greater for processed corn silage in two of the three 20-L mini silo experiments, and was greater for inoculated corn silage across the three 20-L mini silo experiments. Inoculation of corn silage with lactic acid producing bacteria tended to improve aerobic stability of corn silage more than maturity and mechanical processing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Puyallup 98371, USA.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Mahanna
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shinners
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Linder
mesh_terms: D000332:Aerobiosis; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods*; D005519:Food Preservation; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000378:metabolism; D010100:Oxygen; D012820:Silage / Q000382:microbiology / Q000592:standards; D003313:Zea mays
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen