Feed additive SSMHS for forage bioconservation

Abstract

The productivity of farm animals depends on forage quality. Silage as succulent feed is used in cattle feeding. Silage making is based on creating optimal conditions for the development of beneficial microflora (lactic-acid and propionic bacteria) in the plant material. The use of bacterial starters in silage making will allow to change the initial composition of the natural microflora of the green plant material in favor of the beneficial microflora and to direct the microbiological process in the right direction. The research goal is to evaluate the effectiveness of the developed feed additive Specialized starter for making haylage and silage (SSMHS) in ensilaging plant material consisting of high-sugar (maize) and difficult-to-ensilage (oats, wheat) crops. The feed additive SSMHS includes a consortium of bacteria: lactic-acid bacteria (Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus) and propionic bacteria (Propionibacterium freudenreichii) from the Siberian Collection of Microorganisms. The conventional methods of microbiological, physical, and chemical analysis were used in the research. The studies of the SSMHS feed additive were conducted at the Milk and Dairy Product Microbiology Laboratory of the Federal Altai Scientific Center of Agro-Biotechnologies. During the storage of the feed additive for 30 days at a temperature of (6 ± 2)°C, the lactic-acid and propionic bacteria retained their viability and were at a level of at least 1.0 × 10⁹ CFU cm³. Silage making with the use of SSMHS was carried out on the peasant farm of N.M. Dolzhenko (Shipunovskiy District of the Altai Region). Testing of the SSMHS feed additive on the farm confirmed its effectiveness in ensilaging high-sugar and difficult-to-ensilage crops. The silage got Class 2 rating in accordance with the requirements of GOST R 55986-2022. The SSMHS feed additive may be recommended for widespread implementation.