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The effects of ensiling whole crop maize with a multi‐enzyme preparation on the chemical composition of the resulting silages
Author(s) -
Spoelstra Sierk F.,
Van Wikselaar Piet G.,
Harder Bram
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.2740600210
Subject(s) - silage , lactic acid , food science , amylase , fermentation , chemistry , starch , yeast , enzyme assay , enzyme , acetic acid , bacteria , agronomy , biochemistry , biology , genetics
An enzyme preparation containing cellulolytic, hemicellulolytic and amylolytic activities was added to whole crop maize before ensiling in laboratory or pilot‐scale silos. In the enzyme‐treated silages, 5–28% of the cell wall components were degraded. The reduction in starch contents relative to the control, ranged from 40 to 75%. Higher enzyme dosages and longer incubation periods increased the degradation. The enzyme‐treated silages contained high concentrations of ethanol (2–3 mol kg –1 DM) and higher yeast counts. Counts of enterobacteria and lactic acid bacteria did not differ. Levels of lactic acid were increased in the enzyme‐treated silages while acetic acid concentrations were similar. The starch in maize silage was degraded relatively easily by the amylase activity present in the enzyme preparation in comparison to the degradation of cell wall constituents. The liberated sugars were fermented to ethanol by yeasts. Probably the increased yeast count explains the observed lower aerobic stability of the enzyme‐treated silages.