Microbial status, aerobic stability and fermentation of maize silage sealed with an oxygen barrier film or standard polyethylene film

Authors

• Szilvia Orosz Szent István University Department of Nutrition Gödöllő 2100 Páter Károly 1 Hungary
• John Michael Wilkinson School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, LE12 5RD, UK
• Simon Wigley Bruno Rimini Ltd., 309 Ballards Lane, London N12 8NP, UK
• Zsolt Bíró Szent István University, Institute of Wildlife Conservation, H-2100 Gödöllő, POB 3, Hungary
• Judit Galló Szent István University, Institute of Wildlife Conservation, H-2100 Gödöllő, POB 3, Hungary

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23986/afsci.6705

Keywords:

maize silage, oxygen barrier film, fermentation, moulds, aerobic stability

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to compare a bunker silo sealing system comprising an oxygen barrier film (OB: 45μm thickness) with protective woven polypropylene with one comprising standard black polyethylene film (S; 125μm thickness) with protective tyres. Analysis of samples taken to 30 cm depth after 365 days of storage showed no differences in pH or lactic acid between the two sealing systems. There were no differences in aerobic bacterial count between silages. Whilst 2.56 log₁₀ CFU moulds g^-1 fresh weight were found in samples of silage sealed with S, no moulds were found in samples of silage sealed with OB. Aerobic stability, averaged 249 hours and 184 hours for OB and S, respectively. The OB system probably inhibited the development of the micro-organisms responsible for the initiation of aerobic deterioration to a greater extent than the standard silo sealing system.