DOI - Mendel University Press

DOI identifiers

DOI: 10.11118/nutrinet2026_006

EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT MAIZE CULTIVATION SYSTEMS AND MICROBIAL INOCULATION ON THE AEROBIC STABILITY OF MAIZE SILAGE

Lucie Hronová1, Petr Doležal1, Jakub Novotný1, Michal Řiháček1, Dominika Friessová1, Šarlota-Anna Životská1, Vladimír Smutný1, Eva Mrkvicová1
1 Department of Animal Nutrition and Forage Production, Faculty of AgriSciences, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic

Freshly chopped whole-plant maize cultivated under narrow-row spacing (0.375 m) and conventional row spacing (0.75 m) was ensiled in laboratory-scale mini silos with or without a microbial inoculant containing Lactococcus lactis and Lentilactobacillus buchneri. The aim of the study was to compare the fermentation characteristics and quality parameters of silages produced under the two cultivation systems after six days of aerobic exposure. In addition, the effect of microbial inoculation on the aerobic stability of maize silage was evaluated. Silages produced from maize grown under narrow-row cultivation had a significantly lower (p < 0.05) dry matter content than silages produced under the conventional cultivation system. The untreated narrow-row silage also contained significantly less (p < 0,05), crude fibre (205.48 ± 0.59 g/kg DM) than the untreated conventional-row silage (218.46 ± 1.08 g/kg DM). In both inoculated silages, the proportion of lactic acid in total fermentation acids was significantly lower (51.59 % and 52.04 %; p < 0.05), whereas the proportion of acetic acid was significantly higher (45.90 % and 45.08 %; p < 0.05) than in the untreated controls. After six days of aerobic exposure, the untreated narrow-row silage exhibited the highest pH (5.82; p < 0.05). In contrast, silages treated with the microbial inoculant maintained a stable pH of approximately 4.0 throughout the aerobic exposure period. The untreated narrow-row silage also reached the highest temperature (38 °C), indicating intensive aerobic deterioration. Inoculation with a microbial inoculant containing L. lactis and L. buchneri significantly improved the aerobic stability of maize silage by reducing both silage heating and pH increase during aerobic exposure.

Keywords: maize silage; microbial inoculants; aerobic stability; row spacing; fermentation

pages: 53-65, online: 2026



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