Evaluation of microbial quitosane and inoculants as additive in reidrating corn grain silage

• Grant number: 19/03278-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2019
• End date: May 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal Investigator: Mariana Campana
• Grantee: Estéfani Capucho
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Agrárias (CCA). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). Araras , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Microbial inoculants have been used in silages to reduce fermentation losses, increase aerobic stability and improve the quality of the silage produced. Recently, it was proposed the use of chitosan on the fermentation of sugarcane silage, finding reduction in fermentative losses, improvement of chemical composition and stability. It is unknown what studies have evaluated the use of chitosan as an additive in comparison to homofermentative and heterofermentative inoculants in wet rehydrated grain silage. The present work aims to evaluate the effects of the inclusion of chitosan and homo and heterofermentative inoculants on the losses, bromatological composition, and aerobic stability of wet rehydrated corn grain silage. 40 experimental silos (20 L) will be made, in which the inclusion of control additives (CONT) will be evaluated: without the addition of additives; chitosan (QUI): with the addition of 6.0 g of chitosan/kg of DM; homofermentative inoculants (IHO): with the addition of 2 mg/kg MN of homofermentative inoculant containing Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus pentosaceus; and heterofermentative inoculant (IHE): with the addition of 2 mg/kg MN of heterofermentative inoculant, containing Lactobacillus buchneri wet rehydrated corn silage (MUR). The silos will be opened after 60 days and the gaseous, liquid and solid losses will be quantified, as well as the recovery of the dry matter and bromatological composition.