Fermentation conditions for silage fermented material

Silage is a kind of feed, which is made of plant feed with high moisture content after sealing and fermenting, and is mainly used to feed ruminants. Silage is more resistant to storage than fresh feed, and its nutritional content is stronger than dry feed. Since the silage is completed by the process of pressing the cellar, any problem in the process may lead to the failure of the silage fermentation, so the silage fermentation must meet the following conditions:
1. There must be a suitable temperature environment
After the silage is put into the cellar, the plant is still breathing, the carbohydrates are oxidized to generate carbon dioxide and water, and heat is released at the same time, and as time goes by, the temperature in the cellar continues to rise. The most suitable temperature in the cellar for silage is 30 degree is appropriate. However, if the pressure is not firm or tight, and the cap is not tight, the cells will continue to breathe, the silage will heat up, and at the same time, the mold will multiply, and the temperature will rise to 60 degrees, which will cause the silage to deteriorate. So the key to this is to be tightly sealed and compacted.
2. The silage cellar must be tightly sealed and compacted
Silage raw materials must be chopped (*not exceeding one centimeter, except for baled silage of whole plant corn stalks), because fine crushing can facilitate compaction, otherwise it will cause too much air, which will prolong respiration, consume sugar, and form high temperature Fermentation produces more butyric acid, which affects the quality and increases the pH value, leading to the production of mold and ammonium, resulting in the failure of silage.

3. Lactic acid accumulation process

Lactic acid bacteria rapidly multiplied and became the dominant flora in silage, which converted soluble sugar into a large amount of lactic acid and a small amount of acetic acid, which caused the pH value to drop. As the pH value drops, most harmful bacteria are inhibited, leaving only lactic acid bacteria to continue to grow. As the lactic acid continued to accumulate, when the pH value of the silage decreased to about 3.8 and the lactic acid content reached 15%-20% of the fresh weight of the silage, the lactic acid bacteria gradually stopped growing and entered a relatively stable period.

4. The moisture content of the silage should be appropriate

It is generally believed that the suitable water for the reproduction of lactic acid bacteria is 60--75%. If there is too much water, the sugar will be diluted and the fermentation will be prolonged. Moreover, the juice of silage raw materials is easily squeezed out, causing nutrients to leak out and be lost. If there is too little moisture, it will not be easy to compact, and the air in the cellar will be difficult to discharge, resulting in the corruption and mildew of the silage. The water content of silage can be measured by hand extrusion method. If the water drips from the gap between the water fingers, the water content is 75--85%; if the loose hand is still in the shape of a ball, and there is no wet mark on the hand, the water content is 68--75%. ; After letting go, the spherical shape slowly expands, and its water content is 60--67%.