Effects of Ensiling <i>Oxytropis glabra</i> with Whole-Plant Corn at Different Proportions on Fermentation Quality, Alkaloid Swainsonine Content, and Lactic Acid Bacteria Populations

• Main Authors: Ya Tao, Dongze Niu, Feng Li, Sasa Zuo, Qizhong Sun, Chuncheng Xu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-09-01
• Series: Animals
• Subjects: innovative forage; microorganism; silage quality; swainsonine detoxification; <i>Zea mays</i> L.
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/10/1733

<i>Oxytropis glabra</i> (OG) is a leguminous forage that is potentially valuable for solving the shortage of feed for livestock production, while, in large quantities, it may be toxic because of its swainsonine (SW) content. In this study, OG was ensiled with whole-plant corn (<i>Zea mays</i> L.) at 10:0, 9:1, 8:2, 7:3, 6:4, 5:5, 4:6, and 0:10 ratios on a fresh matter basis, and, after 60 d of ensiling, the chemical composition, fermentation characteristic, SW removal rate, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) populations, and their capabilities for SW removal were analyzed. As the proportion of corn in the silage increased, the pH, as well as the propionic acid, ammonia-N, dry matter, crude protein, and SW contents, decreased linearly, while the lactic acid, neutral detergent fiber, and residual water-soluble carbohydrate contents increased linearly. <i>Lactobacillus plantarum</i> was the most common microorganism present in all mixture silages. <i>Lactobacillus amylovorus</i> and <i>Lactobacillus</i><i>brevis</i> were prevalent at lower ratios of corn to OG. Meanwhile, the LAB strains belong to <i>L. amylovorus</i> and <i>L. plantarum</i> had a higher SW removal rate. Our results suggested that ensiling OG with whole-plant corn improves fermentation and decreases SW content, and that 5:5 is the optimal ratio, so this type of mixed silage could make OG useable for ruminant production.