PLANT JUICES IN RELATION TO SILAGE FERMENTATION

Using ryegrass and lucerne silages, investigations were made into the relationship between plant-cell breakdown, as evidenced by a collapse of the silage mass and by an increase in its electrical conductivity, and the initiation of lactic-acid production. Changes in the water activity of the juices available as a medium for the silage bacteria were also examined. It has been shown that cell breakdown and the resultant release of the plant juices Is a necessary pre-requisite for the production of significant amounts of lactic acid during ensilage. The investigation also confirms that the complete exclusion of fresh air from the silage mass can usually be expected to result in cell breakdown within a few hours.