The microbiological and chemical composition of silage over the course of fermentation in round bales relative to that of silage made from unchopped and precision-chopped herbage in laboratory silos

The composition of baled silage frequently differs from that of comparable conventional silage. A factorial experiment was conducted with three wilting treatments (0, 24 or 48 h) × three ensiling systems unchopped grass in bales, unchopped grass in laboratory silos (LS), precision-chopped grass in LS] × six stages of ensiling to (i) confirm that the fermentation of unchopped grass in LS could be used as an adequate model for baled silage fermentation, (ii) quantify the differences between baled silage and silage made from precision-chopped herbage across a range of dry-matter contents and (c) quantify the fermentation dynamics within the various treatments. The onset of fermentation as evidenced by the accumulation of fermentation products and the decline in pH were slower ( P  < 0·05) in baled silage compared with silage made from precision-chopped herbage. Furthermore the pH ( P  < 0·001) and overall concentration of fermentation acids ( P  < 0·01) were lower while ammonia-N concentration was generally higher in baled silage, making it more conducive to the activities of Clostridia , Enterobacteria and yeast. Numbers of Enterobacteria were higher ( P  < 0·001) in baled silage in the early stages of ensilage and persisted in baled silage at the end of the storage period. The implications of a slower onset of fermentation in baled herbage are greater in farm practice, as the fermentation would be further restricted by a more extensive wilting of the herbage prior to ensiling.