Relationships between the addition rates of cellulase or glucose and silage fermentation at different temperatures

The influence of the application rates of cellulase preparation and glucose on silage fermentation at different temperatures was studied with the straw of naked barley (Hordeum vulgare L. emand Lam) and guineagrass (Panicum maximum Jacq.). Addition rate of cellulase and glucose, temperature and their interaction had significant effects on pH value, lactic acid content, butyric acid content and propionic acid content of naked barley straw silage and significant effects on all the parameters of guineagrass silage (P < 0.01). Temperature and interaction had significant effect on acetic acid content (P < 0.05) and no significant effect on NH₃‐N content of naked barley straw silage (P > 0.05). Under all the temperatures, the pH values of barley straw and guineagrass silages were reduced by cellulase and glucose addition even at the lowest rate (P < 0.05), compared with their corresponding control. Lactic acid contents of silages were the highest within the same temperature and same additive when glucose and cellulase were added at the highest rates, whereas the effect of cellulase and glucose addition on butyric acid production varied with their application rates and silage storage temperature. The addition rate of restricting butyric acid fermentation was lower at 20°C than that at 30°C, and it was the lowest at 40°C where cellulase and glucose addition restricted butyric acid fermentation even at 0.1 g/kg and 10 g/kg, respectively, when compared to the control. While the addition rate was lower than the above level, cellulase and glucose addition also promoted butyric acid fermentation.