PLANT JUICES IN RELATION TO SILAGE FERMENTATION

The release of the plant-cell juices is a prerequisite for a lactic-acid fermentation in silage. Investigations with plant material at different moisture contents have indicated that above about 2 g water per g dry matter sufficient juice is released from properly ensiled material to permit the onset of fermentation; below this moisture content lactic-acid production is delayed, if not prevented.
When material of suitable moisture content is ensiled at a temperature of 25°C, the onset of fermentation is somewhat slower than at 40°C. However, within these limits, the temperature is not critical, provided that the silage is completely sealed to exclude air. The infiltration of even small amounts of fresh air delays the release of the juices and, especially at the lower temperatures, often results in an undesirable fermentation.
A number of miscellaneous treatments, designed to hasten the release of the juices, failed to show any advantages in small-scale tests.