Effect of Inoculants on the Ensiling of Corn Stover

Four different varieties of corn stover were harvested and ensiled over a range of drymatter (DM) contents from approximately 30 to 60% DM with and without the use of lactic acidbacterial inoculants. Stovers ensiled as harvested (45 to 58% DM) ensiled well with no additive.Similarly stovers rehydrated to 40% DM ensiled well and were stable over 90 d. Stovers rehydratedto 30% DM initially ensiled well (21 d) but experienced secondary fermentations by 90 d. It appearsthat ensiling stover at 30% DM may result in occasional clostridial activity that could reduce therecovery and quality of the stover for downstream uses. All three inoculants tested were successfulin affecting ensiled stover quality in all trials even when the inoculant application rates were less than1% of the natural lactic acid bacterial population. The homofermentative inoculant shiftedfermentation to lactic acid, and reduced pH relative to the untreated control particularly in stoversabove 45% DM. The two inoculants with L. buchneri shifted fermentation toward acetic acid and 1,2-propanediol. These two inoculants would help to guarantee the stability of stover in transit betweenthe farm and bioprocessing plant.