A study of the chemical and bacteriological changes occurring in grass silage

Abstract

Although silage Has Been Made in this country for more than 50 years, the exact nature of the chemical and bacterial changes which occur during the period of ripening is still very imperfectly understood. There are several reasons for this. (1) The chemical changes are compounded of those due to plant respiration and those brought about by bacterial growth, and since these take place to a large extent simultaneously, it is difficult to apportion the amount of the total change to each factor separately. (2) There is good reason to believe that the extent and rapidity of the changes which occur in the body of the silo are influenced by such variable factors as the external temperature, the moisture content, botanical species and age of the crop, and the season of the year when cut. (3) They are also dependent upon the method of packing at the time of ensiling, since this ensures more or less anaerobic conditions, and will therefore affect both the nature of the plant respiratory changes and the kind of bacterial flora which develops.