Study on the Relationship between Fermentation-Accumulated Temperature and Nutrient Loss of Whole-Plant Corn Silage
by
,
Donghai Wang
1, 
Chenglong Luo
1,
Chen Li
1,
Shu Zhang
1,
Na Lu
2,
Zhuomeng Yang
3,
Xiong Yu
1,
Zhijun Cao
2,
Hongjian Yang
2,
Shengli Li
2,
Wei Shao
1,* and
Wei Wang
2,* 1
College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China
2
College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
3
Beijing HDR Trading Co., Ltd., Beijing 100071, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Agronomy 2022, 12(11), 2752; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12112752
Submission received: 20 September 2022
/
Revised: 21 October 2022
/
Accepted: 3 November 2022
/
Published: 5 November 2022
Abstract
:The nutrition loss of silage is partly due to the heat production of silage. In this study, the amount of nutrition loss of silage was estimated by measuring the heat production of silage, and the concept of the accumulated temperature of fermentation was put forward. The laboratory measured the fermentation-accumulated temperature of whole-plant corn silage with different compaction densities. The samples were analyzed to establish a multiple linear regression model with nutrition loss. The results demonstrated a significant non-linear relationship between the whole-plant corn silage compaction density and fermentation-accumulated temperature. The multiple linear regression model between the accumulated-fermentation temperature and nutrition loss was significant under different densities. The amount of silage nutrition loss can be predicted by the fermentation-accumulated temperature.
1. Introduction
Compaction density is the key to controlling silage quality in making whole-plant corn silage. The higher the compaction density, the less oxygen content in the space between silages, and the better to prevent the infiltration of external oxygen [1]. Increasing the compaction density can reduce the area of the whole-plant corn silage exposed to oxygen. It is easier to form an excellent acidic environment in silage [2], prevent silage from spoilage, and effectively improve the fermentation quality of silage [3]. The premise of making high-quality silage is to quickly remove oxygen from the silage raw materials, inhibit the activity of aerobic bacteria, and make the silage in a highly compact state [4]. The purpose of increasing the compaction density of silage is to reduce air content and prevent air penetration. Some studies have demonstrated that silage’s compaction density can affect silage’s aerobic stability [5]. The compaction density of whole-plant corn silage is significant for silage fermentation. In the early stage of whole-plant corn silage fermentation, the external oxygen permeation determines the heat production of the aerobic fermentation of whole-plant corn silage. The different compaction density directly leads to the heat production time of silage fermentation. The lower the compaction density is, the higher the oxygen content in silage is; thus, the aerobic bacteria produce more harmful substances and cause more nutrition loss. Therefore, it is crucial to control the compaction density of silage to improve its quality of silage.
The production process of whole-plant corn silage is divided into four stages. The aerobic respiration time of the first stage significantly influences the quality of whole-plant corn silage. During this period, aerobic microorganisms consume sugars and organic acids in corn silage to produce heat, resulting in the loss of nutrients in corn silage. The heating phenomenon in the process of silage production is expected. In the well-managed silage pits, the silage temperature increases by 12 °C, and the ambient temperature of silage corn in the tropics is even as high as 40 °C, especially crops silage in a temperate climate in the summer. In the process of making silage, the respiration of silage materials did not stop. The leading cause of heat production in the silo is plants’ respiration, and aerobic microorganisms’ respiration also plays a role.
From the beginning of fermentation to the sound stage, the whole-plant corn silage consumes nutrients and produces heat through aerobic respiration. On this basis, combined with the accumulated temperature of crop growth, the concept of the accumulated temperature of fermentation was put forward. The accumulated temperature of fermentation refers to the sum of the temperature produced by the whole-plant corn silage when the whole-plant corn silage completes the fermentation and converts the consumed energy into heat energy. The specific time is the sum of the average temperature in the pit every day from the day of sealing the pit to 70 days, calculated in °C.
This experiment aimed to study the effect of fermentation-accumulated temperature on the quality of whole-plant corn silage under different compaction densities.
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Ensiling Conditions
The whole corn was chopped to 1~2 cm and filled with a foam box for simulated fermentation. The foam box length was 37 cm, wide 27 cm, high 18 cm, wall thickness 3.5 cm, and with a volume 7.2 L. The nutritional components of whole-plant corn silage are shown in Table 1. The foam box can prevent the heat generated by silage fermentation from heat exchange at ambient temperature and effectively record the silage fermentation temperature. The 12 RC-4 temperature recorders (with a probe with 1 m wire) were used to monitor the temperature in the foam box. The thermometer probe is placed in the middle of the whole silage box, and the silage tank temperature is recorded once an hour. The filling density of whole-plant corn silage was designed as four gradients, 300, 450, 600 and 700 kg/m3, respectively, with three repeats in each group. The ambient temperature was controlled at 25 °C, and the sample was taken out after 70 days of storage. A total of 300 kg/m3 is the silage density in the loose state, and 700 kg/m3 is the maximum compaction density in the foam box.
2.2. Chemical Composition and Fermentation Profile Detection
The dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), acidic detergent insoluble proteins (ADICP), neutral detergent insoluble proteins (NDICP), crude fiber (CF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), Lignin, Ash, and Fat were analyzed according to Zhang [6]; the water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) was measured using the anthrone method described by Murphy [7]; the starch were measured using the method described by Huang [8]; the lactic acid (LA), acetic acid (AA), and butyric acid (BA) was measured by using liquid chromatography, according to Yuan [9]. A total of 20 g of silage was blended with 180 mL of deionized water and stored at 4 °C for 24 h, after which the silage juice was filtered through 4 layers of cheesecloth for the detection of fermentation characteristics. The pH value of the silage juice was measured with a pH meter.
2.3. Statistical Analysis
Excel is used to sort out the data, SAS is used to analyze the test data of each treatment group, the Duncan method is used to compare the differences between different treatments, origin2019 is used to draw, and the data are fitted and analyzed at the same time.
3. Results
3.1. Comparison of Fermentation Temperature of Whole-Plant Corn Silage under Different Compaction Density
The fermentation temperature of whole-plant corn silage under different compaction densities was monitored. The results are demonstrated in Figure 1. During the whole fermentation period, the compaction density is the lowest at the initial temperature of 700 kg/m3 silage and the highest at the initial temperature of 300 kg/m3 silage during the whole fermentation period. After a brief decrease in temperature, the fermentation temperature of each density silage reached the highest point, 700 kg/m3 silage reached the peak temperature first, and 300 kg/m3 silage reached the peak temperature last; in the later stage of fermentation, the fermentation temperature of 300 kg/m3 silage was higher than that of the other three groups, the fermentation temperature of 450 kg/m3 silage was higher than that of 600 kg/m3 silage, and the fermentation temperature of 700 kg/m3 silage was the lowest.
3.2. Changes in Fermentation Accumulated Temperature of Whole-Plant Corn Silage under Different Compaction Densities
The fermentation temperature of whole-plant corn silage under different compaction densities was monitored. The results in Figure 2 demonstrated that during the whole fermentation period, the fermentation accumulated temperature of 300 kg/m3 silage was the highest, reaching 1569 °C; the fermentation accumulated temperature of 450 kg/m3 silage was 1510 °C; that of 600 kg/m3 silage was 1485 °C; and that of 700 kg/m3 silage was the lowest, which was 1474 °C. With the increase in silage compaction density, the fermentation accumulated temperature decreased. The ExpDec1 model was used to fit the corn silage compaction density and fermentation-accumulated temperature, and there was a significant non-linear relationship between them (1).
In the formula, Y is the accumulated fermentation temperature of whole-plant corn silage (°C), and X is the compaction density of whole-plant corn silage (kg/m3).
3.3. Correlation Analysis of Various Indexes of Whole-Plant Corn Silage
The correlation among the whole-plant corn silage indexes was analyzed (Table 2); it shows that DM has a significant positive correlation with Fat and Starch; CP has a significant negative correlation with ADICP, Starch, and BA and a significant positive correlation with LA; ADICP has a significant positive correlation with NDICP, CF, ADF, NDF, Ash, BA, and LA; NDICP has a significant positive correlation with CF, ADF, NDF, Ash and BA. CF had a significant positive correlation with ADF, NDF, Ash, Lignin, and pH; ADF had a significant positive correlation with NDF; NDF had a significant positive correlation with Ash; Fat and LA had a significant negative correlation; LA and BA had a significant negative correlation. The correlation coefficient between NDF and Starch pH is −0.544 and 0.514, showing moderate correlation; the Lignin and Ash, Fat pH are a moderate correlation; and the correlation coefficient between Fat and WSC is 0.545, showing moderate correlation. Starch was moderately correlated with AA and pH.
3.4. Comparison of Nutritional Components of Whole-Plant Corn Silage under Different Compaction Density
The nutritional quality of whole-plant corn silage before and after silage under different compaction densities was compared. There was a significant difference in DM content after silage. The results are shown in Table 3. During the whole experiment, under different compaction densities, compared with fresh samples, the DM concentration of whole-plant corn silage decreased significantly, and the DM content decreased by 10.44%, 8.89%, 9.13%, and 8.31%, respectively. However, there was no significant difference among the four groups with different compaction densities (p > 0.05), and the amount of CP in whole-plant corn silage changed significantly under different compaction densities. The content of CP in the 300 kg/m3 silage group and 700 kg/m3 silage group increased by 7.83% and 8.19%, respectively, and the difference was significant. ADICP in the 300, 450 and 600 kg/m3 silage group increased by 26.32%, 45.61% and 22.81%, respectively, and the NDICP content in 700 kg/m3 silage group decreased by 34.31%. The ADF content in 300, 450 and 600 kg/m3 silage groups increased by 27.48%, 18.82% and 20.55%, respectively, and the NDF content in 300, 450 and 600kg/m3 silage groups increased by 27.92%, 20.87% and 20.48%, respectively. Fat content in four groups with different compaction densities increased by 20.21%, 10.94%, 16.67% and 26.95%, respectively, and the content of Starch in the 300kg/m3 silage group decreased by 21.55%. Compared with fresh samples, the WSC of four groups with different compaction densities decreased by 89.71%, 89.80%, 93.39% and 87.84 respectively, and the difference was significant (p < 0.05).
3.5. Comparison of Fermentation Quality of Whole-Plant Corn Silage under Different Compaction Density
The fermentation quality of whole-plant corn silage under different compaction densities was compared. The results are shown in Table 4. During the experiment, compared with fresh samples, the contents of LA, AA, BA, and pH in four groups with different compaction densities were significantly lower than those in fresh samples. The LA content in the 700 kg/m3 silage group was the highest. The AA content of the 600 kg/m3 silage group was the highest, the BA content of the 450 kg/m3 silage group was the highest, and the pH value of the 600 kg/m3 silage group was the lowest.
3.6. Correlation between Fermentation Accumulated Temperature and Nutritional Quality of Whole-Plant Corn Silage with Different Compaction Density
The correlation between accumulated-fermentation temperature and corn silage’s nutritional quality under different densities is shown in Table 5. Under different compaction densities, the accumulated-fermentation temperature and nutritional indexes of whole-plant corn silage did not reach a significant level. When the compaction density of whole-plant corn silage was 300 kg/m3, the correlation coefficient between the fermentation accumulated temperature and ADICP was 0.866, and the correlation coefficient between the fermentation-accumulated temperature and DM, CF, ADF, NDF, Lignin, Ash and WSC, was higher than 0.5. When the compaction density was 450 kg/m3, the correlation coefficient between the fermentation-accumulated temperature and DM, CF, ADF, NDF, Lignin, Ash and WSC was higher than 0.5, showing a moderate correlation. When the compaction density was 600 kg/m3 and 700 kg/m3, the correlation coefficient between the fermentation-accumulated temperature and CP was 0.910, which showed a high correlation. The correlation coefficient between fermentation-accumulated temperature and ADICP, Ash was higher than 0.5, showing a moderate correlation.
3.7. Correlation between Fermentation-Accumulated Temperature and Fermentation Quality of Whole-Plant Corn Silage with Different Compaction Density
The correlation between fermentation-accumulated temperature and fermentation quality of corn silage under different compaction densities is shown in Table 6. Under different compaction densities, whole-plant corn silage’s fermentation-accumulated temperature and fermentation indexes did not reach a significant level. When the compaction density of whole-plant corn silage was 300 kg/m3 and 450 kg/m3, the correlation coefficient between fermentation-accumulated temperature and AA was higher than 0.5. When the compaction density was 600 kg/m3 and 700 kg/m3, the correlation coefficient between fermentation-accumulated temperature and AA was higher than 0.5, showing a moderate correlation, and that with BA was higher than 0.8, showing a high correlation.
3.8. Multiple Linear Regression Analysis of the Relationship between Accumulated Temperature, Compaction Density, Nutrition, and Fermentation Loss
The accumulated temperature of fermentation (Y), compaction density (X1) and loss of each index (X2) was analyzed by multiple linear regression (Table 7). The results demonstrated that the multiple linear regression model R2 between the fermentation-accumulated temperature and nutrition and fermentation index loss was 0.819-0.856, and the difference was highly significant, among which the multiple linear regression model R2 between the BA concentration, fermentation-accumulated temperature, and compaction density was the highest.
Based on the loss of DM, NDF, Starch and WSC, the multiple linear regression Equation (2) between fermentation-accumulated temperature and compaction density was established as R2 = 0.857.
In the formula, Y is the accumulated temperature of whole-plant corn silage fermentation (°C), X1 is the silage compaction density (kg/m3), X2 is the silage DM loss (%), X3 is the NDF loss (%), X4 is the Starch loss (%), X5 is the WSC loss (%).
4. Discussion
4.1. Effect of Compaction Density on the Accumulated Temperature of Whole-Plant Corn Silage Fermentation
The fermentation temperature of whole-plant corn silage increased with the decrease in compaction density. In the initial stage of silage production, the activity of aerobic microorganisms in silage was vigorous. Aerobic microorganisms use silage fermentation substrate to produce water, carbon dioxide and heat. Some studies have pointed out that high temperature will adversely affect the quality of silage, which mainly affects the transformation of lactic acid bacteria from homo type fermentation to heteromorphic fermentation community in the process of corn silage fermentation [10,11]. The fermentation temperature of silage increased with the increase in oxygen content. On the other hand, the silage with high compaction density has less oxygen content, provides a relatively stable pH environment, better inhibits the growth of decaying bacteria [12], effectively reduces the silage fermentation temperature, and reduces heat production. Similar results have been obtained in this experiment. This is due to the high oxygen content in the silage under low density, resulting in the high activity of aerobic microorganisms, long active time, consumption of silage substrate and heat production, resulting in higher fermentation temperature.
4.2. Effect of Compaction Density on the Nutritional Quality of Whole-Plant Corn Silage
The DM content of high-quality silage should be 30–35% [13]. The DM content of whole-plant corn silage decreased after opening the pit [14]. This is due to the consumption of WSC by lactic acid bacteria and other microbial fermentation [15]; as the substrate of silage fermentation, WSC is decomposed by lactic acid bacteria to produce LA [16]. In making whole-plant corn silage, low compaction density will increase the oxygen content in silage, increase the activity of spoilage microorganisms, and increase silage temperature. Aerobic microorganisms are highly active in the early stage of silage, during which protein is decomposed, and WSC and lactic acid are consumed simultaneously, resulting in increased DM loss in silage [17]. The higher the compaction density of whole-plant corn silage, the smaller the nutrient loss of silage, and the higher the compaction density, the smaller the gap between silage, which could significantly reduce the oxygen content, the activity of aerobic microorganisms, and the amount of nutrient loss in silage [18]. During silage fermentation, the content of WSC decreased, and WSC, as a substrate of microbial fermentation, was metabolized by aerobic microorganisms at the initial stage of silage fermentation.
ADF and NDF can reflect the fiber quality of whole-plant corn silage, and the lower its content is, the higher is the forage value [19]. Some studies have demonstrated that the contents of NDF and ADF in silage are significantly negatively correlated with silage density. The higher the fiber content, the greater the difficulty of compacting silage [20]. Increasing the compaction density of whole-plant corn silage could maintain the silage quality. The lower the density was, the lower was the silage fiber quality, which is consistent with the results of this study. Therefore, the multivariate linear regression model is of great significance in analyzing the changes of accumulated temperature, compaction density and various nutritional indexes of silage fermentation.
4.3. Effect of Compaction Density on Fermentation Quality of Whole-Plant Corn Silage
Some studies have demonstrated that increasing the compaction density of silage can increase the concentration of WSC. During silage fermentation, LA bacteria use WSC as a substrate to produce LA and AA, reduce pH value, inhibit the activity of aerobic microorganisms, and reduce the consumption of sugars by aerobic microorganisms. Silage LA fermentation can be divided into homofermentation and heterofermentation [21]. Homofermentation only produces LA, while heterofermentative produces AA, ethanol and carbon dioxide are based on LA [22]. The initial stage of silage fermentation was homofermentation, and the LA produced rapidly decreased the pH value and inhibited the growth of harmful bacteria, and then the homofermentation of LA bacteria was inhibited. The heterofermentation LA bacteria had a better tolerance to AA and low pH value and took over fermentation [23].
At the end of silage, the fermentation entered a stable period, and the pH value should be in the range of 3.8 to 4.2 [24]. The pH value can directly reflect the fermentation quality of silage. In general, the silage pH value of less than 4.2 is excellent; the silage quality is poor when the pH value is more significant than 5.0. In silage fermentation, lactic acid bacteria can preserve silage by converting WSC into organic acid and reducing pH [25]. The rapid decline of the pH value is the most critical factor in the fermentation process of silage [26], which effectively suppresses the activity of spoilage microorganisms, and the pH value is inversely proportional to the concentration of LA [27]. Similarly, after opening the cellar, the pH value can directly reflect the preservation status of silage and whether there is secondary fermentation. The compactness of silage is closely related to the production of LA [28], which can finally improve silage quality.
5. Conclusions
Increasing the compaction density of whole-plant corn silage can reduce the nutrient loss. In this study, the multiple linear regression model of accumulated temperature and nutrient loss of silage fermentation under different densities was obtained. At the same time, a multiple linear regression equation between fermentation-accumulated temperature and compaction density and silage index loss was established; it provides a scientific basis for actual production. Our results demonstrate that it is feasible to predict the nutrient loss of whole-plant corn silage through the compaction density of whole-plant corn silage, which will be further studied in farms in the future.
Author Contributions
Investigation, C.L. (Chenglong Luo) and C.L. (Chen Li); Methodology, S.Z.; project administration, N.L. and Z.Y.; supervision, X.Y., Z.C. and H.Y.; writing—original draft, D.W.; writing—review and editing, S.L., W.S. and W.W. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding
This research was supported by the earmarked fund for CARS36
Data Availability Statement
All the data are already provided in the main manuscript.
Acknowledgments
We thank China Agriculture Research System of MOF and MARA, thanks to the support of modern farming for this experiment.
Conflicts of Interest
There are no relevant financial or non-financial competing interests.
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Figure 1.
Fermentation temperature curve of whole-plant corn silage under different compaction density.
Figure 1.
Fermentation temperature curve of whole-plant corn silage under different compaction density.
Figure 2.
Nonlinear fitting curve between compaction density and fermentation accumulated temperature of whole-plant corn silage.
Figure 2.
Nonlinear fitting curve between compaction density and fermentation accumulated temperature of whole-plant corn silage.
Table 1.
Nutritional composition of whole-plant corn silage.
| Parameters | Value (%) |
|---|---|
| Dry matter (%) | 29.13 |
| Crude protein (%) | 8.05 |
| Acidic detergent insoluble proteins (%) | 0.57 |
| Neutral detergent insoluble proteins (%) | 1.02 |
| Crude fiber (%) | 21.19 |
| Acid detergent fiber (%) | 24.82 |
| Neutral detergent fiber (%) | 40.87 |
| Lignin (%) | 2.29 |
| Ash (%) | 4.84 |
| Fat (%) | 2.82 |
| Starch (%) | 29.33 |
| Water Soluble Carbohydrate (%) | 12.25 |
| Monosaccharide (%) | 7.52 |
| Lactic Acid (%) | 0.73 |
| Acetic Acid (%) | 0.58 |
| pH | 5.50 |
Table 2.
Correlation analysis of various indexes of whole-plant corn silage.
| DM | CP | ADICP | NDICP | CF | ADF | NDF | Lignin | Ash | Fat | Starch | WSC | LA | AA | BA | pH | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DM | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| CP | −0.351 | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| ADICP | −0.318 | −0.595 * | 1 | |||||||||||||
| NDICP | −0.453 | −0.469 | 0.884 ** | 1 | ||||||||||||
| CF | −0.497 | −0.267 | 0.826 ** | 0.764 ** | 1 | |||||||||||
| ADF | −0.489 | −0.307 | 0.828 ** | 0.753 ** | 0.969 ** | 1 | ||||||||||
| NDF | −0.546 | −0.232 | 0.816 ** | 0.794 ** | 0.975 ** | 0.988 ** | 1 | |||||||||
| Lignin | −0.135 | −0.123 | 0.386 | 0.249 | 0.665 * | 0.768 ** | 0.718 ** | 1 | ||||||||
| Ash | −0.276 | −0.298 | 0.759 ** | 0.716 ** | 0.925 ** | 0.868 ** | 0.875 ** | 0.574 | 1 | |||||||
| Fat | 0.586 * | −0.237 | −0.032 | −0.117 | −0.305 | −0.449 | −0.437 | −0.544 | −0.18 | 1 | ||||||
| Starch | 0.688 * | −0.635 * | −0.207 | −0.309 | −0.471 | −0.456 | −0.544 | −0.332 | −0.370 | 0.404 | 1 | |||||
| WSC | 0.261 | 0.368 | −0.354 | −0.098 | −0.331 | −0.437 | −0.332 | −0.371 | −0.230 | 0.545 | −0.186 | 1 | ||||
| LA | −0.015 | 0.617 * | −0.643 * | −0.497 | −0.415 | −0.288 | −0.264 | 0.141 | −0.390 | −0.581 * | −0.272 | 0.087 | 1 | |||
| AA | −0.082 | −0.427 | −0.027 | 0.171 | −0.261 | −0.211 | −0.221 | −0.440 | −0.260 | −0.160 | 0.540 | −0.280 | −0.06 | 1 | ||
| BA | 0.303 | −0.798 ** | 0.628 * | 0.610 * | 0.191 | 0.176 | 0.180 | −0.164 | 0.247 | 0.520 | 0.349 | 0.099 | −0.638 * | 0.275 | 1 | |
| pH | −0.294 | 0.213 | 0.268 | 0.210 | 0.586 * | 0.493 | 0.514 | 0.508 | 0.447 | 0.062 | −0.509 | 0.213 | −0.300 | −0.694 * | −0.190 | 1 |
Note: DM = dry matter; CP = crude protein; ADICP = acid detergent insoluble protein; NDICP = neutral detergent insoluble protein; CF = crude fiber; ADF = acid detergent fiber; NDF = neutral detergent fiber; WSC = water soluble carbohydrate; LA = lactic acid; AA = acetic acid; BA = butyric acid. Below the diagonal, the “*” means correlation coefficient among the indexes was significant (p < 0.05), and the “**” means correlation coefficient was extremely significant (p < 0.01). The correlation coefficient of less than 0.3 was not correlated; the correlation coefficient between 0.3 and 0.5 was low, and between 0.5 and 0.8 was a moderate correlation. Over 0.8 means a high correlation.
Table 3.
Conventional nutrients of whole-plant corn silage with different compaction densities (dry matter basis).
Table 3.
Conventional nutrients of whole-plant corn silage with different compaction densities (dry matter basis).
| Parameters | Fresh Matter | Density | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 kg/m 3 | 450 kg/m 3 | 600 kg/m 3 | 700 kg/m 3 | ||
| DM (%) | 29.13 ± 0.27 a | 26.09 ± 0.06 b | 26.54 ± 0.19 b | 26.47 ± 0.81 b | 26.71 ± 0.13 b |
| CP (%) | 8.05 ± 0.44 b | 8.68 ± 0.07 a | 8.04 ± 0.23 b | 8.24 ± 0.28 ab | 8.71 ± 0.32 a |
| ADICP (%) | 0.53 ± 0.09 c | 0.72 ± 0.03 ab | 0.83 ± 0.10 a | 0.70 ± 0.06 b | 0.49 ± 0.01 c |
| NDICP (%) | 1.02 ± 0.00 a | 1.01 ± 0.19 a | 1.18 ± 0.16 a | 0.95 ± 0.21 a | 0.67 ± 0.00 b |
| CF (%) | 21.19 ± 2.35 b | 24.9 ± 0.41 a | 23.91 ± 0.11 a | 22.88 ± 0.59 ab | 18.17 ± 0.66 c |
| ADF (%) | 24.82 ± 3.20 b | 31.64 ± 0.44 a | 29.49 ± 1.26 a | 29.92 ± 0.98 a | 22.09 ± 0.40 b |
| NDF (%) | 40.87 ± 3.78 b | 52.28 ± 1.56 a | 49.40 ± 1.52 a | 49.24 ± 2.06 a | 40.01 ± 1.37 b |
| Lignin (%) | 2.29 ± 0.32 b | 3.25 ± 0.00 a | 2.50 ± 0.26 b | 3.05 ± 0.37 a | 2.21 ± 0.05 b |
| Ash (%) | 4.84 ± 0.31 b | 5.87 ± 0.19 a | 5.96 ± 0.17 a | 5.64 ± 0.33 a | 4.42 ± 0.56 b |
| Fat (%) | 2.82 ± 0.09 c | 3.39 ± 0.07 b | 3.67 ± 0.02 a | 3.29 ± 0.15 b | 3.58 ± 0.03 a |
| Starch (%) | 29.33 ± 2.15 a | 23.01 ± 0.08 b | 27.66 ± 0.65 a | 27.44 ± 3.49 a | 27.55 ± 3.30 a |
| WSC (%) | 12.25 ± 1.13 a | 1.26 ± 0.31 b | 1.25 ± 0.13 b | 0.81 ± 0.11 b | 1.49 ± 0.26 b |
Note: DM = dry matter; CP = crude protein; ADICP = acid detergent insoluble protein; NDICP = neutral detergent insoluble protein; CF = crude fiber; ADF = acid detergent fiber; NDF = neutral detergent fiber; WSC = water soluble carbohydrate. Different lowercase letters in the same line indicate significant differences (p < 0.05).
Table 4.
Fermentation quality of whole-plant corn silage under different compaction density.
| Parameters | Fresh Matter | Density | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 kg/m3 | 450 kg/m3 | 600 kg/m3 | 700 kg/m3 | ||
| LA (%) | 0.73 ± 0.33 c | 3.33 ± 0.45 a | 1.71 ± 0.19 b | 3.87 ± 0.21 a | 3.93 ± 0.71 a |
| AA (%) | 0.58 ± 0.22 b | 2.60 ± 0.26 a | 2.95 ± 0.08 a | 3.04 ± 0.20 a | 2.92 ± 0.33 a |
| BA (%) | ND | 0.07 ± 0.02 b | 0.18 ± 0.06 a | 0.10 ± 0.02 b | 0.09 ± 0.01 b |
| pH | 5.50 ± 0.10 a | 4.85 ± 0.05 b | 4.35 ± 0.05 c | 4.00 ± 0.17 d | 4.10 ± 0.00 d |
Note: LA = lactic acid; AA = acetic acid; BA = butyric acid. Different lowercase letters in the same line indicate significant differences (p < 0.05).
Table 5.
Correlation between accumulated fermentation temperature and nutritional quality of whole-plant corn silage.
Table 5.
Correlation between accumulated fermentation temperature and nutritional quality of whole-plant corn silage.
| Density (kg/m3) | Accumulated Fermentation Temperature (°C) | R2 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DM | CP | ADICP | NDICP | CF | ADF | NDF | Lignin | Ash | Fat | Starch | WSC | ||
| 300 | 1569.00 ± 20.00 | 0.512 | −0.466 | 0.866 | −0.5 | 0.554 | 0.564 | 0.546 | 0.574 | 0.547 | −0.402 | −0.462 | −0.544 |
| 450 | 1510.00 ± 12.00 | −0.548 | 0.461 | −0.267 | 0.5 | −0.554 | −0.564 | −0.546 | −0.597 | −0.537 | 0.46 | 0.461 | 0.529 |
| 600 | 1485.00 ± 17.00 | −0.16 | 0.91 | −0.609 | 0.266 | −0.447 | −0.429 | −0.403 | - | 0.522 | 0.06 | 0.145 | 0.458 |
| 700 | 1474.00 ± 16.00 | −0.16 | 0.91 | −0.609 | 0.266 | −0.447 | −0.429 | −0.403 | - | 0.522 | 0.06 | 0.145 | 0.458 |
Note: DM = dry matter; CP = crude protein; ADICP = acid detergent insoluble protein; NDICP = neutral detergent insoluble protein; CF = crude fiber; ADF = acid detergent fiber; NDF = neutral detergent fiber; WSC = water soluble carbohydrate.
Table 6.
Correlation between the accumulated temperature of whole-plant corn silage fermentation and nutrition.
Table 6.
Correlation between the accumulated temperature of whole-plant corn silage fermentation and nutrition.
| Density (kg/m3) | Accumulated Fermentation Temperature (°C) | R2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LA | AA | BA | pH | ||
| 300 | 1569.00 ± 20.00 | −0.265 | 0.674 | −0.500 | −0.491 |
| 450 | 1510.00 ± 12.00 | 0.265 | −0.674 | 0.500 | 0.491 |
| 600 | 1485.00 ± 17.00 | 0.308 | −0.616 | −0.866 | 0.145 |
| 700 | 1474.00 ± 16.00 | 0.308 | −0.616 | −0.866 | 0.145 |
Note: LA = lactic acid; AA = acetic acid; BA = butyric acid.
Table 7.
Multivariate linear regression analysis between accumulated temperature, compaction density, nutrition and fermentation quality.
Table 7.
Multivariate linear regression analysis between accumulated temperature, compaction density, nutrition and fermentation quality.
| Project | Linear Regression Model | R2 | P |
|---|---|---|---|
| DM | Y = 1618.983 − 0.230X1 + 0.897X2 | 0.820 | ** |
| CP | Y = 1623.105 − 0.235X1 − 1.414X2 | 0.846 | ** |
| ADICP | Y = 1657.357 − 0.269X1 + 0.340X2 | 0.852 | ** |
| NDICP | Y = 1643.033 − 0.266X1 + 0.382X2 | 0.850 | ** |
| CF | Y = 1632.185 − 0.238X1 + 0.067X2 | 0.820 | ** |
| ADF | Y = 1633.264 − 0.239X1 + 0.071X2 | 0.820 | ** |
| NDF | Y = 1629.428 − 0.234X1 + 0.003X2 | 0.819 | ** |
| Lignin | Y = 1618.922 − 0.220X1 − 0.166X2 | 0.825 | ** |
| Ash | Y = 1643.838 − 0.254X1 + 0.307X2 | 0.828 | ** |
| Fat | Y = 1641.133 − 0.232X1 + 0.549X2 | 0.828 | ** |
| Starch | Y = 1616.096 − 0.217X1 + 0.465X2 | 0.839 | ** |
| WSC | Y = 1843.806 − 0.236X1 − 2.364X2 | 0.843 | ** |
| LA | Y = 1625.707 − 0.238X1 − 0.014X2 | 0.827 | ** |
| AA | Y = 1623.850 − 0.236X1 − 0.015X2 | 0.824 | ** |
| BA | Y = 1645.660 − 0.236X1 − 0.016X2 | 0.856 | ** |
| pH | Y = 1634.287 − 0.167X1 − 1.825X2 | 0.839 | ** |
Note: DM = dry matter; CP = crude protein; ADICP = acid detergent insoluble protein; NDICP = neutral detergent insoluble protein; CF = crude fiber; ADF = acid detergent fiber; NDF = neutral detergent fiber; WSC = water soluble carbohydrate; LA = lactic acid; AA = acetic acid; BA = butyric acid. Y in the table is the accumulated temperature of silage fermentation, X1 is the compaction density and X2 loss. The “**” means correlation coefficient was extremely significant (p < 0.01).
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Wang, D.; Luo, C.; Li, C.; Zhang, S.; Lu, N.; Yang, Z.; Yu, X.; Cao, Z.; Yang, H.; Li, S.; et al. Study on the Relationship between Fermentation-Accumulated Temperature and Nutrient Loss of Whole-Plant Corn Silage. Agronomy 2022, 12, 2752. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12112752
AMA Style
Wang D, Luo C, Li C, Zhang S, Lu N, Yang Z, Yu X, Cao Z, Yang H, Li S, et al. Study on the Relationship between Fermentation-Accumulated Temperature and Nutrient Loss of Whole-Plant Corn Silage. Agronomy. 2022; 12(11):2752. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12112752
Chicago/Turabian StyleWang, Donghai, Chenglong Luo, Chen Li, Shu Zhang, Na Lu, Zhuomeng Yang, Xiong Yu, Zhijun Cao, Hongjian Yang, Shengli Li, and et al. 2022. "Study on the Relationship between Fermentation-Accumulated Temperature and Nutrient Loss of Whole-Plant Corn Silage" Agronomy 12, no. 11: 2752. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12112752
APA StyleWang, D., Luo, C., Li, C., Zhang, S., Lu, N., Yang, Z., Yu, X., Cao, Z., Yang, H., Li, S., Shao, W., & Wang, W. (2022). Study on the Relationship between Fermentation-Accumulated Temperature and Nutrient Loss of Whole-Plant Corn Silage. Agronomy, 12(11), 2752. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12112752
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