AUTHOR=Long Shihe , Li Xuefeng , Yuan Xianjun , Su Rina , Pan Junxin , Chang Ye , Shi Mengli , Cui Zhihai , Huang Naixin , Wang Jian 

TITLE=The Effect of Early and Delayed Harvest on Dynamics of Fermentation Profile, Chemical Composition, and Bacterial Community of King Grass Silage

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.864649

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2022.864649

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=This study assessed the effect of harvesting time on the fermentation characteristics, chemical composition, and microbial community of King grass silage. King grass at three growth periods of 90 d (KN90S), 110 d (KN110S), and 130 d (KN130S) were harvested and ensiled. Silages were sampled after 1, 3, 7, 14, 30, and 60 d of ensiling for fermentation and chemical composition analyses. Bacterial community was profiled in silage ensiled for 60 d. The KN110S showed the most rapid pH decline and lactic acid production during 7 d of fermentation. After 60 d of fermentation, the KN110S showed the lowest pH and the highest lactic acid content among the 3 treatments. The butyric acid and ammonia nitrogen contents of KN90S and KN130S were significantly greater than those of KN110S (p < 0.05). A higher relative abundance of Clostridium was observed in KN90S and KN130S, but not in KN110S. The fermented quality observed in natural King grass silage with a growth period of 110 d is better than those early harvested with 90 d of growth or harvested at late with 130 d of growth, and there is a need to utilize additives to optimize the fermentation quality of King grass.