About this Research Topic

Background

Ensiling of forages is extensively conducted worldwide to provide continuous feeds for ruminants. The ensiling process includes the quick establishment of anaerobic fermentation and anaerobic conditions of forages, allowing lactic acid bacteria to metabolize water-soluble carbohydrates to various organic acids (primarily lactic acid) leading to silage acidification. The production of lactic acid in the ensiling process reduces the pH value that ensures silage preservation for an extended period. Numerous studies have evaluated the dynamic changes of microbial community compositions during ensiling through Next Generation Sequencing technology. The detailed changes of bacterial and fungal communities in treated or untreated silages have been described at the Phylum, Genus, and Species levels. However, they only focus on describing the microbial community compositions and overlook the microbial functionality in silages. To some extent, the microbial functional characteristics are more important than their populations in forming the fermentative products during ensiling. Hence, it is necessary for us to use a comprehensive technology of omics and empirical investigation to further evaluate the role of microorganisms during ensiling. Therefore, the species, community compositions, interactions, and functional characteristics of microbial communities in silages need to be further explored.

Considerable methodological progress on a molecular-biological level, has led to a better understanding of microbial community structures and successions during ensiling. However, limitations still exist that hamper consolidating knowledge about functional characteristics of microbial community in silages. Hence, community genomic information is fundamental but often requires a combination of cultivation dependent physiological and biochemical analyses, and cultivation independent approaches, such as RNA-based techniques to explore the diversity and function of microbial communities in silages.

This Research Topic aims to cover up-to-date investigations on the compositions, interactions, and functional characteristics of microbial community in silages including but not limited to:

• the characterization of epiphytic microbial community on various forages, including the physiological and biochemical characteristics, metabolic pathways and products, and ecology of microorganisms
• the investigation of the microbial species, interactions, metabolic characteristics within the microbial community in silages under different conditions, such as different ambient temperatures, contaminated by pathogenic microbes, exposure to the air, and so on
• the potential of microbial communities in silages treated by wilting, microbial inoculants, chemical additives, and so on, including community succession, functional shifts and role of fungi in silages
• studies on methodological blockers to further improve the functionality of beneficial lactic acid bacteria during ensiling.

This Research Topic will accept studies that use the comprehensive technology of multi omics and empirical investigation to explore the dynamic changes of metabolic pathways and inner enzymes in microbial community during ensiling. In addition, authors need to give the basic and reasonable explanations for their functional shifts. The correlation between the fermentative products and microbial community and activity can be discussed. The changes of functional characteristics in fungal communities during aerobic exposure of silage can be also described. The study of silage from a large scale such as different areas, varieties, and environmental factors, are also welcomed. Specifically, the microbial activity of microbial communities in silages are strongly affected by various temperatures, growth stages, time of harvest, and altitude, etc.

Submitted manuscripts should be hypothesis driven. Authors must clearly state how their work contributes to significant conceptual or methodological advances that address the question or problem of interest. Submissions that fail to do so or provide only incremental advancement of knowledge will not be considered for review. Additionally, Brief Research Reports, Data Reports, Genome Announcements, Systematic Reviews, and Case Reports will not undergo the review process. Community analyses, pure in silico studies and mere testing of various silage additives are not suitable for consideration.

Keywords: silage, fermentative profiles, bacterial community compositions, predicted functional characteristics, ensiling

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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