Dynamics of a microbial community during ensiling and upon aerobic exposure in lactic acid bacteria inoculation-treated and untreated barley silages

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of lactic acid bacteria on bacterial and fungal community during the fermentation process and aerobic exposure phase of barley ensiled with preparation of lactic acid bacteria (LAB). The inoculated silages displayed higher contents of lactic acid, acetic acid, and propionic acid as well as a greater number of lactic acid bacteria during ensiling. LAB-treated silage decreased the bacterial diversity during both ensiling and aerobic exposure but increased the fungal diversity during ensiling of barley. LAB-treated silage during ensiling increased the abundance of Lactobacillus but decreased that of Weissella. After aerobic exposure, LAB-treated silage increased the abundance of Lactobacillus but decreased that of Acinetobacter. Acinetobacter, Enterococcus, Providencia, and Empedobacter were the dominant bacteria after aerobic exposure. In conclusion, LAB-treated silage enhanced the number of desirable Lactobacillus and inhibited the growth of undesirable microorganisms, such as Acinetobacter.

Keywords: Barley silage; Fermentation; High-throughput sequencing; Lactic acid bacteria; Microbial community.