Abstract
Ensiling is a method of moist forage preservation whereby lactic acids bacteria (LAB) ferment water-soluble carbohydrates to organic acids, mainly lactic acid, under anaerobic conditions. As a result, the pH decreases, inhibiting detrimental anaerobes, and so the moist forage is preserved. This is actually lactic acid solid-state fermentation of forage crops. It is similar to the fermentation which takes place during making of sauerkraut. This chapter briefly describes biochemical, microbiological and technological aspects of ensiling.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Suggested readings
Buxton DR, Muck RE & Harrison JH, 2003, Silage Science and Technology. Agronomy Monograph 42, American Society of Agronomy, Inc., Crop Science Society of America, Inc., Soil Science Society of America, Inc. Madison, WI, USA.
McDonald P, Henderson AR & Heron SJE, 1991, The Biochemistry of Silage, 2nd edn, Chalcombe Publications, Marlow Bottom, Marlow, Bucks, UK.
Van Soest P, 1994, Nutritional Ecology of the Ruminant, 2nd edn, Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, USA.
Woolford M, 1984, The Silage Fermentation. Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, NY, USA.
References
Ashbell G, Weinberg ZG, Brukental I, Tabori K & Sharet N, 1997, Wheat silage: effect of cultivar and stage of maturity on yield and degradability in situ. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 45(3), 709–912.
Fry G, 1885, Sweet ensilage, The Agricultural Press Co, London, UK.
Goffart A, 1877, Manual of the culture and ensilage of maize and other fodder crops. Masson, Paris, France.
Honig HH, 1980, Mechanical and respiration losses during pre-wilting of grass. In: Thomas, C. (ed.) Forage Conservation in the 80s, Proceedings of the British Grassland Society Occasional Symposium No 11, Brighton, UK, pp. 201–204.
Weinberg ZG, Ashbell G, Hen Y & Harduf Z, 1991, Ensiling whole wheat for ruminant feeding at different stages of maturity. Animal Feed Science and Technology 32: 313–320.
Wilkinson JM, Bolsen KK & Lin CJ, 2003, History of silage, In-Buxton DR, Muck RE & Harrison JH, (eds.), Silage Science and Technology, Agronomy Monograph 42, American Society of Agronomy, Inc., Crop Science Society of America, Inc., Soil Science Society of America, Inc. Madison, WI, USA. pp. 1–30.
Zimmer E, 1980, Efficient silage systems. In: Thomas C (ed.), Forage Conservation in the 80s. Proceedings of the British Grassland Society Occasional Symposium No 11, (1979), Brighton, UK, pp. 186–197.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Weinberg, Z.G. (2008). Preservation of Forage Crops by Solid-state Lactic Acid Fermentation-Ensiling. In: Pandey, A., Soccol, C.R., Larroche, C. (eds) Current Developments in Solid-state Fermentation. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-75213-6_19
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-75213-6_19
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-0-387-75212-9
Online ISBN: 978-0-387-75213-6
eBook Packages: Chemistry and Materials ScienceChemistry and Material Science (R0)