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.
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Suggested readings
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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
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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
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