Publication Date
1989
Description
Lactic acid serves as a conserving agent in silage production. It is produced by Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) developing from the epiphytic flora of the ensiled plant material. Therefore silage quality depends - besides silage management and plant composition - on the natural LAB occurrence on the crop. Up to now only little information is available about the epiphytic LAB population, which seems to grow rarely on plants (Stirling, 1953; Nilson and Nilson, 1956; Mundt, 1970; Weise and Wermke, 1973). Studies of the last ten years have shown that LAB counts vary within a wide range, also indicating high population levels (Ely et al., 1981 ; Pahlow and Honig, 1986).
Citation
Ruser, Barbara, "The Occurrence of Lactic Acid Bacteria on Forage Crops" (2025). IGC Proceedings (1989-2023). 15.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1989/session8/15
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
The Occurrence of Lactic Acid Bacteria on Forage Crops
Lactic acid serves as a conserving agent in silage production. It is produced by Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) developing from the epiphytic flora of the ensiled plant material. Therefore silage quality depends - besides silage management and plant composition - on the natural LAB occurrence on the crop. Up to now only little information is available about the epiphytic LAB population, which seems to grow rarely on plants (Stirling, 1953; Nilson and Nilson, 1956; Mundt, 1970; Weise and Wermke, 1973). Studies of the last ten years have shown that LAB counts vary within a wide range, also indicating high population levels (Ely et al., 1981 ; Pahlow and Honig, 1986).
