Silage studies IX biochemical changes in microbe-free silage

Summary If the aseptic plant material is regarded as a substrate for preservative microbial activity, it may be said that both the nitrogen and carbohydrate components undergo changes due to the influence of native enzymes in the plant material. These changes may very well be reflected in the microbial activity in a silage.It is interesting to compare the findings of this investigation, which show that during the days immediately after ensilage practically no changes take place when no bacteria are present. In a non-sterile ensilage, on the other hand, it is during this early stage that the briskest bacterial activity takes place.The chances of, say, an acid-forming microbial process actually lowering the pH in order that preservation of the material may take place are directly counteracted by the action of native enzymes of the vegetable material. During the days immediately after ensilage, however, if other conditions are favourable, microbial activity may clearly determine the whole course of events, and may possibly even inactivate the processes of the plant material itself.As is evident from the experiments described above, the activities inherent in the ensiled material itself are of no mean proportions. Further study of the mutual relationship of the ensilage and the various microbial fractions is therefore particularly necessary in order to be able to understand a number of processes of fundamental importance in biological preservation of plant material.