Silage studies. IV. The microflora on the surface of some fodder plants at different stages of maturity

Summary A comparison is made of the bacterial populations on the surface of some fodder plants and the populations on corresponding plant materials after collecting into a silo.Estimations are made of the total number of bacteria and fungi, and of the number of lactic acid bacteria and spore-forming anaerobes.The equilibrium between acidifying and ammonifying organisms is discussed. Antibiotic phenomena within the floras have been studied.These studies are still in progress. We are indebted to the Swedish Foundation: Fonden för främjande av forsknings- och försöksverksamheten på jordbrukets område for generous financial support. We also gratefully acknowledge the encouraging interest and support of ProfessorRagnar Nilsson.