Screening of lactic acid bacteria from elephant grass and the effects of selected strains on the fermentation quality of these silages in tropical conditions

Two experiments were conducted for the objective of isolating and characterizing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from elephant grass and using selected strains as inoculants in elephant grass to enhance its quality as silage. A total of 156 LAB strains were identified in the different periods (0, 1, 3, 7, 14, 28, and 56 days). The main LAB present during the fermentation period were Weissella cibaria at day 1, W. paramesenteroides at day 3, and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and L. pentosus after the 7 th day of fermentation. For inoculation in elephant grass, three strains ( L. plantarum 28.19, L. pentosus 28.22 and Lacticaseibacillus casei 28.26) were selected. There was a significant effect of inoculant × period interaction on all silage variables analysed, except for the mould population, which was affected only by fermentation period. At the beginning of fermentation (day 1), silages inoculated with the strains L. plantarum , L. pentosus , and Lc. casei had significantly lower pH compared to the control and commercial inoculant treatments silages. The LAB population in the silages did not differ significantly during the fermentation period, except on days 1 and 7. Silages inoculated with the selected strains had significantly higher crude protein concentrations compared to the control silage. Therefore, selected strains of LAB showed promise for producing better quality elephant grass silage.