Effects of Bacterial Inoculants and Xylanase on Silage Fermentation Characteristics of Wheat straw and Pasture hay based Green Maize Silage

Different silages were prepared using green maize fodder and wheat straw and pasture hay separately in the proportion of 10:0 & 7:3 ratio in plastic jar of 3 kg capacity by adding common salt @ 0.5%, urea @ 1% and molasses @ 1.5% in each silage with nine different treatments, viz., Control (only green maize), WS (green maize and wheat straw in 7:3 ratio), X (WS added with Xylanase), LF (WS added with Lactobacillus fermentum), LPLF (WS added with both bacterial inoculants), PH (green maize and pasture hay in 7:3 ratio), XPH (PH added with Xylanase), LFPH (PH added with Lactobacillus fermentum), LPLFPH (PH added with both bacterial inoculants). Xylanase, L. plantarum and L. fermentum were used @ 1500 IU/g, 1 x 10⁶ cfu/g and 2 x 10⁶ cfu/g, respectively. All silages were evaluated in terms of their proximate composition, cell wall constituents and quality parameters of silage on 45 days of ensiling. Bacterial inoculants significantly reduce DM content of silage. LPLF silage and XPH and LFPH significantly increases crude protein content. X and LPLFPH shows significant improvement in EE content. LF shows significantlyimprovevaluesofCFandNFE.Xand XPHsilagesignificantlylowersNDFandADFcontent. LPLF and XPH silage significantly improves cellulose while additives do not have any significant effect on hemicellulose content. Bacterial inoculants and Xylanase significantly improves TVFA, WSC and LA to lower silage pH for very good silage. Xylanase, Lactobacillus fermentum and combination of bacterial inoculants with wheat straw and pasture hay silage, respectively significantly reduces ammonia nitrogen for excellent silage quality. Thus, it is concluded that Xylanase and/or Latobacillus fermentum significantly improves overall silage fermentation characteristics and nutrient content in green maize based silage along with wheat straw or pasture hay in 7:3 ratio.