Abstract
Alfalfa was harvested (4th cutting in 1991 and 1st to 4th cutting in 1993) and wilted overnight, then chopped into 2 cm lengths. The forage mixed with cellulases (0-1.0% of the forage) or glucose (1%), and lactic acid bacteria (0.001%) was tightly packed in 1 liter experimental silos or in nylon/polyethylene bagsilos. Both the silos were kept at 26℃ for 30 and 14 days, respectively. Each ensiling had three replications. Treatment of alfalfa from the 4th cutting in 1991 with cellulase preparation originated from Acremonium cellulolytius Y-94 (ACS 2) at 0.01% resulted in a lower pH, a higher lactic acid content, and a higher L/T value than obtained using a cellulase preparation from Trichoderma viride (CEP, 0.01%), or 1% glucose. Also, in the case of alfalfa from the 1st through to 4th cuttings of 1993, the addition of ACS 2 and lactic acid bacteria promoted the fermentation and much improved the quality of silage. These results showed that the addition of 0.01% ACS 2 and lactic acid bacteria was enough to improve the fermentation quality of alfalfa silage.
