262. The microbiology of silage made by the addition of mineral acids to crops rich in protein

Abstract

1. The microflora of A.I.V. silage consists mainly of lactic acid bacteria—lactobacilli, streptococci, micrococci and sarcinae. Some samples also contain yeasts and yeast-like organisms.2. Among the lactobacilli, both homo- and heterofermentative types are represented. The former include strains ofLactobacillus plantarum(Orla- Jensen) Bergey et. al.; in the heterofermentative groupL. brevis(Orla-Jensen) Bergey et al. has been found.3. Cultures of a motile homofermentative lactobacillus were isolated; this appears to be a new type. Among the unidentified heterofermentative lactobacilli, forms which may prove to be similar to the inactive group of Pederson were encountered.4. The homofermentative streptococci were found to belong to the Streptococcus lactis group; the heterofermentative forms were identified withLeuconostoc mesenteroides(Cienkowski) van Tieghem.5. Strains of unidentified homofermentative micrococci and sarcinae were isolated and shown to possess characteristics not usually associated with organisms of these types.6. Streptococci, micrococci and motile lactobacilli were found mainly in fodder recently ensiled; the majority of the lactobacilli and sarcinae were associated with the older samples.7. The characteristics which proved to be most valuable for the differentiations of the organisms were ability to produce carbon dioxide, percentage of lactic acid formed and lactic-acetic acid ratio.