Epiphytic microbiota in Swedish grass-clover herbage and the effect of silage additives on fermentation profiles and bacterial community compositions of the resulting silages.

Aims: To investigate the epiphytic microbiota in grass-clover herbage harvested at different sites and occasions and to explore the effect of different silage additives on the resulting silage microbiota.

Methods And Results: Herbage was harvested from grass-clover leys at geographically distributed sites in a long-term field experiment in Sweden, in early and late season of two consecutive years. Different silages were made from the herbage using: (1) no additive, (2) acid-treatment, and (3) inoculation by starter culture.