Insight of CO and ethanol emission from maize silage: A case study with real-time identification of aerobic and anaerobic microbial respiration using a multi-sensor-fusion method.

Silage is produced worldwide for both livestock feeding and biogas production. Sustainable silage production requires characterization and mitigation of potential effects on environmental quality, particularly from greenhouse gas emissions during the production cycle. Ex-situ sampling has demonstrated that major emissions are carbon dioxide (CO) and ethanol (EtOH).

A Multi-Sensor Mini-Bioreactor to Preselect Silage Inoculants by Tracking Metabolic Activity During Fermentation.

The microbiome in silage may vary substantially from the onset to the completion of fermentation. Improved additives and inoculants are being developed to accelerate the ensiling process, to enhance fermentation quality, and to delay spoilage during feed-out. However, current methods for preselecting and characterizing these amendments are time-consuming and costly.