Fermentation characteristics and microorganism composition of total mixed ration silage with local food by-products in different seasons.

Total mixed ration (TMR) silage in different seasons was prepared with apple refuse, orchardgrass hay, orchardgrass silage, corn silage and a commercial compound feed in Tohoku, Japan, and with tofu cake, brewers' grains, tall fescue hay, Sudangrass hay, timothy hay, alfalfa hay and a commercial compound feed in Shikoku, Japan, respectively, and their fermentation quality and microorganism composition were evaluated. In Tohoku, the TMR silage in spring, autumn and winter displayed poor quality, with pH value above 4.7, and the harmful microorganisms such as escherichia, yeasts and molds were detected even after 60 days of ensiling; but the TMR silage in summer was well preserved and the escherichia were too few to count after 7 days of ensiling. In Shikoku, the TMR silage in all seasons was well preserved, with low pH, high lactic acid contents, and escherichia, yeasts and molds were consistently at or below the detectable numbers after 7 days of ensiling. The results showed that the TMR silage could not produce sufficient lactic acid to improve silage quality under low-temperature conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to develop preparation techniques of promoting the lactic acid fermentation for TMR silage in cold seasons.