Effect of using boiled potato waste, molasses and bacterial inoculation on chemical composition, fermentation quality and in vitro gas production in corn silage

The objective of this study was to assess and compare the impacts of incorporating boiled potatoe or molasses, with or without bacterial inoculation, on the chemical composition, fermentation quality, and in vitro gas production in corn silage. The experiment followed a completely randomized design with eight experimental groups and five repetitions. The experimental groups comprised the corn silage group without additives (CS), corn silage group with 4% molasses additive (CSMol), corn silage group with 3% potato additive (CSPot3), and corn silage group with 6% potato additive (CSPot6). Additionally, four groups, including the aforementioned ones, were inoculated with bacterial supplements.The CSMol group with bacterial inoculation exhibited the highest levels of dry matter, crude protein, ash, and nonfibrous carbohydrates, as well as the lowest amount of insoluble fibers in neutral detergent fiber. There was a significant decrease in pH in the bacterial-inoculated groups compared to those without bacterial inoculation (P<0.05), with the lowest pH observed in the CSMol group with bacterial inoculation. The CSMol experimental group with bacterial inoculation showed the highest concentrations of lactic acid, acetic acid, and propionic acid, along with the lowest concentrations of butyric acid and ammonia nitrogen (P<0.05). The lowest concentration of acetic acid was noted in the CSPot3 group without bacterial inoculation, which did not significantly differ from the CS and CSPot6 groups without bacterial inoculation (P<0.05). The highest and lowest levels of organic matter digestibility were observed in the CSMol group with bacterial inoculation and CSPot3 group without bacterial inoculation, respectively (P<0.05). The gas produced during the 24-hour incubation period was highest in the CSMol group with bacterial inoculation, not significantly different from the CSPot3 and CSPot6 groups with bacterial inoculation (P<0.05). In conclusion, adding molasses with bacterial inoculation enhances the concentration of volatile fatty acids and organic matter digestibility in corn silage. Additionally, potatoes, when used with bacterial inoculation, can improve the fermentation quality of corn silage.