Sequencing and microbiota transplantation to determine the role of microbiota on the fermentation type of oat silage.

• First combined the NGS, γ-ray radiation and microbiota transplantation methods. • Different exogenous microbiota promoted various fermentation types. • Exogenous microbiota changed microbial community of oat silage. • The key microorganisms on affecting silage fermentation type were identified. This study was aimed to assess the effects of exogenous microbiota on fermentation quality and bacterial community dynamics in oat (OT) silage. The irradiated OT was treated with the following: (i) sterile water (STOT); (ii) epiphytic microbiota on oat (OTOT); (iii) epiphytic microbiota on maize (OTMZ); (iv) epiphytic microbiota on sorghum (OTSG). γ-Ray irradiation, microbiota transplantation and sequencing methods were firstly used. After 60 days of ensiling, OTMZ group had higher lactic acid (LA) and lower acetic acid (AA) contents than OTOT group. Inversely, lower LA content and higher ratio of LA to AA was observed in OTSG group than OTOT group. Lactobacillus was predominant in OTMZ-60 group, while Lactobacillus and Enterobacteriaceae were both dominant in OTSG-60 group. Overall, the higher amounts of Enterobacteriaceae and heterofermentative Lactobacillus are conductive to acetic acid-type fermentation, and forage microbiota transplantation may be a potential way to identify the role of microbe during ensiling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]