Effect of lactic acid bacteria on the ensiling characteristics and in vitro ruminal fermentation parameters of alfalfa silage

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculants on fermentation quality and subsequent in vitro gas production, ruminal fermentation parameters, cellulolytic bacteria and their activities of alfalfa silage. Primary growth of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) was harvested at 50% flowering stage, inoculated without (control) or with Lactobacillus plantarum, Enterococcus mundtii and Enterococcus faecalis at 1.0 × 106 cfu/g of fresh weight (FW) in quadruplicate laboratory silos for 45 d. The silage inoculated with LAB were well preserved, indicated by the lower (p