Silage inoculants have been commonly used to treat haylage, corn silage, and high-moisture grains. But, do they really work? Many silage inoculant products are available, some making claims about improved fermentation and increased animal performance. With such choices, it is not surprising that producers may be very confused about which product to use.

   Scientists around the world have tested silage inoculants to determine their effects on silage quality, dry matter losses, and subsequent animal performance. A silage conference in mid-February at Hershey, Pennsylvania, has helped shed some light on the evidence supporting silage inoculant products.

   In the conference, "Silage: Field to Feedbunk," two well-known silage scientists, Limin Kung (University of Delaware) and Richard Muck (US Dairy Forage Research Center, Madison, Wisconsin) reviewed published scientific literature on silage inoculants, enzymes, propionic acid, and non-protein nitrogen (urea and ammonia) additives. The literature reviewed concentrated on animal performance benefits from trials at university and government research institutes in North American and Europe. From 1990 to 1995, approximately 50% of the studies with silage additives showed positive responses in both gain and milk production.

   More importantly, on closer examination of the data, it was noted that the majority of positive responses found in these trials were achieved with a single silage inoculant containing Lactobacillus plantarum MTD/1. Currently, Lactobacillus plantarum MTD/1 is only available in ECOSYL^®* products.

   Another positive attribute of ECOSYL products is the FDA recognition of fermentation improvement claims. Currently, ECOSYL products are the only silage inoculants to receive this recognition from the FDA. Silage and haylage quality can be improved with good silage management and proper use of an effective silage inoculant.

* *ECOSYL is a registered trademark of ECOSYL Products Ltd.