How do inoculants help preserve silage?
Microbial inoculants give a faster drop in pH and can give a lower pH, with less production of wasteful compounds such as ammonia, carbon dioxide and methane that waste nutrients in the forage, than would happen naturally. Once the silage pH drops to 4.0 or 4.5 and anaerobic conditions are maintained, most micro-organisms don’t grow and the silage is preserved for months. More protein is preserved when the pH drops quickly.
