Improving aerobic stability and methane production of maize stover silage with lactic acid bacteria inoculants: Focus on pentose-fermentation

Ensiling is a widely used method for preserving crop stalks as biogas feedstock. However, secondary fermentation of silage is an inevitable problem that causes significant mass and energy losses. In this study, the effect of different lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculants on the fermentation pattern, aerobic stability, and methane production of maize stover was investigated. Maize stover was ensiled for 50 days with or without different LAB inoculants, followed by 10 days of air exposure. Methane production from the stover after the two processes was determined through batch anaerobic digestion (AD) tests. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum enhanced the homo-fermentation and reduced the pH of silage. Lentilactobacillus buchneri improved the hetero-fermentation of hexose, while causing higher dry matter loss (DML) than other inoculants. Limosilactobacillus fermentum enhanced pentose hetero-fermentation and increased both lactic acid and acetic acid production with minor DML. All the tested inoculants reduced the DML, improved the aerobic stability, and increased the methane yield of maize stover after ensiling (by up to 18.8%) and after air exposure (by up to 41.0%), with Limosilactobacillus fermentum exhibiting superior performance. The Limosilactobacillus fermentum treatment showed smaller variations in the bacterial community in AD than other treatments during air exposure. Ruminococcaceae, SHA-31, SB-1, Lachnospiraceae, Marinilabiaceae, and Erysipelotrichaceae showed positive correlations with water-soluble components, whereas Anaerolinaceae was positively correlated with cellulose or hemicellulose.