Isolation and indentification of lactic acid bacteria from fresh corn and potential use as inoculant in silage production

This study was conducted to determine available for use as inoculants in corn silage by isolate, identify and reproduce lactic acid bacteria under laboratory conditions from different whole crop corn samples taken from central villages of Elazig. Leaf samples of corn (Zea mais) in milk-dough stage were collected from a total of 16 different fields and brought to the laboratory. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated and identified using appropriate methods. Four different types of bacteria were selected from LAB and used as inoculants. Experimental groups were designated as follows: the control group with no added inoculant; (K) the positive control group including Lactobacillus buchneri (L.BUC), a commercial inoculant, the groups with added Lactobacillus pentosus (L.PEN), Leuconostoc mesenteriodes (L.MEZ), Lactobacillus brevis (L.BRE) ve Laktobacillus fermentum (L.FER). The concentration of each inoculant was adjusted to 1.0 x 10-6 cfu/g. The silage material and LAB were thoroughly mixed, filled in 1.8 liter anaerobic jars. 5, 10, 15, 30, 60 and 90th day of the fermentation, three jars from each group were opened and analyzed. Addition of LAB to silages caused a rapid decrease in pH. The lowest pH value was obtained in group Lactobacillus brevis and Lactobacillus fermentum, whereas the highest pH value was obtained in group L. buchneri at the end of a fermentation period (P<0.001). Addition of inoculant to corn silage increased a statistically significant lactic acid (LA) concentration on day 5 of fermentation. The highest LA level was found in group Lactobacillus fermentum on day 30. (P<0.05). Acetic acid (AA) level was low in the first few days of fermentation and increased towards the end of the experiment in the experimental groups and the highest AA value was observed for group L. buchneri on day 30 (P<0.05). Yeasts significantly decreased after day 15 of fermentation in the experimental groups, while mold was not detected after day 15 of fermentation in any of the groups. According to these results, natural microflora from fresh corn plant obtained from lactic acid bacteria, it's possible to say that the lactic acid bacteria can use instead of commercial inoculant for silages fermentation. Key words: Corn silage, lactic acid bacteria, inoculant, natural flora