Impacts of Low Temperature and Ensiling Period on the Bacterial Community of Oat Silage by SMRT

The objective of this study was to investigate how storage temperatures influence the bacterial community of oat silage during the ensiling process via PacBio single molecule, real-time sequencing technology (SMRT). Forage oat was ensiled at four different temperatures (5 degrees C, 10 degrees C, 15 degrees C, and 25 degrees C) and ensiling days (7, 14, 30, and 60 days). With the rise in storage temperature, the lactic acid content showed an increased trend. Acetic acid production was observed highest in silage fermented at 5 degrees C compared with other treatments, and Enterococcus mundtii was also the dominant bacterial species. Lactiplantibacillus pentosus and Loigolactobacillus rennini were exclusively detected in silages at 10 degrees C, 15 degrees C, and 25 degrees C, and dominated the fermentation after 60 days of ensiling at 10 degrees C and 25 degrees C, respectively. In addition, L. pentosus, L. rennini, and E. mundtii may be related to changes in the fermentation products due to the differences in ensiling temperature. In conclusion, results of this study improve our understanding of the complicated microbial composition underlying silage fermentation at low temperatures, which might contribute to target-based regulation methods for enhancing silage quality and developing new inoculants.

Automated summary

The study investigated how storage temperatures affect the bacterial community and fermentation products of oat silage, revealing differences in dominant bacterial species and fermentation products at different temperatures. The complex microbial composition during silage fermentation at low temperatures provides insights for enhancing silage quality and developing new inoculants.