Isolation of Acetic Acid-Producing Bacterial Strains and Utilization as Microbial Inoculants in Sorghum Silages

This study aimed to isolate, characterize, and identify acetic acid-producing lactic acid bacteria from fresh sorghum plants and silage, and to evaluate the effect of the isolates as microbial inoculants on taxonomic diversity and silage fermentation quality. For the first experimental stage, eight experimental silos were prepared, and the fresh sorghum plant cv. BRS Ponta Negra ( Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench.) was sampled to characterize and identify the bacteria. Five strains were chosen to be inoculated in the second experimental stage, in a 7 × 2 factorial design, with seven treatments and two opening times, in four replications. Four types of species were identified, with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum predominating at 72.73%. There was an interaction effect between treatments and opening times on effluent losses, gas losses, the population of lactic acid bacteria, yeasts, and lactic acid content. The aerobic stability treatments that stood out were Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (GML 66) and Weissella cibaria , which showed 71.75 and 68.87 h of stability. The use of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (GML 66) as a microbial inoculant in sorghum silage increased the dry matter content, reduced effluent losses, and improved dry matter recovery. It also reduced the yeast population in the silage, promoting greater aerobic stability in the silage.