Achieving rapid acidification is paramount in conserving as much of the inherent feed value of the crops we ensile. From the moment we start to harvest, deterioration and loss of nutrients occur. We aim to manage this process, called primary fermentation, to achieve our goal of maximum nutrient recovery. This process can happen naturally, being driven by epiphytic lactic acid bacteria that occur on the plant. The challenge we face is that we do not know which strains of bacteria is present, in what numbers they occur and what their efficiency is in converting sugar to lactic acid. We therefore add a microbial inoculant containing a known number of bacteria, with specific strains selected to effectively drive the fermentation process in the desired direction. There are several types of silage inoculants, but we can break them down into two main categories: 

• those that accelerate acidification to preserve the feed value and render the forage safe, containing homolactic bacteria such as P. Pentosaceus and L. Plantarum 
• those optimising the aerobic stability of silage at feed out by inhibiting yeasts and moulds, such as inoculants containing heterolactic bacteria such as L. Hilgardii CNCM I-4785 and L. Buchneri NCIMB 40788.