Effect of Low-Temperature-Tolerant Lactic Acid Bacteria on the Fermentation Quality and Bacterial Community of Oat Silage at 5 °C vs. 15 °C

This study aimed to investigate the effects of low-temperature-tolerant lactic acid bacteria on the fermentation quality and bacterial community of oat silage. Silage treatments were designed as control (with no additives), with FO3, FO5, FO8, and L214 inoculants. After 60 days of ensiling, the fermentation characteristics and bacterial community were analyzed. The results showed that the low-temperature-tolerant lactic acid bacteria were able to reduce the pH and NH3-N and increase crude protein and lactic acid contents. It is worth noting that the addition of FO3 also significantly inhibited butyric acid production. High-throughput sequencing technique showed that at the genus level, Lactiplantibacillus were the dominant bacteria in all oat silages, while at the species level, the bacterial abundance in the treated silages differed significantly from the control. The highest abundance of Lactiplantibacillus sp. was found in the control and L214 groups, while the abundance of Lactiplantibacillus curvatus was most abundant in the silage treated with low-temperature-tolerant lactic acid bacteria. The results indicated the potential effectiveness of low-temperature-tolerant lactic acid bacteria in improving fermentation quality and reducing protein losses.