Some Chemical Characteristics of Grass and Legume Silage Made with Sodium Metabisulfite

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Abstract
Chemical analysis of 48 samples of grass silages preserved with sodium metabisulfite showed that the production of acetic and lactic acids by bacterial fermentation was limited and inversely correlated with the total residual sulfite concentration. Butyric acid production was almost eliminated. Protein breakdown was inhibited to a satisfactory degree, despite pH values higher than normal. Evidence suggests that the forages were preserved primarily by the action of the HSO3 ion, instead of the H ion, as is usual in other conventional types of silages.

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