Corn silage that has been produced properly should have a green/yellowish color and a light, pleasant, slightly vinegar odor.

The fermentation process of corn silage

When a corn plant is chopped and put into some sort of storage facility, the cells of the corn plant are still alive. The respiration of these plant cells and the microorganisms in the silage produce carbon dioxide and heat. This is called aerobic respiration because oxygen is used. As the carbon dioxide level increases and the oxygen level decreases, this respiration will decrease and stop, and anaerobic (without oxygen) fermentation begins. In this process, desirable bacteria use the soluble carbohydrates in the cells to produce primarily lactic acid. Lactic acid causes a drop in the pH. Fermentation will occur until enough lactic acid is produced to drop the pH to approximately 4.2, at which point all bacterial action stops. This usually occurs within three weeks after a silo is filled. If low levels of lactic acid have been formed, then butyric acid, a foul-smelling acid, is produced and the silage spoils.

T-Global manufactures high-quality Corn Silage from Viet Nam.

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