Dynamics of fungal community during silage fermentation of elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) produced in northern Vietnam

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to gain deeper insights into the dynamic changes in spoilage fungi populations during fermentation and the influence of traditional additives on silage quality. METHODS: Elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) was prepared without any additive (control), and with the addition of 0.5% salt, and 0.5% salt−0.2% sugar mixture. The fungal community was then determined using a classic culturing method and high-throughput sequencing at 0, 5, 15, and 60 days after ensiling. RESULTS: The results showed that the fungal community of elephant grass silage varied significantly between the natural fermentation without any additive and the two additive groups. The diversity and relative abundance of spoilage molds in the control group were much higher than those in the two treatment groups (p<0.05). Three species of yeasts (Candida sp., Pichia sp., Trichosporon sp.) and four spoilage molds (Fusarium sp., Aspergillus sp., Muco sp. and Penicillin sp.) were the predominant fungi in elephant grass during natural fermentation from 0 to 60 days, which were found to be significantly decreased in salt and sugar additive groups (p<0.05). Meanwhile, the diversity and relative abundance of undesirable molds in the 0.5%-salt additive group were the lowest among all groups. CONCLUSION: Adding salt and sugar, particularly 0.5% salt, is a promising effective approach to reduce the amount of undesirable fungi thus, improving the silage quality of elephant grass in northern Vietnam.