Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

As Ensiling practice requires an anaerobic environment, it is important to ensure an anaerobic environment for lab-scale silo as well as allow the release of fermentation gases from silo. The effect of using water lock on laboratory silos was studied. Three sealing methods (metal lid with water lock, metal lid without water lock and metal lid with water lock later replaced by metal lid without water lock) were studied. Silos were filled with lucerne to examine the extent of oxygen passing through the water lock. Two removable rubber stoppers were added with two replicates to observe the effect of air stress in laboratory silos. In addition, empty silo jars were made to explore how much oxygen could pass through the water lock.
As expected the silage was badly preserved because of low DM, low WSC with high buffering capacity and oxygen inlet into silo. Data from experiment proved that some oxygen passed through the water lock but it did not have a significant effect on fermentation quality. Fitting a water lock on the top of water lock was proved to be effective to seal the laboratory silo.