Effect of Cordyceps militaris residue on the bacterial community in alfalfa silage

In order to effectively solve the environmental pollution caused by Cordyceps militaris residue, we conducted a study to explore its feasibility as a silage additive for animal feed. Alfalfa silage was treated without (CK) or with Lactobacillus plantarum (LP), Cordyceps militaris residue (CM) and their mixture (LP + CM). Analyzing the fermentation characteristics and bacterial community composition, the results show that the CM and LP + CM treatments raised the number of lactic acid bacteria, increased the lactic acid content, and reduced the acetic acid content. In the early stages of silage, Weissella, Lactococcus, and Leuconostoc dominated the fermentation community, and the genus that dominated silage fermentation gradually evolved to Lactobacillus as the silage time increased. The LP treatment increased the abundance of Lactobacillus at day 7 of silage, while the CM treatment increased the abundance of Lactococcus at day 7 of silage and decreased the abundance of Weissella at day 45 of silage. In conclusion, Cordyceps militaris residue can effectively improve the quality of alfalfa silage, and its utilization as silage additive expands new ideas for environmentally sound treatment of Cordyceps militaris residue.