A Multi-Omics Comparison of Eight Tropical Silage Crops

Tropical forage crops vary widely in biochemical composition, resulting in inconsistent silage quality. Understanding how plant traits shape microbial and metabolic networks during ensiling is crucial for optimizing fermentation outcomes. Eight tropical forages (sweet sorghum, sorghum sudan grass hybrid, sudan grass, giant Napier grass, purple elephant grass, king grass, sheep grass, and mexican teosinte) were ensiled under uniform conditions. Fermentation quality, bacterial and fungal communities (16S and ITS sequencing), and metabolite profiles (untargeted LC-MS) were analyzed after 60 days.