Effects of different fertilization treatments on silage quality, silage microorganisms and metabolism of Elymus breviaristatus

Elymus breviaristatus was a new kind of grassland and ecological construction with many excellent qualities in the alpine region, but there were few researches on its silage and quality. The study explored the impact of different fertilization on silage quality, microbial community, and metabolic characteristics. The microbiome and metabolism of silage at 60 days were analyzed. The results showed that the amounts of Staphylococcus and Alternaria in the M Group increased significantly, Lactiplantibacillus decreased significantly, and the alpha-Linolenic acid metabolism pathway was significantly down-regulated. This ultimately led to a significant decrease in DM and CP content in this group, while the BA concentration increased significantly. In the NPK group, Lactiplantibacillus decreased significantly, and the flavone and flavonol biosynthesis pathway was significantly up-regulated, which jointly led to the increase in the contents of ammonia nitrogen and butyric acid in this group. The B group exhibited a significant increase in Lactiplantibacillus, Lycoperdon, and Aspergillus abundance, along with a marked upregulation of glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism. These changes collectively contributed to the substantial rise in CP, LA, and AA content, while leading to a significant reduction in neutral detergent fiber (NDF) levels in this group.