Optimisation of nutritional value, fibre degradation, and microbial diversity in hybrid Pennisetum silage via white-rot fungal fermentation for improved bioresource utilisation.

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Citation abstract

Hybrid Pennisetum, although a high-quality silage feedstock, faces utilisation challenges owing to its high fibre content. This study employed an innovative approach by inoculating white rot fungi prior to aerobic exposure of hybrid Pennisetum silage, aiming to enhance resource utilisation through efficient lignocellulose degradation. Instead of autoclave-based sterilisation before fungal inoculation, the experiment utilised ensiling treatments with either Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (LP) or non-inoculated control (CK) using fresh hybrid Pennisetum as the substrate. After 90 d of ensiling, Pleurotus ostreatus (CKPo, LPPo) and Irpex lacteus (CKIl, LPIl) were inoculated into the silage for solid-state fermentation. Among the treatments, CKIl achieved the highest degradation rates of neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre, and acid detergent lignin with reductions of 5.42 %, 7.00 %, and 15.59 %, respectively. Furthermore, I. lacteus inoculation reduced eukaryotic richness, and the relative abundance of the dominant fungus Irpex in CKIl was higher than that in LPIl (85.32 % vs. 68.07 %). These findings suggest that I. lacteus fermentation not only enhances fibre degradation but also improves the eukaryotic community structure, thereby significantly increasing the nutritional value of hybrid Pennisetum as feed and offering a sustainable strategy for silage production.