Effect of lactic acid bacterial starter Pediococcus acidilactici KUB-M6 on corn stover silage quality: microbial and biochemical properties.

Corn stover is an abundant agricultural residue that can be converted into a stable feed resource through ensiling, yet the combined effects of moisture content and microbial inoculation on fermentation dynamics remain poorly resolved. Here, we investigated the temporal effects of Pediococcus acidilactici KUB-M6 inoculation under three moisture regimes during 21 days of corn stover ensiling. KUB-M6 substantially altered the physicochemical, organic acid and microbial profiles of the silage. Inoculated silages accumulated significantly more lactic acid and total organic acids than uninoculated controls, with the highest concentrations observed at 70% moisture on day 14 (9.35% DM and 13.50% DM, respectively). Acetic acid also reached its maximum concentration under this condition (4.15% DM), whereas propionic and butyric acids were not detected in KUB-M6-inoculated silages. Inoculation was accompanied by higher total bacterial and lactic acid bacterial populations and lower yeast and Enterobacteriaceae abundances, particularly under higher-moisture conditions. Multivariate analyses further separated inoculated and control silages and revealed coordinated associations among organic acid accumulation, physicochemical properties and microbial populations. These findings demonstrate that Pd. acidilactici KUB-M6 substantially reshaped the fermentation trajectory of corn stover, with 70% moisture associated with the greatest accumulation of lactic and total organic acids during ensiling.