Liquid biopreparations for silage

01Overview and value chain#

Markers EC: EU Feed Additives Regulation 1831/2013 & Farm to Fork | OECD: Agricultural Biotechnology | Regulator: EFSA (EU), FDA-CVM (USA), MoA (China)

Liquid biopreparations for silage are water-soluble lactic-acid-bacteria inoculants sprayed onto forage at harvest to drive a fast, controlled fermentation that preserves dry matter, protein and energy. Homofermentative Lactobacillus plantarum strains such as Volac’s MTD/1 and Chr. Hansen’s CH6072 drop pH rapidly to lock in nutrients, while heterofermentative Lactobacillus buchneri strains such as Volac’s PJB/1 produce acetic acid that suppresses yeasts and molds and keeps the silo cool after feed-out. Modern multi-strain products combine both — Chr. Hansen’s SiloSolve AS pairs Enterococcus faecium M74 with L. plantarum CH6072 and L. buchneri LB1819 — and a 100 g sachet of Biomin’s BIO-SIL treats 100 tonnes of fresh forage, with feed-out possible from about day 7. The category serves maize, grass, legume and whole-crop cereal silage across the dairy and beef sectors.

The key directions of liquid silage biopreparations are:

1. Homofermentative LAB inoculants (Homofermentative LAB Inoculants): Lactobacillus plantarum (Volac MTD/1, Chr. Hansen CH6072) that ferment sugars to lactic acid for a rapid pH drop and dry-matter preservation.
2. Heterofermentative LAB inoculants (Heterofermentative LAB Inoculants): Lactobacillus buchneri (Volac PJB/1) that produces acetic acid to inhibit yeasts and molds and extend aerobic stability after the silo opens.
3. Multi-strain combination inoculants (Multi-Strain Combination Inoculants): homo- plus heterofermentative blends (Chr. Hansen SiloSolve AS, Biomin BioStabil HC) that pair fast fermentation with spoilage protection.
4. Liquid formulation and application (Liquid Formulation & Application): water-soluble, freeze-dried-to-liquid products dosed via liquid applicators at chopping, with 48-hour tank-mix stability (Volac Ecosyl).

Sectoral value chain#

[strain isolation] ──> [biomass fermentation] ──> [formulation] ──> [ensiling application]
                                   │
                           (drive forage fermentation)
                                   │
                                   ▼
[feed-out delivery] <─── [fermentation monitoring] <─────┘

Value chain levels#

Cross-cutting technologies of the sector:

• Homofermentative L. plantarum (Homofermentative L. plantarum): fast lactic-acid fermentation for a rapid pH drop (to about 3.7–4.0) and dry-matter preservation.
• Heterofermentative L. buchneri (Heterofermentative L. buchneri): acetic-acid production that suppresses yeasts and molds and extends aerobic stability after feed-out.
• Freeze-dried-to-liquid formulation (Freeze-Dried-to-Liquid Formulation): stable powder reconstituted with water for liquid application, with 24–48 hour tank-mix life and 24–36 month shelf life.

02US#

The US forage and dairy industry drives large-scale maize-silage demand, served by domestic animal-nutrition firms and North American operations of the global inoculant leaders.

Kem LAC inoculants, maize-silage demand, FDA-CVM feed regulation#

• Kemin: an Iowa-based animal-nutrition company supplying silage inoculants (Kem LAC line) built on Lactobacillus and Lacticaseibacillus strains that improve the fermentation and aerobic stability of maize silage.
• North American inoculant operations: Lallemand’s Canadian/U.S. operations market the Lalsil and Sil-All inoculant lines (L. plantarum plus L. buchneri) to dairy and beef producers across the Corn Belt.
• FDA-CVM framing: the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine regulates feed additives, while forage and dairy extension programs drive inoculant adoption against dry-matter and mycotoxin losses.

03CN#

China, the world’s largest dairy and forage producer after the US, is scaling silage-inoculant use as modern dairy farms shift to total-mixed-ration feeding.

dairy-driven silage-inoculant market, corn silage, MoA feed-additive framework#

• Dairy-driven demand: industry analyses project continued growth in China’s 青贮饲料添加剂 (silage feed additive) and 青贮饲料接种剂 (silage inoculant) markets through 2026-2032, pulled by large dairy and beef operations adopting maize and whole-plant corn silage.
• Forage base: whole-plant corn and grass silage dominate, with growing use of microbial inoculants to curb spoilage in warm, humid ensiling conditions.
• MoA framework: microbial silage inoculants register under the Ministry of Agriculture’s feed-additive/biological-input track, framing the route to market for domestic and imported products.

04EU#

The EU is the heartland of silage-inoculant science and industry, with the leading cultures firms and a rigorous feed-additive authorization framework.

SiloSolve / BIO-SIL / Ecosyl cultures, EU Feed Additives Regulation, EFSA#

• Chr. Hansen (Denmark): the SiloSolve AS multi-strain inoculant pairs Enterococcus faecium M74 with L. plantarum CH6072 and L. buchneri LB1819 for a faster pH drop, improved dry-matter preservation and reduced heating.
• Biomin (Austria): BIO-SIL is a freeze-dried homofermentative inoculant (100 g treats 100 t of fresh forage, feed-out from about day 7), while BioStabil HC blends homo- and heterofermentative LAB for maize silage.
• Volac (UK): Ecosyl uses the MTD/1 L. plantarum strain (1.28 oz/ton application, 36-month shelf life) and Ecocool adds the PJB/1 L. buchneri strain for high-risk forages prone to aerobic spoilage.
• EU Feed Additives Regulation: microbial silage inoculants are authorized under Regulation (EU) 1831/2013 and assessed by EFSA before market entry.

05Leading companies and research institutes#

06Tech stack and innovations#

The stack pairs homofermentative fast-fermentation strains with heterofermentative stability strains in liquid, application-ready formulations.

1. Homofermentative L. plantarum fermentation (Homofermentative L. plantarum Fermentation):
   • Volac’s MTD/1 and Chr. Hansen’s CH6072 ferment forage sugars rapidly to lactic acid, dropping pH to about 3.7–4.0 to preserve dry matter and true protein.
   • Frontiers (2026) trials confirm L. plantarum consistently lifts fermentation quality and aerobic stability in whole-plant maize silage more than mixed Lactococcus treatments.
2. Heterofermentative L. buchneri stability (Heterofermentative L. buchneri Stability):
   • Volac’s PJB/1 and Biomin’s BioStabil HC produce acetic acid that inhibits the yeasts and molds responsible for heating and spoilage after the silo opens.
   • The result is longer aerobic stability, lower dry-matter losses and reduced mycotoxin risk in high-risk forages.
3. Liquid formulation and application (Liquid Formulation & Application):
   • Biomin’s BIO-SIL ships as a freeze-dried 100 g sachet treating 100 t of forage, reconstituted with water and applied via a liquid applicator.
   • Volac’s Ecosyl supports liquid application from 1.28 oz/ton upward with a 48-hour tank-mix life and 36-month shelf life, fitting any forage harvester.

07Value chains and production pipelines#

Industrial pipeline of a liquid silage inoculant (EU Feed Additives Reg. 1831/2013 / FDA-CVM / MARA)#

┌───────────────────────────┐      ┌───────────────────────────┐
│ 1. Strain isolation       │ ───> │ 2. Biomass fermentation   │
└───────────────────────────┘      └───────────────────────────┘
                                                  │
                                                  ▼
┌───────────────────────────┐      ┌───────────────────────────┐
│ 4. Ensiling application   │ <─── │ 3. Formulation            │
└───────────────────────────┘      └───────────────────────────┘
               │
               ▼
┌───────────────────────────┐      ┌───────────────────────────┐
│ 5. Fermentation monitoring│ ───> │ 6. Feed-out delivery      │
└───────────────────────────┘      └───────────────────────────┘

Stage 1: Strain isolation

Lactic-acid bacteria (Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, Enterococcus) are isolated from forage and ensiled material and screened for fast acidification, aerobic-stability and strain compatibility; the output is a panel of candidate LAB strains.

Stage 2: Biomass fermentation

The selected strain is grown to high cell counts in a controlled fermenter on a growth medium; the output is a concentrated cell broth ready for stabilization.

Stage 3: Formulation

The broth is stabilized as a freeze-dried powder with carriers and protectants (e.g. maltodextrin) — Biomin’s BIO-SIL packs 100 g to treat 100 t of fresh forage — reconstituted with water at the farm; the output is a water-soluble liquid product.

Stage 4: Ensiling application

The liquid inoculant is sprayed onto forage at chopping via a liquid applicator as the silo is filled (Volac Ecosyl, 1.28 oz/ton upward, 48-hour tank-mix life); the output is uniformly inoculated forage.

Stage 5: Fermentation monitoring

pH, lactic and acetic acid and the microbial profile are tracked through ensiling — a rapid drop to about pH 3.7–4.0 with L. plantarum confirms good fermentation; the output is a fermentation-quality record.

Stage 6: Feed-out delivery

At feed-out, heterofermentative L. buchneri (PJB/1) keeps the open silo face stable by suppressing yeasts and molds, reducing heating and mycotoxin risk; the output is a stable, high-value ration delivered under EU Reg. 1831/2013, FDA-CVM or MARA frameworks.