New assessment based on the use of principal factor analysis to investigate corn silage quality fromnutritional traits, fermentation end products andmycotoxins

BACKGROUND: A survey on 68 dairy farms was carried out to evaluate the ensiling procedures adopted to store corn silage.\r\nSamples from core, lateral and apical zones of the feed-out face of silos were analysed. A principal factor analysis (PFA) was\r\ncarried out on the entire database (196 silage samples and 36 variables) and 11 principal factor components (PCs)were retained\r\nand interpreted.\r\nRESULTS: Ensiling procedures influenced the area exposed to risk of air penetration. Cores had higher dry matter, starch and\r\nlactic acid content or lower pH, fibre, propionate and butyrate concentrations than peripheral samples (P < 0.05). The highest\r\n(P < 0.05) mycophenolic acid and roquefortina C concentrations were detected in lateral samples. Chemical and digestibility\r\nvariables loaded on two PCs; four PCs were characterized by end-products associated with clostridia, heterolactic, homolactic\r\nand aerobic fermentations; two PCs were associated withmycotoxins, whereas three PCs explained ensiling procedures.\r\nCONCLUSION: The main quality traits of corn silages differed throughout the entire silo face. Minimization of the area exposed\r\nto risk of air penetration represents the best strategy to preserve the nutritional value and safety of corn silages. PFA allowed a\r\nclusterization of original variables into 11 PCs, appearing able to discriminate well and poorly preserved corn silages.