Microbial dynamics in combinations of forage cactus and sorghum silage as a function of aerobic exposure and faecal contamination

This study evaluated the dynamics of the bacterial community in mixtures of forage cactus and sorghum silage at different proportions, subjected to aerobic exposure periods, without or with faecal contamination. The experimental design was completely randomized in a 2 × 2 × 4 factorial arrangement, with two forage cactus proportions (20 and 80 %), absence or presence of faecal contamination and four aerobic exposure times (0, 6, 12 and 24 h). Fermentation profile, chemical composition, microbial