Identification and characterization of yeasts in sugarcane silages

To enumerate the micro-organisms and to identify the yeast species present during the ensilage of different sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) cultivars.

Samples of sugarcane silage were collected at 10, 20, 30 and 40 days from the start of fermentation. Population levels of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), mesophilic facultative anaerobic (MFA) bacteria, filamentous fungi and yeasts were determined. Nine species of yeasts were classified according to traditional methods and confirmed using molecular techniques.

LAB dominated the ensiling process of sugarcane, although yeasts were present at relatively high population levels throughout the whole fermentation period. The detected species of yeasts varied according to sugarcane cultivar and time of fermentation. Torulaspora delbrueckii was the predominant yeast, followed by Pichia anomala and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Knowledge of the population of micro-organisms in general, and of yeasts in particular, present during the fermentation of sugarcane is of fundamental importance in the development of more effective ensiling processes.