For producers who have decided to harvest flooded corn crops for silage, high moisture ear corn or snaplage, treatment with either bacterial inoculants or proprionic acid is highly recommended. This is even more important with corn that has been flooded close to harvest because flooded corn will likely have contamination with undesirable bacteria such as clostridium.
Some research had shown that inoculation of high moisture ear corn with a high moisture corn specific inoculant will result in a faster pH drop than treatment with proprionic acid. Treatment with proprionic acid can result on better aerobic stability at feedout than inoculation with a Lactic acid bacterial inoculant, with the exception of Lactobacillus buchneri, which results in excellent aerobic stability.
Given that high moisture grains ferment slower to begin with, and that flooded corn fermentation could be compromised by competition with undesirable bacteria, it makes sense to choose to use a bacterial inoculant to improve the population of good bacteria and speed fermentation. Use of L. buchneri inoculant may be a good option to speed fermentation and get good aerobic stability.
When applying inoculant on compromised crops, a higher application rate than typically recommended might be advisable. Experience indicates that at least doubling the regular rate is appropriate.
Below are links to two good University of Wisconsin Extension articles by Mike Rankin on harvest and treatment of high moisture corn.
Wisconsin Crop Manager
High Moisture Corn Harvest Considerations
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