Information: References

ECOSYL Products Limited believes that it is extremely important that it can back up its claims through independent trials. The research papers listed below are only a sample of the background work on the products. Copies of the following published references are available on request. Please email us for a copy.


Bolsen, KK, B Kirch, A Laytimi, J Hoover & H Ilg (1988) Inoculant-treated corn silages for growing cattle. Kansas State University 75 th Annual Cattlemens Day.

Bolsen, KK, A Laytimi, RA Hart, F Niroomand & J Hoover (1989) Additive-treated corn and forage sorghum silages for growing cattle. Kansas State University 76 th Annual Cattlemens Day.

Buchanan-Smith, JG (1990) Effect of ‘Ecosyl’ on alfalfa silage fermentation. University of Guelph report to CIL Inc. (ICI Canada).

Cunningham, DF (1994) Viability counts in silage inoculants. Report by Llysfasi College, Clwyd, UK.

Dewhurst, RJ, DWR Davies, WJ Fisher, J Bertilsson & RJ Wilkins (2000) Intake and milk production responses to legume silages offered to Holstein-Friesian cows. Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science, p11.

Dewhurst, RJ, DWR Davies, WJ Fisher, J Bertilsson & RJ Wilkins (2001) Evaluation of legume silages offered to Holstein-Friesian cows with small amounts of concentrates. Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science, p187.

Dublin City University (1997) Most inoculants not up to spec. Irish Farmers Journal, 12 April.

Fish, SL (1990) Effects of a silage microbial inoculant on animal performance and silage digestibility. MSc Thesis, Michigan State University, USA .

Gordon, FJ (1992) Improving the feeding value of silage through biological control. In Biotechnology in the Feed Industry, Proceedings of Alltech’s Eighth Annual Symposium (TP Lyons, ed), Alltech Technical Publications, 87-97.

ICI Biological Products, Billingham, (1984-85). Experimental details for ICI 1984 trials, Internal report.

Keady, TWJ & RWJ Steen (1994) Effects of treating low dry matter grass with a bacterial inoculant on the intake and performance of beef cattle and studies of its mode of action. Grass & Forage Sci., 49, 438-446.

Keady, TWJ & RWJ Steen (1995) The effects of treating low dry matter, low digestibility grass with a bacterial inoculant on the intake and performance of beef cattle and studies on mode of action. Grass & Forage Sci.,50, 217-226.

Keady, TWJ (1996) Will it improve yield? Farmers Weekly, 22 Nov.

Keady, TWJ (2001) Digestibility vital for performance. Farmers Weekly, 9 March.

Kennedy, SJ, HI Gracey, EF Unsworth, RWJ Steen & R Anderson (1989) Evaluation studies in the development of a commercial bacterial inoculant as an additive for grass silage. 2. Responses in finishing cattle. Grass & Forage Sci., 44, 371-380.

Kung, L Jr & RE Muck (1997) Animal responses to silage additives. Proceedings from the Silage:Field to Feedbunk North American Conference, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA, February 1997, 200-210.

Kung L Jr (2000) Use of forage additives in silage fermentation. 2000-01 Direct-fed Microbial, Enzyme & Forage Additive Compendium. The Miller Publishing Company, Minnesota, USA, 39-44.

Marley, G, G. Pahlow, H-H Hermann & TR Owen (2005) A comparison of the efficacy of an ultra-low volume applicator for liquid-applied silage inoculants with that of a conventional applicator. XIVth International Silage Conference, July 2005, Belfast

Marley, G (2006) Efficiency of ultra low volume inoculant application of Lactobacillus plantarum MTD/1 . 8 th British Grassland Research Conference , 4-6 September 2006, Cirencester

Moran, JP & TR Owen (1993) The efficacy of a bacterial inoculant on silage fermentation under a range of ensiling conditions. Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Silage Research, Dublin, Sept 1993.

Mulrooney, CN & L. King Jr. (2009) The effect of water temperature on the viability of silage inoculants. J. Dairy Sci.,91, 236-240

O’Kiely, P (1990) Evaluation of a Lactobacillus plantarum inoculant as an additive for silage fed to heifers. British Society of Animal Production, Winter Meeting, March 1990.

O’Kiely, P (1991) Further evaluation of a Lactobacillus inoculant as an additive for silage offered to heifers. 17 th Research Meeting, Irish Grassland and Animal Production Association, April 1991.

O’Kiely, P (1994) Effects of adding Lactobacillus plantarum inoculant to grass ensiled at different dry matter concentrations and offered to beef cattle. British Society of Animal Production, Winter Meeting, March 1994.

Osman, S and A Beattie (1998) An independent review of the effects of Ecosyl silage inoculant on the performance of dairy cattle in fourteen trials. Report by the Dairy Research & Consultancy Ltd, University of Reading.

Owen, TR (2002a) The effects of a silage inoculant containing Lactobacillus plantarum strain MTD/1 on the digestibility of grass silage as determined in vivo. Proceedings of the XIIIth International Silage Conference, Auchincruive, Sept 2002.

Owen, TR (2002b) The effects of a combination of a silage inoculant and a chemical preservative on the fermentation and aerobic stability of whole-crop cereal and maize silage. Proceedings of the XIIIth International Silage Conference, Auchincruive, Sept 2002.

Pahlow, G (1990) Microbiology of inoculants, crops and silages. Proceedings of the Eurobac Conference, Uppsala, Sweden, August 1986, (P Lingvall & S Lindgren, eds), Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.

Phillip, LE, L Underhill & H Garino (1992) Growth performance, appetite and plasma ammonia concentrations in heifers fed inoculated lucerne prior to ensilage, then supplemented with sodium bicarbonate. Grass & Forage Sci., 47, 28-35.

Rooke, JA & F Kafilzadeh (1994) The effect upon fermentation and nutritive value of silages produced after treatment by three different inoculants of lactic acid bacteria applied alone or in combination. Grass & Forage Sci., 49, 324-333.

Royal Agricultural College (1998) Silage inoculant shock. British Dairying, February.

Shiels, P, P O’Kiely, AP Moloney & PJ Caffrey (1994) The effects of a bacterial inoculant (Lactobacillus plantarum) and formic acid on the fermentation and nutritive value of difficult-to-ensile grass ensile in farm silos. 20 th Annual Research Meeting, Irish Grassland and Animal Production Association, March 1994.

Steen, RWJ, EF Unsworth, HI Gracey, SJ Kennedy, R Anderson & DJ Kilpatrick (1989) Evaluation studies in the development of a commercial bacterial inoculant as an additive for grass silage. 3. Responses in growing cattle and interaction with protein supplementation. Grass & Forage Sci, 44, 381-390.

Unsworth, EF & CS Mayne (1993) The energy balance of lactating dairy cows offered restricted fermentation or fermented grass silage. Proceedings of the10th Silage Research Conference, Dublin, Ireland, September 1993, 180-181.

Vigezzi, P, C Rottingni, B Bianchi Salvadori, P Avino, P Rota & A Giardini (1996) Effects of inoculation of low moisture lucerne silage with Lactobacillus plantarum strains selected from lucerne epiphytic microflora. Proceedings of the XIth International Silage Conference, Aberystwyth, UK, September 1996, 260-261.

Weddell, J (1986) Report on the performance of Add-F, Scotsil and Ecosyl silage additives at MacRobert Experimental Farm, Aberdeen, 1985-86. Scottish Agricultural Colleges Research & Development Note No. 32, November 1986.

Weinberg, ZG & RE Muck (1996) New trends and opportunities in the development and use of inoculants in silage. FEMS Microbiology Reviews, 19, 53-68.

Wilkinson, MJ (1996) Bacterial numbers are the key to inoculant success. Dairy Farmer, January, p43.