# Fermentation Characteristics and Microbiota during the
## 4 Discussion  
However, fresh _M. aquaticum_ with water content between 85% and 93% is not easy to preserve for a long period of time and easily goes bad, while the activity of lactic acid bacteria was inhibited when the moisture content was too low, which affected the fermentation quality of the silage. Therefore, the experiment controlled the water content of _M. aquaticum_ between 75-80% for silage. Lactic acid bacteria were added to increase the abundance of lactic acid bacteria on the surface of _M. aquaticum_, which made the fermentation rapidly proceed. A large amount of lactic acid was generated in the fermentation, resulting in a rapid decrease in pH, which is conducive to inhibiting the degradation of crude protein and reducing the decomposition rate of protein in feed, which can be directly digested and absorbed by animals. [PERSON] et al. [33] reported that added _Lactobacillus plantarum_ and _Lactobacillus buchneri_ on alfalfa silage could improve the quality of alfalfa silage. [PERSON] et al. [34] found that, when _Lactobacillus plantarum_ was added to rye, lo libitum multiform, and barley silages, the silage quality improved, and the _L. plantarum_ strain has good antibiotic resistance and meted the safety standard of animal feed. The lactic acid inoculant used in this experiment is the lactic acid bacteria preparation of _M. aquaticum_ silage, which has a higher adaptability to _M. aquaticum_. [PERSON] et al. [35] also reported that the lactic acid bacteria additive could improve the fermentation quality of corn silage, and cause the silage to have a low pH, and a high content of volatile fatty acid and lactic acid. The amount and composition of organic acids reflect the fermentation of carbohydrates in the silage during the ensiling process. The higher the ratio of lactic acid to total organic acids, the more the lactic acid bacteria become the dominant group in the fermentation process, while the lower the butyric acid content, the more the harmful bacteria, such as Clostridium, were inhibited. In this study, the organic acid, pH, and butyric acid contents were significantly higher in the treatment with the addition of inoculant, compared to CK, and the lactic acid content and lactic acid to total acid ratio were also significantly higher. [PERSON] et al. [36] showed that the addition of lactic acid bacteria improved the quality and nutritional value of rye silage, specifically by reducing the pH, butyric acid, and ammonia nitrogen content of the silage, increasing the content of lactic acid and neutral detergent fiber, and inhibiting the activity of microorganisms, such as molds. [PERSON] [PERSON] et al. [37] found that the addition of lactic acid bacteria to alfalfa, loium perenne, and red clover mixed with ryegrass and timothy reduced the loss of nutrients in feed and improved the silage quality and aerobic stability of silage. The main components of NDF include cellulose, lignin, and hemicellulose, while cellulose and lignin are the main components of ADF. The content of NDF and ADF in the animal forage affected the dry-matter intake and digestibility of the feed. The content of NDF and ADF in the treatment with lactic acid bacteria was significantly lower than that of CK, while the content of CP was increased and much higher than that of conventional green feed and grain crops, which could be an important supplement to the protein source in animal forage. In the present study, the complex microbial communities of the raw materials were gradually replaced by lactic acid bacteria during anaerobic fermentation, and the microbial diversity sharply reduced after successful fermentation. Similarly, [PERSON] et al. [38] found that the microbial diversity of LAB-treated silage decreased after ensiling. This suggested that there was a difference between the epiphytic LAB found on the raw materials and LAB.