Are silage inoculants worth the cost?

Silage inoculants are widely used in modern forage systems, often as insurance against poor fermentation. But with rising feed costs, it’s important to ask: are they always necessary, or are we adding expense without measurable benefit?

Silage inoculants are microbial additives, most commonly based on lactic acid bacteria. Their main role is to guide fermentation in the right direction, quickly lowering the pH to preserve more nutrients and prevent spoilage.