Abstract Introduction Silage quality deteriorates with Clostridium spp. contamination, and if consumed, such silage jeopardises herd health and productivity. Minimising its occurrence reduces economic and animal welfare risks. The study investigated the influence of environmental and technological determinants on the Clostridium genus’ occurrence in silage. Material and Methods Analyses were conducted on 305 silage samples directly collected from farms located in all Polish provinces. Cultures and isolates were evaluated phenotypically and examined for occurrence of Clostridium spp., particularly C. perfringens and C. botulinum using PCR techniques. The results were statistically analysed using the ᵡ2 test for continuous and Student’s t-test for non-continuous values. Results The most influential effect on Clostridium spp. occurrence is exerted by factors potentially associated with primary production, like the type of fertilisation and the contamination level of the ensiled feed material. Clostridium spp. was detected in 232 (76%) samples, and C. perfringens strains, predominantly toxinotype A, in 79 (26%). C. botulinum occurrence was not detected. Conclusions Deterioration of silage by clostridia could be prevented by a properly conducted ensiling process with the addition of starter cultures, but the presence of spores mainly depends on primary production and the extent of contamination of the feed material.

中文翻译：

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梭菌属的潜在决定因素。发生在波兰青贮饲料中

摘要 简介 青贮质量因梭菌属而劣化。污染，如果食用，这种青贮饲料会危及畜群健康和生产力。尽量减少其发生可降低经济和动物福利风险。该研究调查了环境和技术决定因素对青贮饲料中梭菌属的影响。材料和方法 对直接从波兰所有省份的农场采集的 305 份青贮饲料样品进行了分析。对培养物和分离物进行表型评估，并使用 PCR 技术检查梭菌属，特别是产气荚膜梭菌和肉毒梭菌的发生。对连续值使用ᵡ2 检验，对非连续值使用学生 t 检验对结果进行统计分析。结果对梭状芽孢杆菌的影响最大。可能与初级生产相关的因素会导致这种情况发生，例如施肥类型和青贮饲料材料的污染程度。梭菌属 在 232 个 (76%) 样本中检测到产气荚膜梭菌菌株，主要是 A 型毒素，在 79 个 (26%) 中检测到。未检测到肉毒杆菌发生。结论 正确进行青贮过程并添加发酵剂可以防止梭状芽孢杆菌对青贮饲料的劣化，但孢子的存在主要取决于初级生产和饲料材料的污染程度。79 人（26%）。未检测到肉毒杆菌发生。结论 正确进行青贮过程并添加发酵剂可以防止梭状芽孢杆菌对青贮饲料的劣化，但孢子的存在主要取决于初级生产和饲料材料的污染程度。79 人（26%）。未检测到肉毒杆菌发生。结论 正确进行青贮过程并添加发酵剂可以防止梭状芽孢杆菌对青贮饲料的劣化，但孢子的存在主要取决于初级生产和饲料材料的污染程度。