Vestnik OrelGAU, 4(49), August 2014 UDC 636.2.085.523.1 IMPACT OF HAYLAGE HARVEST AND STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES ON FORAGE MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION Artemyeva O.A., Candidate of Biological Sciences Duborezov V.M., Doctor of Agricultural Sciences Pavlyuchenkova O.V., Kotkovskaya E.N., Candidates of Biological Sciences Ralkova V.S., Researcher Peresyolkova D.A., Junior Researcher All-Russia Research Institute for Animal Husbandry named after Academy Member L.K. Ernst, Moscow, Russia E-mail: vijmikrob@mail.ru ABSTRACT To develop bacteriological regulations for harvesting and storing haylage, microbial contamination of feeds has been studied using different technologies for harvesting haylage and laying fodder in trench and concrete ring silos, and rolls. <...> It was noted that the analyzed forage samples had no pathogenic microorganisms and Enterobacteriaceae, including Salmonella. <...> The values for the number of mesophilic aerobic and elective anaerobic bacteria, and concentrations of lacticacid bacteria, mold and yeast fungi in samples were lower than in the feedstock. <...> Microbial contamination values were better for haylage obtained from the plants cut 25 cm above the ground level (when compared to the plants cut to 9 cm height). <...> Rates of contamination were lower in haylage packed into film bags than into trench silos that might give reason to recommend the given harvesting technique. <...> Permissible contaminant levels without any negative impact on haylage quality have been identified. <...> KEY WORDS Haylage; Harvesting technologies; Trench silo; Concrete ring silo; Roll; Forage equipment; Microbiological parameters; Mold; Yeast-like fungi; Mesophilic aerobic and elective anaerobic bacteria. <...> An increase in efficiency of animal husbandry depends on the feed production growth as well as the rise in the fodder quality, decrease in loss of feed nutrients by the means of harvest and storage technology developments. <...> Feeds, feed additives and feedstock should not contain microorganisms, their toxins or their metabolites of unacceptable amount, which represents health risks of farm animals [8]. <...> Safe levels of microorganism contamination in bulky feeds harvested using different technologies should be taken in consideration when developing microbiological regulations. <...> It should be reasonable to determine common indices of safety and certain pathogenic microorganism <...>