From field to farm: Valorization of tobacco cv. Solaris biomass as non-conventional silage

This study presents an integrated field-to-farm approach for the valorization of Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Solaris as a non-conventional silage, cultivated in Central-South Italy. The experimental design integrated agronomic management of whole-plant biomass, lactic acid bacterial inoculant selection and validation, and evaluation of nutritional, chemical, and microbiological traits of the resulting silage across two consecutive seasons, based on 2 ha of cultivation per year. The ensiled cv. Solaris biomass (SiloSolaris) exhibited a balanced nutritional profile, with crude protein contents of 16.8–17.0 g 100 g⁻¹ dry matter (DM), structural carbohydrate levels suitable for ruminal fermentation (NDF 45–48 g 100 g⁻¹ DM), and consistently low alkaloid concentrations (0.11–0.46 g nicotine 100 g⁻¹ DM), supporting its suitability for ruminant feeding. A targeted biotechnological strategy based on Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LPUM1 was applied as a silage inoculant, either alone or delivered through cheese whey as a functional carrier. Inoculated silages via whey showed improved fermentation kinetics, enhanced dominance of lactic acid bacteria, and reduced undesirable microorganisms, including eumycetes and Clostridium spp. Overall, cv. Solaris can be integrated into ruminant diet when agronomic practices, ensiling conditions, and microbial management are coherently aligned. Beyond the specific crop investigated, the proposed field-to-farm approach provides a transferable model for stabilizing and upgrading non-food crops and agro-industrial co-products into safe, stable and nutritionally functional silages, contributing to circular resource use in livestock production systems.