NOVELTY - A purified strain (S1) or biologically pure culture of bacterium selected from 13 bacterium as given in the specification e.g. Lactobacillus buchneri, strain LN4017 (PTA-6138); Lactobacillus plantarum, strain LP678 (PTA-6134); Lactobacillus plantarum, strain LP3710 (PTA-6136); Lactobacillus plantarum, strain LP3779 (PTA-6137); Lactobacillus plantarum, strain LP7109 (PTA-6139); and Lactobacillus paracasei tolerans, strain LC3200 (PTA-6135), is new.    USE - For treating pre-ensiled plant material such as grasses, maize, alfalfa, wheat, legumes, sorghum, sunflower, and/or barley to enhance the digestibility of the resulting silage (claimed), to produce ferulate esterase used as forage additives to feed animals such as mammals and birds, including ruminant, equine, bovine, porcine, caprine, ovine and avian species, e.g. poultry.    ADVANTAGE - The use of purified bacterial strains as forage additives or silage inoculant in method of treating pre-ensiled plant material enhances plant fiber digestion in animals, and also enhances the preservation of the ensiled forage by improving both the fermentation and aerobic stability of the silage.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - A purified strain (S1) or biologically pure culture of bacterium selected from Lactobacillus buchneri, strain LN4017 (PTA-6138); Lactobacillus plantarum, strain LP678 (PTA-6134); Lactobacillus plantarum, strain LP3710 (PTA-6136); Lactobacillus plantarum, strain LP3779 (PTA-6137); Lactobacillus plantarum, strain LP7109 (PTA-6139); Lactobacillus paracasei tolerans, strain LC3200 (PTA-6135); Lactobacillus brevis, strain LB1154, (NRRL B-30865); Lactobacillus buchneri, strain LN4888 (NRRL B-30866); Lactobacillus reuteri, strain LR4933 (NRRL B-30867); Lactobacillus crispatus, strain LI2127 (NRRL B-30868); Lactobacillus crispatus, strain LI2350 (NRRL B-30869); Lactobacillus crispatus, strain LI2366 (NRRL B-30870); and/or Lactobacillus species unknown, strain UL3050, (NRRL B-30871), is new. INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for the following:    (1) a composition (C1) comprising a ferulate esterase producing bacterial strain (S1) (excluding Lactobacillus species unknown, strain UL3050, (NRRL B-30871)) and carrier; and    (2) treating pre-ensiled plant material to enhance the digestibility of the resulting silage involving adding to pre-ensiled plant material a digestibility enhancing amount of the composition (C1).