Effect of maturity stage at harvest on the ensilability of maize hybrids in the early and late FAO classes, grown in areas differing in yield potential

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of earliness (according to FAO class), maturity stage at harvest and environmental conditions on the ensilability of maize hybrids described by their fermentation products and by a fermentation quality index (FQI). Maize hybrids belonging to early (n = 14) and late (n = 15) FAO classes were grown in low, medium and high potential yield areas and harvested at an early (EH), medium (MH) and late maturity stage (LH), that is, at 1/3, 2/3 and 5 d after the 2/3 milk line stage, respectively, according to a split‐plot design. Upon harvest, each sample (n = 522) was analysed for dry matter (DM) and water‐soluble carbohydrates (WSC) before being ensiled in vacuum‐packed bags (n = 1,044). After 60 days of conservation, samples were analysed for DM and fermentation products. In the pre‐ensiling phase, DM was higher in early hybrids (p = .001), low yield areas (p < .001) and at LH maturity (p < .001), whereas WSC contents were higher in early hybrids (p < .001), medium yield areas (p < .001) and at EH maturity (p < .001). With regard to silages, early hybrids had a higher FQI (p < .001), which was highest in areas with a high yield potential (p < .01) and at EH maturity (p < .01). Late hybrids proved to be better suited for low yield areas compared with early hybrids (p < .01) and had a higher FQI at EH and MH than at LH maturity (p < .01).

Use of near-infrared spectroscopy and multivariate approach for estimating silage fermentation quality from freshly harvested maize

“…Thus, the within-sample variability was mostly acquired. Subsamples (n ¼ 1644) were suddenly ensiled in vacuum-packed bags (Orved 2633040, Orved SpA, Musile di Piave, VE, Italy) as described by Andrighetto et al (2018) and stored in a dark room at 23 C for 60 days (Marchesini et al 2019). Post-ensiling subsamples were scanned twice by the use of a FOSS NIRSysistem 5000 scanning monochromator (FossNIR-System, Hillerød, Denmark) and predicted using the calibration curve as previously reported by Andrighetto et al (2018).…”

“…In this regard, repeated measures are made feasible by the use of Near Infra-red spectroscopy (NIRs) technique, a type of analysis that is more and more extensively adopted in agriculture (Fern andez-Ahumada et al 2008) for its low costs, high speed and ease of use and for the availability of portable devices which allow performing the analyses in real-time at field level (Marchesini et al 2017;Harris et al 2018). Among the ingredients used in the ration of dairy cows, maize silage is one of the most important (Grant and Adesogan 2018) and is characterised by a great variability both in composition and fermentation quality (Grant and Ferraretto 2018;Marchesini et al 2019), which if not adequate, could reduce DM intake (DMI) and production (Gerlach et al 2013) and lead to poor health (Borreani et al 2008).…”

Corn Silage, Meta-Analysis of The Quality and Yield of Different Regions in the World

“…In Table 6, the CL1 "Starch" registered the highest milk production (kg of milk/ton/DM ha -1 ); it was related to a higher concentration of Mcal/kg/DM, influenced by its starch concentration, and of NFC, associated to DMY; this association is due to one of the main factors that determine the nutritional quality of silage, which is the NDF content, resulting from the degree of maturity reached at the time of cutting and by the corn variety [3] and the starch content present in the plant [39]. In this group we can assume the presence of early hybrid maize, which presents a higher DMD in vitro, compared to intermediate or late cycle hybrids [41], likewise, the early plants are smaller, with a higher production of cob and proportion of grain; this characteristic allows having a low NDF content [42,43]; and present high grain content, compared to late-maturing hybrids [44]. In another case, we can find maize from temperate climates that present a higher DMD compared to those from tropical climates [42].…”

“…Some varieties of corn with a higher lysine content, allow a softer endosperm, generating a higher DMD and starch content [3]. Marchesini et al [41] mentioned that a lower NDF content occurs at advanced stages of maturity, resulting in higher grain content and low fiber content; this grain increases the energy value [34], providing a higher amount of starch [45], and this presents a dilution effect of the NDF [46], being the grain, the most digestible part of the plant, resulting in a higher DMD in vitro [25]. Higher NDF levels are associated with increased starch content in late harvest; this concentration is a consequence of the transport of sugars from the remains to the cob to be converted into starch [44].…”

“…[60] the use of dehydrated molasses and minerals decreases the OM content, as observed in the results obtained in this LC6. The increase of DM corresponds to a decrease in plant NFC content, since NFC synthesized in flowering phase and stored at stem and leaves level are used to synthesize starch in grains, which mostly contributes to DM increase [41].…”