Evaluation of Corn Silage Harvested at Two Stages of Maturity¹

Abstract

The effect of harvesting an early maturing corn hybrid when the grain was at the milk, as compared to well dented, on chemical composition, ear to plant ratio, grain and silage yield, digestibilities, palatability, and milk production was studied for 2 years. The ears of corn at the latter harvest as compared to the earlier harvest made up a considerably larger portion of the total silage yield. Correspondingly, the leaves, stalks, and husks were a smaller portion of the mature than of the immature corn plants. There was a large incrcease in silage and grain yields by delaying harvest to a more mature stage of growth. Each year the crude protein and crude fiber were significantly lower and the nitrogen‐free extract significantly higher for the silage harvested at the mature as compared to the immature stage. The total digestible nutrients values were slightly higher for the corn cut at the dent stage. The mature silage was more palatable than the immature silage. The persistency of milk production of the cows fed mature silage was slightly higher than for those fed immature silage.

Yield and quality components in maize grown for silage

“…Differences between harvesting dates in DM yield were observed for all parameters except cob, the later harvesting date giving the lower yields. This is contrary to the findings of most workers (Bryant et al, 1966;Owen, 1967), but Johnson, McClure, Johnson, Klosterman & Triplett (1966) report that there was a decrease in stalk and leaf at later stages of maturity when ear formation was almost complete. In the present study after removal of the early-harvested plots those remaining were more exposed and subject to considerable windblasting in mid-October and a certain amount of lodging occurred.…”

“…These factors combined resulted in lower yields of DM, despite increased DM content. Nevertheless, in Britain a reduction in yield might be acceptable if a higher dry-matter content improved intake (Bryant et al 1966). However, this will depend on circumstances such as weather conditions in autumn, the cropping programme in relation to the amount and type of conserved product (grass plus maize, maize alone, etc.…”

“…However, reports on Trials B and C were planted on 22 May 1967digestibility are less frequent. Using beef steers, the varieties, plant densities and harvesting dates Bryant et al (1966) examined digestibility and at are shown in Table 1. The date of planting was delayed by excessive rainfall in May (Table 2).…”

The question of grain content and forage quality in maize: comparisons between isogenic fertile and sterile plants

“…In feeding trials and farming practice, animal performance depends on nutrient intake, and this involves not only digestibility and the efficiency of utilization of digested feed, but also feed intake (Raymond, 1969). There is much recent evidence to suggest that the drymatter intake of silage maize is positively related to percentage content of dry matter within the range, 20-30, normally considered (Bryant et al 1966;Huber, Graf & Engel, 1965;Johnson & McClure, 1967;Fisher et al 1968;Goering et al 1969). Early and late varieties of maize harvested for forage on the same date differ in both percentage dry-matter content and proportion of the grain component.…”

Finding the Technological Sweet Spot: The Smallholder Conservation Agriculture Maize Seeder

“…Dry grain weight was corrected to 15.5% moisture and ear-stalk ratio was calculated using recorded counts of each per row (Lauer, 2002). Because of the difference in plant population, an ear-stalk calculation was made to accompany grain yield data, similar to other studies comparing maize varieties in silage production using ear-stalk ratios (Hemken et al, 1971;Bryant et al, 1966).. In this way, the seeders would be compared based on the numbers of ears present on each stalk.…”