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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Madison, Wisconsin » U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #118698

Title: RELATIVE FEEDING VALUE OF DIVERSE CORN SILAGE HYBRIDS

Author
item Satter, Larry
item MOREIRA, VINICIUS - UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN
item SANTOS, HONORATO - UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN
item WU, ZHIGUO - UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN
item Kanitz, Fern

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/14/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Brown midrid (bm3) corn has a mutation that impairs lignin synthesis in the plant. Consequently, bm3 corn silage has lower lignin content and is usually more digestible than corn silage made from conventional corn hybrids. Cows fed bm3 corn silage in high-forage diets (75 percent forage) produced about 2 kg more milk than cows fed the same diet containing conventional corn silage. In a study comparing corn silage made from high oil, waxy, multileaf, or bm3 hybrids, the bm3 corn silage diets supported higher milk production. Transition cows fed bm3 or a conventional hybrid produced about 2 kg more milk per day when fed the bm3 corn silage. Lastly, in a study to evaluate corn silage quality as a function of cutting height, it was found that cutting at 28 inches rather than at 14 inches increased dry matter content of the silage, reduced the NDF and ADF content, and resulted in about one kg more milk per cow per day.