Influence of stage of maturity on bromatological quality of corn forage

ABSTRACT -The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of stalk/leaf ratio and the stage of maturity on the digestibility of the corn plant. Hybrids AG1051, AG4051, AG5011, DOW2B710, DOW2C577, DOW2A525, NB7315 and P30F90 were used, harvested at the one-half milk line (½ ML), three-quarters milk line (¾ ML) and black layer (BL) stages. A randomized block design was used in an 8 (hybrids) × 3 (stages of maturity) factorial design, with three replications. The means generated were used for grouping into high and low stalk/leaf ratio and a new analysis of variance was generated in a 2 × 3 (two groups and three stages of maturity) factorial design. The whole plant and its stalk, leaf, husk, cob and grain components were incubated in situ in the rumen of three cows for determination of degradability of dry matter and degradable neutral detergent fiber. Stalk/leaf ratio did not influence neutral detergent fiber content or the degradability of dry matter and neutral detergent fiber of any of the components, except for the cob, in which the high ratio group had greater degradable neutral detergent fiber contents. There was a reduction in the degradability of all the parts, except for the stalk and cob, and an increase in the neutral detergent fiber contents of the vegetative parts, except for the stalk. Unlike the vegetative components, the neutral detergent fiber contents of the whole plant decreased throughout the stages evaluated. For degradable neutral detergent fiber, there was a reduction in the whole plant and in its components. The advance of maturity reduces the quality of the vegetative components; however, this loss in the entire plant is moderated by grain filling. Forage quality depends more on the quality of the components than on their proportions in the dry matter

Desempenho de híbridos experimentais e comerciais de milho para produção de milho verde Performance of experimental and commercial hybrids of maize for the production of green maize

Conduziu-se este trabalho com objetivo de avaliar o desempenho de 32 híbridos experimentais e 4 híbridos comerciais para produção de milho verde em Lavras, MG. O delineamento utilizado foi de blocos ao acaso com duas repetições. Foram avaliadas sete características de interesse agronômico e comercial para a produção de milho verde. Os dados obtidos foram submetidos à análise de variância, decompondo o efeito dos híbridos em híbridos comerciais, híbridos experimentais e híbridos comerciais versus híbridos experimentais. Foram feitos ainda estudos de correlação entre as diferentes características agronômicas dos híbridos. Entre os híbridos avaliados há híbridos experimentais promissores com desempenho superior a híbridos comerciais amplamente utilizados no Brasil. Considerando as características avaliadas, os híbridos AG 1051, AG 4051, GNS 03, GNS 21, GNS 23 e GNS 35 foram os mais promissores. É possível reduzir o número de características avaliadas em experimentos com milho verde, uma vez que existem associações entre as principais características avaliadas para essa finalidade. A produtividade de espigas empalhadas e despalhadas e a cor dos grãos são características imprescindíveis nessa avaliação.The objective of this research was to evaluate the performance of thirty-two experimental hybrids and four commercial hybrids of green maize at Lavras, MG. The experimental design was a randomized blocks with two replications. Seven characteristics of agronomic and commercial interest for the production of green maize had been evaluated. For each experiment, the data obtained were submitted to the analysis of variance decomposing the effect of the hybrids in commercial hybrids versus experimental hybrids. There were still made studies of correlation among the different characteristics. Among all of evaluated hybrids, there are experimental promising hybrids with performance superior to the commercial hybrids widely utilized in Brazil. Taking into account all the characteristics evaluated, hybrids AG 1051, AG 4051, GNS 03, GNS 21, GNS 23 and GNS 35 were the most promising. It is possible to reduce the number of characteristics evaluated as green maize, since there are high associations among the main characteristics evaluated for this purpose. The yield of strawed ears along and the color of the grains are indispensable characteristics in that evaluation

INFLUENCE OF THE QUALITATIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE MAIZE PLANT IN THE DEGRADABILITY OF THE DRY MATTER OF THE WHOLE PLANT

The objective of this work was to evaluate the correlation and the influence of qualitative characteristicsof the components of the maize plant in the quality of the forage. Eight maize cultivars were harvested at three stagesof grain maturity, half milk line (½ ML), three-quarters milk line (¾ ML) and black line (BL). The experimentaldesign was a randomized block, with three replicates, in an eight (hybrids) x tree (cutting date) x two (sowing date)factorial scheme,. The quality of the vegetative components influenced significantly the quality of the forage. Thedegradability (DEG) of the vegetative components presented greater correlation with degradability of the whole plantdry matter than degradability and density of grain. Advancing plant maturity affected degradability (DEG), fiber inneutral detergent (FDN) and fiber in neutral detergent degradability (FDND) of the whole plant and their components,except for fiber in detergent neutral degradability of stalk. The group of high degradability of dry matter of the wholeplant presented better values of degradability, fiber in detergent neutral and fiber in detergent neutral degradability forall the components except straw FDN, FDND leaf and FDND straw with no differences among the appraised groups

Influence of stage of maturity on bromatological quality of corn forage

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of stalk/leaf ratio and the stage of maturity on the digestibility of the corn plant. Hybrids AG1051, AG4051, AG5011, DOW2B710, DOW2C577, DOW2A525, NB7315 and P30F90 were used, harvested at the one-half milk line (½ ML), three-quarters milk line (¾ ML) and black layer (BL) stages. A randomized block design was used in an 8 (hybrids) × 3 (stages of maturity) factorial design, with three replications. The means generated were used for grouping into high and low stalk/leaf ratio and a new analysis of variance was generated in a 2 × 3 (two groups and three stages of maturity) factorial design. The whole plant and its stalk, leaf, husk, cob and grain components were incubated in situ in the rumen of three cows for determination of degradability of dry matter and degradable neutral detergent fiber. Stalk/leaf ratio did not influence neutral detergent fiber content or the degradability of dry matter and neutral detergent fiber of any of the components, except for the cob, in which the high ratio group had greater degradable neutral detergent fiber contents. There was a reduction in the degradability of all the parts, except for the stalk and cob, and an increase in the neutral detergent fiber contents of the vegetative parts, except for the stalk. Unlike the vegetative components, the neutral detergent fiber contents of the whole plant decreased throughout the stages evaluated. For degradable neutral detergent fiber, there was a reduction in the whole plant and in its components. The advance of maturity reduces the quality of the vegetative components; however, this loss in the entire plant is moderated by grain filling. Forage quality depends more on the quality of the components than on their proportions in the dry matter