Nutritive value and fermentation characteristics of maize silages

Abstract

The aim of thisstudy was to determine the effect of early hybrids with different FAO number(220, 230, 260 and 280) harvested in milk-wax maturity stage on nutritive valueand parameters of fermentation process of whole plant maize silages. Inlaboratory conditions we conserved maize hybrids without additive in laboratorysilos with volume 4 dm3. After 1 month of fermentation process thenutrient content (dry matter, crude protein, fat, nitrogen free extract, starchand organic matter) and parameters of fermentation (lactic acid, acetic acid,butyric acid, alcohols, active acidity and acidity of water extract) were analysed in the averagesamples. Dry matter content of maize silages ranged from 262.7to 310.5 g.kg-1. Significantly the highest content of dry matter (P<0.05)was found in silages with FAO number 230. Compared to the silages FAO 260 we found thesignificantly higher content (P<0.05)of fat in silages FAO 230. Mentioned silages had the highest content of organicmatter (P<0.05) and starch. Content of lactic acid in maize silages was higher than 10g per 1kg of original matter in all silages. The highest content oflactic acid was found in maize silage FAO 220. The content of acetic acid in allmaize silages did not exceed 20.0 g.kg-1 of DM and the highest content was detected in silages FAO260 and FAO 280. In the maize silages FAO 260 we determined the lowest contentof alcohols and the lowest value of pH.