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Acta Prataculturae Sinica ›› 2022, Vol. 31 ›› Issue (8): 144-156.DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2021479

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A comparative study of silage quality characteristics of whole-plant, whole-ear and whole-straw silage of different maize varieties (lines)

Ying-zheng LI1(), Yu-lin CHENG1, Lu-lu XU1, Wan-song LI1, Xu YAN2, Xiao-feng LI1, Ru-yu HE1, Yang ZHOU1, Jun-jun ZHENG1, Xing-yu WANG1, De-long ZHANG1, Ming-jun CHENG3, Yun-hong XIA4, Jian-mei HE1, Qi-lin TANG1()   

  1. 1.Maize Research Institute,Sichuan Agricultural University,Wenjiang 611130,China
    2.Sericulture Research Institute,Animal Husbandry Research Center,Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences,Nanchong 637000,China
    3.Grassland Technology Research and Extension Center of Sichuan Province,Chengdu 640041,China
    4.Neijiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences,Neijiang 641000,China
  • Received:2021-12-23 Revised:2022-03-03 Online:2022-08-20 Published:2022-07-01
  • Contact: Qi-lin TANG

Abstract:

This study investigated the whole-plant, whole-ear and whole-straw silage efficiency and utilization characteristics of different maize lines. Three new strains of dual-purpose grain and fodder maize (MTP-044, MTP-080 and MTP-082; bred by Sichuan Agricultural University Maize Research Institute) and one silage maize strain (Yayu No. 8; Sichuan Yayu Technology Co. Ltd.) were studied. Biological yield and related agronomic characters were measured at the three-fourths milk line grain development stage, and samples ensiled. Under this criterion the time from planting to harvest of the four varieties or lines was 120 to 123 days. The nutritional value and fermentation quality of whole-plant, whole-ear and whole-straw silages were measured after 60 days of fermentation. The growth stage at harvest, the number of green leaves and the ratio of green leaves were the highest in MTP-080. The fresh and dry yields of whole-plant silage and whole-ear silage of MTP-082 were the highest. Whole plant silage of Yayu No.8 had the highest neutral and acid detergent fiber contents, and MTP-082 had the highest crude protein, starch and water soluble carbohydrate contents. The net energy for lactation of MTP-082 was significantly higher than that of Yayu No.8 and MTP-080. In addition, the pH of the whole-plant and whole-ear silages of each variety or line ranged from 3.53-4.07, the ammonia nitrogen/total nitrogen was less than 10%, and the flieg score was above 110 in each variety or line. The overall evaluation of the silage fermentation quality was excellent. The total energy, total digestible nutrients, digestible energy, metabolizable energy, net maintenance energy, net energy for gain and net energy for lactation of whole-ear silage were significantly higher than those of whole-plant silage and whole-straw silage. The relative feeding value of whole-ear silage was 2.05 and 3.37 times that of whole-plant silage and whole-stalk silage, respectively. In general, the dual-purpose grain and forage maize varieties such as MTP-082 exhibited high yield, desirable stay-green characteristics, excellent nutritional value and fermentation quality when used for whole-plant silage, and also provided high-quality raw material for whole-ear silage. The development of whole-ear silage made from dual-purpose grain and fodder silage maize adjusting ensiling measures to local conditions will help the maize planting and breeding industry to save costs and increase efficiency.

Key words: silage maize, whole-ear maize silage, nutritional value, fermentation quality