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Acta Prataculturae Sinica ›› 2011, Vol. 20 ›› Issue (4): 90-97.

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Effect of phosphate on carbohydrate accumulation of silage Zea mays in different harvest periods

LI Hong-ying, YAN Shi, SUN Tao, LI Ji-kai, CUI Guo-wen   

  1. School of Animal Science and Technology, Northeast Agriculture University, Harbin 150030, China
  • Received:2010-05-21 Online:2011-04-25 Published:2011-08-20

Abstract: The concentration of water soluble carbohydrates (WSC) is a main determinant of ensiling potential of forages and aerobic stability of silages. Trials were carried out to define the effect of different phosphate applications on carbohydrate accumulation of Zea mays silage in different harvest periods. The experiment used Dongqing No.1 to study the effects of four phosphate fertilizer (P2O5) levels (0, 50, 100, 150 kg/ha) on carbohydrate content of the silage during the initial milk stage (21 August), milk stage metaphase (28 August), milk stage telophase (4 September), initial dough stage (10 September), dough stage metaphase(15 September) and late dough stage metaphase (20 September). From the initial milk stage to dough stage metaphase, fructose and total soluble sugar contents were in the sequence P2>P3>P1>P0, while starch content was P2>P1>P3>P0. The various phosphate levels were significantly different (P<0.05); Sucrose content increased significantly with higher phosphate levels, but was not significantly different between P2 and P3 which were significantly higher than the other levels (P<0.05). In different phosphate levels, NDF and ADF contents of P0 were the highest while P2 was the lowest and was significantly lower than those in the other treatments (P<0.05). Consequently phosphate significantly enhances fructose, sucrose, total soluble sugar and starch contents, but reduces NDF and ADF contents in Z. mays silage at different harvest periods (P<0.05). In summary, applying phosphate (P2O5) 100 kg/ha and harvesting at the initial dough stage resulted in the highest content of total soluble sugars and the lowest content of NDF and ADF of Z. mays silage and are the most suitable cultivation practices for Dongqing No.1.

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