The effect of maize crop cutting height and the maturity at harvest on maize silage chemical composition and fermentation quality in silo

Abstract

Maize silage (MS) has become one of the major energy components in ruminant nutrition. The maize crop is suitable for ensiling and is of high dry matter (DM) yield and nutritive value. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the effect of cutting height and maize crop maturity at harvest on the chemical composition of MS and fermentation quality in a silo. With an increase in cutting height and maize crop maturity, the content of dry matter (DM) in MS increases to about 400 g DM/kg of fresh crop, after which it does not change, crude protein (CP) CP content increases or remains the same, the ash content decreases or remains the same, starch content increases, and the content of neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) decreases or remains the same. The cutting height and maize crop maturity at harvest have no effect on pH value, lactic, acetic neither butyric acid but increases the amount of ethanol and decreases the ammonium nitrogen (NH3-N) in MS.

Keywords

• maize plant ensiling
• silage quality