Quality parameters of maize hybrids intended for silage production

Abstract

This study's primary objective was to assess the quality parameters of fifteen different genotypes of Serbian maize hybrids in order to establish whether they were suitable for making high-quality silage for ruminant feed. The study was carried out as a two-year field experiment at the Maize Research Institute in Zemun Polje, Serbia. Laboratory analyses included the yield structure of the examined maize hybrids, the evaluation of the composition of lignocellulosic fiber and the percentage of their ratios, as well as the in vitro dry matter digestibility and NDF digestibility of the whole plant samples. The Fisher's LSD test was used to statistically analyse the data, which were then reported as the mean and standard deviation of at least three independent replicates. The graphical representation of correlations among the observed parameters used the principal component analysis (PCA) method. All maize hybrids have displayed high-quality characteristics, which are required for the production of high-quality silage.

Keywords

• maize hybrids
• lignocellulosic fibers
• in vitro dry matter digestibility
• silage
• animal feed