Nutritive value and hygienic quality of corn silage and corn kernels under ensiling strategies

• Grant number: 14/06819-4
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• Start date: February 01, 2015
• End date: April 30, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Pastures and Forage Crops
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Gustavo Nussio
• Grantee: Luiz Gustavo Nussio
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Pesquisadores principais:( Últimos ): Clóves Cabreira Jobim
• Pesquisadores principais:( Antigos ): João Luiz Pratti Daniel
• Associated researchers: Aildson Pereira Duarte ; Carlos Mallmann ; Fernando Dini Andreote ; João Luiz Pratti Daniel ; Luiz Lehmann Coutinho ; Solidete de Fátima Paziani
• Associated scholarship(s): 18/15489-9 - In situ digestibility of NDF and starch in corn silages produced with different particle sizes, BP.IC; 18/17503-9 - Nutritive value of corn silage treated with additives for dairy cows., BP.TT; 17/15934-0 - Influence of genotype and maturity on microbiological diversity, chemical-fermentative characteristics and protein matrix of corn kernels for silage, BP.PD; + associated scholarships 17/01179-5 - Endosperm texture, phenology and mechanical processing on ensiling of whole-plant corn, BP.MS; 17/04125-3 - Nutritive value and hygienic quality of corn silage and corn kernels under ensiling strategies, BP.TT; 16/11153-0 - Nutritive value and hygienic quality of corn silage and corn kernels under ensiling strategies, BP.IC; 16/06517-3 - Nutritive value and hygienic quality of corn silage and corn kernels under ensiling strategies, BP.IC - associated scholarships

Abstract

The corn cultivation for silage production in Brazil is made principally from genetic material of hard endosperm, which demands strategies of handling to enhance the digestibility, especially of starch content in the kernel. The objective of this proposal is: i. determine the least time of whole-plant corn silage storage, with or without microbial additives, to obtain satisfactory starch digestibility; ii. evaluate the influence of corn genotype (hard or dent endosperm), plant moisture at harvesting season and storage periods of whole-plant corn silage regarding qualitative aspects and silage losses; iii. clarify the influence of endosperm type, maturation stage of plants and storage times of high moisture corn or reconstituted corn silages on microbiological diversity, chemical- physical-fermentative characteristics and starch availability in silages; iv. evaluate the moisture content and mean particle size, also the most suitable additive type for high moisture corn or reconstituted corn silages; v. evaluate dairy cows performance fed high moisture corn silage with or without additives. Therefore, will be elaborated seven experiments developed at ESALQ/USP and with APTA-Pindorama collaboration, lasting four years of researches. (AU)