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

• Grant number: 16/06517-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2016
• End date: December 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Pastures and Forage Crops
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Gustavo Nussio
• Grantee: Bruno Augusto Valverde Arthur
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 14/06819-4 - Nutritive value and hygienic quality of corn silage and corn kernels under ensiling strategies, AP.TEM

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)