INFLUENCE OF THE QUALITATIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE MAIZE PLANT IN THE DEGRADABILITY OF THE DRY MATTER OF THE WHOLE PLANT

• Main Authors: JOSÉ LUIZ DE ANDRADE REZENDE PEREIRA, RENZO GARCIA VON PINHO, ALANO XAVIER DE SOUZA FILHO, RODOLFO GOULART FONSECA, ÁLVARO DE OLIVEIRA SANTOS
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Associação Brasileira de Milho e Sorgo 2011-08-01
• Series: Revista Brasileira de Milho e Sorgo
• Subjects: Zea mays; forage; quality
• Online Access: http://rbms.cnpms.embrapa.br/index.php/ojs/article/view/327/453

The objective of this work was to evaluate the correlation and the influence of qualitative characteristicsof the components of the maize plant in the quality of the forage. Eight maize cultivars were harvested at three stagesof grain maturity, half milk line (½ ML), three-quarters milk line (¾ ML) and black line (BL). The experimentaldesign was a randomized block, with three replicates, in an eight (hybrids) x tree (cutting date) x two (sowing date)factorial scheme,. The quality of the vegetative components influenced significantly the quality of the forage. Thedegradability (DEG) of the vegetative components presented greater correlation with degradability of the whole plantdry matter than degradability and density of grain. Advancing plant maturity affected degradability (DEG), fiber inneutral detergent (FDN) and fiber in neutral detergent degradability (FDND) of the whole plant and their components,except for fiber in detergent neutral degradability of stalk. The group of high degradability of dry matter of the wholeplant presented better values of degradability, fiber in detergent neutral and fiber in detergent neutral degradability forall the components except straw FDN, FDND leaf and FDND straw with no differences among the appraised groups.