Comparison of some nutritional and fermentative parameters of silage produced from maize (Zea mays L.) of single cross 704 cultivar during dent Stage

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the nutritional value and some fermentation parameters of whole-crop corn forage (WCCF, Single cross 704 cultivar) collected at the dent stage, before and after ensiling. A whole sample of forage corn was ensiled in multi-layer plastic bags for 60 and 120 days, and one sample was considered as control (without ensiling). Some chemical compounds, gas production parameters and fermentation parameters in the media and silage environment were determined using common laboratory methods. The chemical compounds (including CP, NDF, ADF, ADL, CF, EE, NFC, and OM), metabolizable energy, net energy for lactation, dry matter and organic matter digestibility, and gas production parameters of WCCF were not affected by the ensiling. However, by ensiling, the concentration of total volatile fatty acids (TVFA) and ammonia nitrogen in the culture medium were significantly increased compared to the control group. Also, lactic acid, acetic acid, and ammonia nitrogen showed a significant increase in the silage environment when WCCF ensiled, but in contrast, water-soluble carbohydrates and pH decreased significantly. The overall results showed that ensiling had no negative effect on the chemical compounds of WCCF, but increasing in some parameters (such as increasing TVFA in the medium and increasing the acetic acid and lactic acid) could have represented an effect on the fermentation process of WCCF after ensiling. No difference was found between the experimental results for corn silage, 60 and 120 days after ensiling. Therefore, WCCF (single cross 704) can be ensiled at dent stage with acceptable quality.