A note on the chemical composition and in vitro digestibility of contrasting stover components of maize grown in climatically marginal conditions and harvested at differing maturities

This study evaluated the nutritive value of three contrasting components of maize stover (leaf, upper stem, lower stem) at three harvest dates. The leaf component had a greater in vitro dry matter digestibility (DMD) and a lower NDF concentration, compared to the stem components. Delaying harvest re...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inIrish journal of agricultural and food research Vol. 53; no. 2; pp. 205 - 211
Main Authors Lynch, J.P., O'Kiely, P., Doyle, E.M.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Teagasc 01.01.2014
Subjects
Chemical composition
Corn
Crop harvesting
Digestion
Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Food crops
Grasses
Harvest date
Lignin
Stover
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Summary:This study evaluated the nutritive value of three contrasting components of maize stover (leaf, upper stem, lower stem) at three harvest dates. The leaf component had a greater in vitro dry matter digestibility (DMD) and a lower NDF concentration, compared to the stem components. Delaying harvest reduced the in vitro DMD of the stem components to a greater extent than leaf, reflecting lower increases in the NDF and lignin concentrations in leaf tissue. The stem components of maize stover had a lower nutritive value than the leaf component, and had a larger decrease in digestibility with delayed harvest.
ISSN:0791-6833
2009-9029