T HE feeding of corn silage has long been a common practice in corn producing areas; however, the effect of cultural practices on nutritive value has received only minor attention. Some important factors are: stage of maturity (Huber, Groff and Engel, 1965), varieties (White et al., 1924), plant population (Nevens, 1951; Alexander et al., 1963) and soil fertility (Alexander et al., 1963). Since...

Unlike the Central and Eastern U.S. Corn Belt where maize is grown almost entirely under rainfed conditions, maize in the Western Corn Belt is produced under both irrigated (3.2 million ha) and rainfed maize (4.1 million ha) conditions. Simulation modelling, regression, and boundary-function analysis were used to assess constraints to maize productivity in the Western Corn Belt. Aboveground bio...

The objective of this experiment was to determine the relationship between corn kernel vitreousness and ruminal in situ starch degradation. Fourteen U.S. and five Brazilian corn hybrids cultivated in their respective countries were evaluated. The U.S. dent hybrids were harvested at one-half milk line, black layer, and 21 d after black layer stages of maturity. Brazilian flint hybrids were harve...

The response of potato, Solanum tuberosum L., tuber yield to stem injury by European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner), larvae was investigated in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States for 3 yr. This response was described for 'Superior', 'Atlantic', and 'Snowden' potato, which are early-season, midseason, and late-season maturing cultivars, respectively. To model the yield/injury ...

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of increasing maturity of whole-plant corn at harvest on CH4 emissions by dairy cows consuming corn silage (CS) based diets. Whole-plant corn was harvested at a very early [25% dry matter (DM); CS25], early (28% DM; CS28), medium (32% DM; CS32), and late (40% DM; CS40) stage of maturity. In a randomized block design, 28 lactating Holste...

Corn (Zea mays L.) hybrid selection is one of the most important agricultural management decisions made by farmers. Both genetic yield potential and adaptation to local environment vary widely across corn hybrids, have a direct impact on input costs. This study compared performance hybrids with contrasting comparative relative maturity (CRM, referring their growth cycle), evaluate differences i...

Six ruminally and duodenally cannulated Angus-Jersey crossbred steers (450 kg of BW) were used in a 6 x 6 Latin square to evaluate the effect of kernel vitreousness and moisture on intake and digestibility of high-moisture corn. Arranged in a 2 x 3 factorial, diets included a floury (FLO) or a vitreous (VIT) endosperm corn hybrid harvested at 28.1% (DRY), 31.2% (MID), or 35.7% (WET) kernel mois...