SUITABILITY OF THE SELECTED LOCAL MAIZE HYBRIDS FOR SILAGE PRODUCTION

Abstract

The main goal of this study was to observe the properties of fifteen different genotypes of maize hybrids from Serbia in order to determine their suitability for the production of high-quality silage for ruminant feed. The research was conducted in a two-year field experiment at the location of the Maize Research Institute in Zemun Polje, Serbia, and the laboratory analyses included yield structure of the investigated maize hybrids, assessment of the lignocellulosic fiber composition, as well as the in vitro dry matter digestibility of the whole plant samples. All maize hybrids have shown good quality traits that are a prerequisite for the production of high-quality silage.