Digestibility of Ensiled Maize Hybrids Differing by Maturity and Endosperm Type

Abstract

Abstract Selected maize hybrids were analyzed according to the in vivo digestibility of the silage. Eight tested hybrids were grown, harvested, and ensiled under identical conditions. The effect of earliness (early maturity group FAO 230–260 vs moderately early maturity group FAO 290–340) significantly (P < 0.05) affected the chemical composition, fermentation quality, and digestibility of neutral and acid detergent fibre. Type of kernel endosperm (dent vs flint) differed by digestibility of nutrients. Digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, and neutral detergent fibre was the highest for silage of the dent hybrid FAO 250 (73.7, 75.7, and 67.6%, respectively) and these digestibility values were significantly (P < 0.05) lower for silage of the dent hybrid FAO 320 (61.1, 63.4, and 51.4%, respectively). It was concluded that the digestibility differs mainly in dent-type hybrids. All correlation coefficients between the digestibility values were significantly (P < 0.05) high.