January 18, 2019
Trial Objective
- In order to get the most out of corn silage, the corn product should produce high tonnage with favorable silage quality characteristics.
- This study was conducted to determine the silage quality characteristics of various corn products.
Research Site Details
- The study was set up as a randomized complete block with three replications.
- Twenty corn products were evaluated.
- Corn was sprinkler irrigated and weeds were controlled as needed. No fungicide or insecticide was applied.
- Silage quality was sampled for each corn product between ½ to ¾ milk line. Sampling date varied by relative maturity, but all sampling occurred in the first two weeks of September.
- Corn products were hand-harvested one inch above the soil surface to provide a representative sample and were then chopped with a wood chipper.
- A subsample of the freshly-chopped material was collected and sent to Dairyland Laboratories Inc. for silage quality analysis.
Understanding the Results
- Corn products did vary in silage quality as there were significant differences in all characteristics tested as reported in Table 1.
- Producers should work with their local seed sales team to identify how their branded corn products performed in this study.
What Does This Mean for Your Farm?
- Silage quality characteristics varied across the twenty corn products tested.
- This silage quality test should help farmers choose corn products that provide more value to their operation.
