Silagem de planta inteira de milho: pontos importantes a serem considerados

Abstract

Corn being a C4 plant photosynthetic cycle, it adapts well to the tropical climate assuming high production capacity of dry matter (DM) and by having the desirable characteristics of a plant for silage, corn is the most popular culture used . The cultivar is responsible on average for 50% of final yield. Therefore, the correct choice of seeds (hybrids or cultivars, with their respective texture) may be the reason for the success of the culture. The texture of the hybrids can be grouped according to the texture of the grains, sorting into: dent (dent), durum wheat or crystalline (flint) and semi-hard grains or semi-dents which show intermediate characteristics. In relation to the harvesting stage, Several criteria must be adopted in relation to determining the ideal point in order to achieve a balance between dry matter production per hectare and nutritive value of forage utilization. The silage, when properly compressed favors and accelerates the anaerobic fermentation in the silo. However, processing of the fodder to be ensiled is to improve the quality of material by means of mechanical treatment of the grain or vegetative portion. The mechanical treatment may be accomplished mainly by crushing the grains or cuttings to reduce the fraction of the vegetative plant. The sum of all the processes described, influences the final quality of the silage fundamental to the development of different production systems that use it.