Stage of Maturity of Corn at Time of Harvest for Silage and Yield of Digestible Nutrients

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Abstract
Routine digestion trial technique was employed to determine the comparative digestibility of each harvest of corn silage, starting in the early dough stage (101 days post-planting) and extending through winter for as long as 385 days post-planting. Harvests were made at bi-weekly or monthly intervals. Both years'' data demonstrate a relatively long period of time (from 70 to 84 days) in which maximum yields of digestible dry matter per ha. can be harvested for silage. In experiment I, a period of 84 days from Sept. 7 through Nov. 30 yielded maximum levels of digestible dry matter per ha.; in experiment II, a period of 70 days from Sept. 6 through Nov. 15 yielded maximum levels. State of maturity of the corn plant plant per se did not determine the latest date at which the corn plant can be harvested to yield maximum dry matter per ha since the percent of digestibility of the harvested material changed very little from the 1st harvest to the last.

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