Abstract
SINCE the discovery that corn homozygous for the mutant gene, Opaque-2, was exceptionally high in lysine (Mertz, Bates and Nelson, 1964), many investigators have studied the nutritional quality of such corn. Likewise, there has been keen interest in incorporating the Opaque-2 gene into conventional hybrid corns. Cromwell, Pickett and Beeson (1967) attributed the nutritional superiority of Opaque-2 corn for growing swine to greater contents of lysine and tryptophan than found in normal corn. In a subsequent study, greater nitrogen retention was achieved in growing swine fed Opaque-2 corn compared with normal corn (Cromwell et al., 1969). Jensen et al. (1969) found that the amino acid pattern of Opaque-2 corn was apparently superior to that of a conventional hybrid corn for finishing swine. Drews et al. (1969) reported that 25-day old pigs gained more rapidly and efficiently when fed Opaque-2 corn than did similar pigs fed normal corn; approximately 5% less soybean meal was required in the total diet to supplement Opaque-2 corn to effect maximum performance of pigs. Copyright © 1970. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1970 by American Society of Animal Science