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Changes in Nitrogenous Compounds of the Whole Corn Plant during Ensiling and Subsequent Effects on Dry Matter Intake by Sheep¹

Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824

Abstract

Changes in nitrogenous fractions of chopped corn plant material during ensiling and subsequent effects on utilization were studied. Proteolysis, yielding non-protein nitrogen was rapid and reached steady state conditions by 12 hr. after ensiling. Proteolytic enzyme activity declined rapidly from ensiling to a non-measurable level after 5 days. Twenty days after ensiling, 42% of the total N was water-soluble (WSN) and 58% was insoluble (RN). WSN contained 50 to 60% amino acid N, 8 to 12% ammonia-N, 30 to 40% undetermined N, and less than 1% urea and soluble protein N.

Twelve-hour in vitro cellulose digestion by rumen microorganisms was lower (P< 0.05) with WSN from corn silage as the sole nitrogen source than with the urea-N control. The difference had disappeared by 48 hours. The amino acid composition of corn silage RN was similar to that of corn kernel protein. In vitro pepsin-pancreatin digestion of silage RN was lower than that of RN from freshly chopped corn plant material, and markedly lower than the casein control.

¹ Michigan State University Agricultural Experiment Station Article No. 6663.

² Ruminant Nutrition Laboratory, Department of Animal Husbandry.

³ Present address: Department of Animal Science, Pennsylvania, State University Park.

⁴ Beef Cattle Research Center, Department of Animal Husbandry.

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