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Effect of Harvest Date and Chemical Treatment on the Feeding Value of Corn Stalklage^{1 ,2,}

University of Nebraska⁴, Lincoln 68583

Abstract

In Vitro dry matter disappearance of the corn stalk was measured at various dates after maturity. The first sample was collected at corn silage harvest and samples were collected at weekly intervals for the next 10 weeks. Digestibility of the corn stalk decreased linearly with time. The regression equation to predict digestibility was y = -1.93x + 63.22 where x is the week after corn silage harvest.

Two steer growth trials were conducted to compare the feeding value of corn silage with the value of corn stalklage harvested shortly after high moisture corn harvest to stalklage harvested after traditional corn harvest. One-half the stalklage at each harvest date was treated with sodium hydroxide to determine the relationship between stalk maturity and response to chemical treatment. In both trials steers fed corn silage gained faster and tended to be more efficient than those fed the stalklage diets. Steers fed the early harvested untreated stalklage gained .18 kg more per day and were 19% more efficient than those fed the late harvested untreated stalklage when averaged across both trials. Chemical treatment of the early harvested stalks in trial 1 did not improve steer performance. Treatment of the late harvested stalks increased gain by .22 kg per day and feed efficiency by 26%. However, in trial 2 treatment of the early harvested stalks increased gains by .21 kg per day and feed efficiency by 20%. Less improvement was noted with the late harvested stalks. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) increased with time while in vitro dry matter disappearance (IVDMD) decreased.

¹ Published with the approval of the Director as Paper No. 5528 Journal Series, Nebraska Agr. Exp. Sta.

² The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of Deere and Co.

³ Present address: Dept. of Animal Science, Univ. of Illinois, Urbana 61801.

⁴ Dept. of Animal Science.