Productivity and Morphological Characteristics of Corn As a Function of Maturity Stage and Cutting Height for Silage Production.

ABSTRACT

Productivity e morphological characteristics of corn as a function of maturity stage and cutting height for silage production.

There is a high correlation between corn and corn silage nutritive. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the agronomic characteristics of the corn hybrid DOW 587, at different maturity stages (half milky and ¼ milky black layer), subjected to two cutting heights (0.20 and 0.40 m) as a function of yield and morphological characteristics for silage production. The experimental design was completely randomized, with four replications in a factorial arrangement 3x2. After the cuttings were made, all plants in the same plot were grouped, identified and transported for further separation. Of all the samples, one sample was used for the whole plant, and the remaining samples for stem+sheath, leaf blade and grains. For each maturity stage, the green mass weight was obtained for each individual plant harvested and subsequently separated into stem+sheath, leaf  blade, grain, cob and straw. Then, this material was dried in forced ventilation oven at 65°C until constant weight was obtained. From the dry weight it was calculated the plant proportion and yield. It was found for all variables, the effect of cutting heights and greater productivity of green mass and dry plants. There were differences in the proportion of all morphological components at different maturity stages and significant effect of cutting height on the proportion of stem and grains in the three stages evaluated. Thus, raising the cutting height to 0.40m for silage production is recommended when feeding animals of higher productivity potential due to increased nutritional value of the crop between the milky ¼ and physiological maturity.

                                                              

Key-words: plant components, Zea mays