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Normal and Late Harvesting of Corn for Silage

Animal Husbandry Research Division, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland

ABSTRACT

Corn silage was harvested in two successive years at the hard dough stage (normal) and seven to eight weeks later after full maturity and additional weathering (late). Dry matter yield was 19 to 27% less when harvested late. Dry matter content of the normal crops at harvest was 26 and 30%; that of late harvested crops was 58 and 63%. Average dry matter recovery rate was slightly lower in the normal silage, 92 vs. 96, and no differences in feeding value were detected when fed in a mixed ration for milking cows. Small reductions in the digestibility of dry matter and acid detergent fiber in late silage were noted in one year (60 vs. 63%), as was a tendency to heat when fed in hot weather. Normal silage contained more acetic, propionic, butyric, and lactic acid than late silage (2.8, 0.2, 0.2, and 7.8 vs. 1.4, 0.1, 0.1, and 3.7%, respectively). The results indicated that production of high quality silage from late harvesting is quite possible under good storage conditions, but the practice would usually be impractical because of high field losses.