Tuesday, 8 November 2005
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Effect of Harvest Date on the Yield and Nutritive Value of Corn Utilized for Deferred Grazing.

Christopher Teutsch and John Fike. Virginia Tech, Southern Piedmont AREC, 2375 Darvills Rd., Blackstone, VA 23824

Standing corn (Zea mays L.) could extend grazing after stockpiled grasses have been utilized. A study evaluating the yield and nutritive value of grazing corn (GC), conventional corn (CC), and sorghum-sudangrass (SS) harvested monthly from Sep to Mar was conducted near Blackstone, VA. Total DM yields were 11.2, 13.1, and 24.5 Mg ha-1 for GC, CC, and SS, respectively (P<0.001) and were lower for later harvests, decreasing at a greater rate for SS compared with corn (P<0.001). The ear/seedhead made up 62% of the DM yield for corn compared with 2% for SS. Leaves comprised a greater proportion of the DM for SS (18%) compared with GC and CC (12%) (P<0.001). Averaged over species, leaves contributed most to DM yield in Sep (20%) and least in Mar (9%) (P<0.001). Whole plant ADF was 271, 285, and 429 g kg-1 for CC, GC, and SS, respectively. Whole plant CP was highest for GC (57 g kg-1) followed by CC (48 g kg-1), and SS (24 g kg-1) (P<0.001). These data indicate that standing corn could meet the energy requirements of brood cows during all production phases, while SS may be deficient precalving and early lactation. Crude protein in standing corn and SS would not meet brood cow requirements.

Handout (.pdf format, 162.0 kb)

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