Chemical composition and in vitro digestibility of whole-crop maize fertilized with synthetic fertilizer or digestate and harvested at two maturity stages in Boreal growing conditions

Mahmoud F Seleiman,Pirjo S.A Mäkelä,Seija Jaakkola,Shaimaa Selim

doi:10.23986/afsci.60068

Mahmoud F Seleiman, Pirjo S.A Mäkelä + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.23986/afsci.60068

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Abstract

Maize cultivation for silage could be a sustainable option in Boreal conditions, especially when combined with nutrient recycling. Effects of digestate (sludge from biogas of domestic origin) application in comparison with synthetic fertilizer and two maturity stages on chemical composition and in vitro digestibility of whole-crop maize were investigated. Starch, neutral detergent fiber, water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) and digestible organic matter (DOM) contents of maize did not differ in response to the two fertilizer treatments. However, starch, DOM and metabolizable energy of maize increased, while ash, crude protein and WSC contents decreased with increasing maize maturity. Heavy metals in maize fertilized with digestate remained low. The results indicate that whole-crop maize fertilized with digestate and harvested at 150 days after sowing is a promising feed and has good nutritive value, even in Boreal conditions.

Highlights

Whole-crop maize (Zea mays L.) is an important and widely investigated forage for ruminants (Bal et al 1997, Jensen et al 2005, Cone et al 2008, Khan et al 2015), and is used as an energy crop (Ericsson and Nilsson2006, Seleiman et al 2013)
There were no effects of fertilizer treatments, harvest dates (120 and 150 days after sowing (DAS)) or their interactions on the whole-crop maize dry matter (DM) content
Digestate application resulted in lower (p < 0.01) crude protein (CP) content in whole-crop maize compared with fertilizing maize with synthetic fertilizer

Summary

Introduction

Whole-crop maize (Zea mays L.) is an important and widely investigated forage for ruminants (Bal et al 1997, Jensen et al 2005, Cone et al 2008, Khan et al 2015), and is used as an energy crop (Ericsson and Nilsson2006, Seleiman et al 2013). Europe (Jensen et al 2005, Mussadiq et al 2012) the implementation of maize as feed requires more knowledge on factors affecting the development pattern and nutritional characteristics of maize grown in long day conditions. Maturity is an important preharvest factor that affects nutrient content, digestibility and ensilability of forages (Mussadiq et al 2012, Lynch et al 2013). Advancing maturity is known to increase dry matter (DM) and starch contents and decrease neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and crude protein (CP) contents of maize, and the DM content in particular has been used as an indicator of optimum harvest time associated with ensiling and feeding quality (Johnson et al 2002). Dry matter content of ensiled crop higher than 250 g kg-1 is desirable to avoid effluent and nutrient losses and to improve crop ensilability characteristics (McDonald et al 1991)

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