Authors : Aydan Yilmaz, Suzan Altinok and Zahide Kocabas
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine, the best seeding rates for corn and soybean for the highest quality of silage. To do this, the field experiments were carried out in randomized block design with 3 replications using corn variety P.32K61 and soybean variety OAC Salem in 2001 and 2002 as materials. They were seeded as monocropping and intercropping in alternated rows with the seeding rates of 100% corn + 0% soybean (SR1), 100% corn + 50% soybean (SR2), 100% corn + 100% soybean (SR3), 50% corn + 50% soybean (SR4), 50% corn + 100% soybean (SR5) and 0% corn + 100% soybean (SR6). The nutriments components, namely, Dry Matter (DM), Crude Ash (CA), Crude Protein (CP), Crude Fat (CF), Crude Cellulose (CC) and cell wall components, namely Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF), Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF) and Acid Detergent Lignin (ADL) were analyzed Before Ensiling (BE) and After Ensiling (AE) in both years. Hemicelluloses, cellulose and lignin were derived from the cell wall components. To determine the silage quality value, the Flieg points were calculated. The silages made using corn grown intercropped with soybean were good or very good quality in terms of physical characteristics. The soybean grown as mono-crop did not achieve high quality silages. The results substantiated that the mono-cropped corn and corn grown together with soybean at the different seeding rates gave rise to high quality silages. The digestibility of the silages mode from corn and soybean after ensiling was higher than that observed before ensiling.
Aydan Yilmaz, Suzan Altinok and Zahide Kocabas, 2009. An Investigation on Quality Parameters of the Silages Made by Corn and Soybean Grown in Different Seeding Rates. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 8: 1856-1859.