Abstract

The quality of corn silage is strongly influenced by the plant maturity stage and by the management practices adopted between harvest and silo sealing. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of grain maturity stage (R3 – milk stage and R4 – dough stage) and the waiting time of the biomass before ensiling (0, 8, 16, 24, 32, and 40 h) on the bromatological profile, pH, and parameters related to the fermentative quality of corn silage. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design in a 2 × 6 factorial arrangement with four replications, using PVC mini-silos stored for 60 days. Dry matter, crude protein, ether extract, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and silage pH were determined. The results showed that increasing the waiting time before ensiling promoted a progressive increase in the dry matter content of both the biomass and the silage at both maturity stages, due to water loss by transpiration and respiration of the exposed material. At the milk stage, crude protein and fiber fractions increased with longer waiting times, whereas at the dough stage, dry matter and pH values were consistently higher. The increase in neutral and acid detergent fiber contents and the rise in pH, especially at waiting times exceeding 24 h, indicated impairment of fermentative efficiency and nutritional value of the silage. It is concluded that the waiting time of the biomass before ensiling has a more pronounced effect on silage quality than the maturity stage alone, and rapid silo sealing after harvest is recommended, regardless of the phenological stage, to ensure better fermentative and nutritional quality of corn silage.

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