What is the per-mu yield of silage corn? Differences from sweet corn and key points for making feed
Silage corn is one of the three major types of corn classified by harvest product and use (grain corn, silage corn, and fresh-eating corn).So what is the approximate per-mu yield of silage corn? What is the difference from edible corn? What are the technical key points for making feed? According to Wu Daye, a grower in Shandong, under normal density and with proper management, the yield of one mu of silage corn is about 4500-6300 kg.
What is the difference between silage corn and edible corn?
1. Generally, corn can be divided by use into two major categories: edible corn and special corn. Forage corn is a type of special corn. It grows rapidly and has high yield. Forage corn plants are generally very tall, sometimes growing to 2.5 m to 3.5 m, with the tallest reaching 4 m. It is mainly grown for fresh stalks, while edible corn is mainly grown for corn kernels.
2. The best harvest period for forage corn is generally at the late milk stage or early dough stage of kernel maturity, when the yield is highest and the nutritional value is relatively good. The harvest period for edible corn must be after the late maturity stage. Choosing special forage corn varieties can achieve very high yields, but some people also harvest ordinary corn early and use it as feed, which results in relatively low yield. Generally, under medium soil fertility conditions, the stalk yield per mu of special forage corn varieties generally reaches about 4-6 tons, while that of ordinary edible corn stalks is generally about 2-3 tons.
3. Forage corn refers to a crop dedicated to animal husbandry "whose ears, stems, and leaves can all be used as feed. Forage corn has high yield and rich nutrition" and has long enjoyed the reputation of the “king of feed” "and is one of the most important feed sources in the world for producing livestock products. Planting forage corn not only allows a certain amount of grain to be harvested for use as concentrate feed, but its stems and leaves also have good fresh greenness, rich nutrition, and high yield, making it a high-quality feed for silage, compound feed, or direct feeding.
What are the technical key points for making silage corn feed?
Silage corn stalk feed has the advantages of less nutrient loss, good palatability, freshness, and long storage life, and is a high-quality feed for dairy cows in winter. Its technical key points for production are as follows:
1. Build the silage pit well. The shape of the silage pit is generally square or rectangular, and its size depends on the scale of the cattle herd being raised. Usually each cubic meter can store 500-600 kg of compacted silage corn stalks. The silage pit is best built with stone, brick, and cement to avoid air and water leakage.
2. Harvest at the right time. Generally, green corn is harvested at the dough stage. At this time, the corn stalks have high nutritional content, high yield, and appropriate moisture, making it a good time to make silage feed.
3. Transport promptly. Transport the harvested corn stalks promptly to the silage pit site to prevent water evaporation and leaf loss, which can cause nutrient loss.
4. Load quickly and seal quickly. Whether silage making can be done with quick chopping, quick loading, and quick sealing has a great bearing on the quality of the silage feed. The whole corn plant should be cut into 3 cm-5 cm pieces with a chaff cutter and then loaded into the pit. It is required to tread while loading, and the tighter the compaction, the better. When the silage corn stalk raw material is loaded to about 1 m above the pit, cover it with plastic film to seal, then cover and compact it with soil to prevent water and air leakage.
5. Open the pit and use it. After the silage corn stalks are loaded into the pit for 40-60 days, the pit can be opened to feed cattle. Excellent silage corn stalk feed is yellow-green in color, has a sour and vinous aroma, and a pH of 4-4.8.