The chemical composition and ruminal degradability of maize silages depending on the cultivar and mowing height at harvest

The experiment was designed in a bifactor model with five maize hybrids (Ra sant, Dragon, LG 2252, San and Magister), mowed at two heights, i.e., 10-12 cm (A) and 50 cm (B). The average yield of dry matter of plants cut at a h eight of 50 cm (B) was 130.5 dt/ha and was significantly lower than the yie ld obtained from maize mowed at a height of 10-12 cm (A), where it amounted to 148.1 dt/ha. The percentage of ears showed the opposite trend, with 55. 3 and 49.2%, respectively. Dry matter in all silages ranged from 35.9 to 42 .1%. B silages contained more dry matter and starch, but less structural ca rbohydrate. Dry matter degradation in the rumen of these silages was increa sed (65.5-70.0%). Effective ruminal degradability of crude protein of all o f the investigated silages (80.0-86.5%) was in the same range as that of st arch (79.2-87.3%). A tendency towards reduced protein and starch degradabil ities was observed in B silages. The average NDF loss after 24 h of ruminal incubation of silage samples produced from plants mowed at the traditional height (A) was 65.3-66.7%.