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- Title
High‐cut harvesting of maize stover and genotype choice can provide improved feed for ruminants and stubble for conservation agriculture.
- Authors
Dejene, Mesfin; Dixon, Rob M.; Walsh, Kerry B.; McNeill, David; Seyoum, Solomon; Duncan, Alan J.
- Abstract
In smallholder crop–livestock systems where maize (Zea mays L.) is a staple cereal, the stover is usually an important but low‐quality ruminant feed. Maize stover has various competing uses, and optimal allocation of stover, particularly for forage and mulch, is essential for improving whole‐farm productivity and sustainability. Knowledge that feed quality increases with height in maize stover provides opportunities. An experiment investigated the effects of a high cutting height of stover at grain harvest (cut at two internodes below the lowest ear) on the yields and feed quality of the upper and lower stover (stubble) fractions. Measurements were made on six maize genotypes at two sites during two cropping seasons in Ethiopia. The upper stover fraction (USF) on average comprised 674 g kg–1 of the entire stover and was also substantially higher (P <.001) than the lower stover fraction (LSF) in in vitro dry matter digestibility (527 vs. 450 g kg−1 dry matter [DM]) and total N concentrations (8.8 vs. 6.2 g kg−1 DM) and was lower in fiber. Stems (including leaf sheath and tassel), husks (including shank), and leaf blade comprised 484, 310, and 206 g kg−1 of the USF, respectively. Yields and feed quality of stover varied among genotypes and environments. Use of an USF can provide a feedstuff of increased nutritional quality for ruminants, but the efficacy of the LSF for mulch requires investigation. In conclusion, a simple management change to harvest maize stover at higher stubble height combined with use of appropriate genotypes can provide higher‐quality feed while leaving stubble for conservation agriculture. Core Ideas: Harvesting maize stover at high stubble height provides an upper fraction with improved feed quality.Maize genotypes with higher yields of both grain and stover fractions were identified.High stubble height and genotype choice enhance optimal allocation of stover fractions for feed and mulch.Partitioning of maize stover into fractions is valuable to optimize demands for feed and mulch.
- Subjects
ETHIOPIA; CORN; GENOTYPES; AGRICULTURE; FEED quality; RUMINANTS; FEED additives
- Publication
Agronomy Journal, 2022, Vol 114, Issue 1, p187
- ISSN
0002-1962
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1002/agj2.20874