Zea mays

Maize, Indian corn (forage)

Grown wherever summers are reasonably warm, it is the staple cereal of the human diet in Central and tropical South America and in many parts of Africa. Frequently cultivated as a catch crop for green fodder or silage. Very palatable and high in nutritive value. Grown during the dry season when other forages are not plentiful. Best harvested at milk stage when the leaves are still green and tender. Only one crop can be harvested from each planting. To reduce the stem size and increase the proportion of leaf, closer than normal spacing should be used. All varieties can be grown for fodder, but hybrid varieties give the highest yield. When maize is grown for grain, the stalks left after husking can be an important feed for stock. When cattle have access to good lucerne or clover hay, the stover can profitably be used as half the roughage ration for fattening cattle and sheep; for stock cattle an even higher proportion can be used. Forage maize hybrids suitable for the tropics have been developed by cross-pollinating different cultivars.

							As % of dry matter
						DM	CP	CF	Ash	EE	NFE	Ref
Fresh, 8 weeks, Israel						15.7	8.9	31.2	10.2	1.9	47.8	365
Fresh, 10 weeks, Israel						21.9	10.0	31.5	8.7	1.4	48.4	"
Fresh, 7 weeks, irrigated,
Israel						12.6	10.3	28.6	10.3	2.4	48.4	"
Fresh, 10 weeks, irrigated,
Israel						18.1	8.8	30.9	10.5	2.2	47.6	"
Fresh, mid-bloom, fertilized,
Puerto R.						23.8	9.5	30.9	6.0	4.3	49.3	31
Fresh, milk stage, 200 cm,
Tanzania						17.0	8.8	28.1	7.4	0.9	54.8	175
Fresh, whole plant, milk
stage, Malaysia						16.0	11.3	29.4	8.1	1.9	49.3	292
Fresh, stems only, milk
stage, Malaysia						13.0	7.7	46.2	8.5	0.8	36.8	"
Fresh, leaves and cobs,
milk stage, Malaysia						20.0	15.0	12.5	8.5	3.0	61.0	"
Dried stalks, Egypt						84.1	5.9	38.5	9.8	1.8	44.0	36
Dried stalks, South Africa							6.3	35.0	7.4	1.3	50.0	489
Hay, South Africa							7.0	27.0	6.9	1.4	57.7	"
Silage (clamp), mid-bloom,
Tanzania							7.4	31.4	6.2	1.9	53.1	169
Silage (pit), milk stage,
Tanzania							6.5	31.9	5.0	3.3	53.3	"
Silage (clamp), mid-bloom,
Tanzania							6.2	31.9	6.8	2.4	52.7	"
							Digestibility (%)
					Animal		CP	CF	EE	NFE	ME	Ref
Fresh, 7 weeks					Sheep		59.0	62.0	73.0	76.0	2.37	365
Fresh, 10 weeks					Sheep		55.0	60.0	69.0	71.0	2.22	"
Fresh, mid-bloom					Sheep		67.0	72.0	82.0	54.0	2.31	31
Fresh, milk stage					Sheep		56.8	66.5	22.2	72.8	2.35	175
Dried stalks					Sheep		36.0	67.0	59.0	60.0	2.06	36
Dried stalks					Sheep		39.7	62.5	51.4	60.1	2.04	489
Hay					Sheep		37.1	64.1	50.7	66.3	2.18	"
Silage (clamp),
mid-bloom					Sheep		35.0	71.7	69.4	74.7	2.46	169
Silage (pit),
milk stage					Sheep		36.1	63.2	78.5	61.8	2.22	"
Silage (clamp),
mid-bloom					Sheep		18.7	43.2	63.0	53.6	1.69	"
					Nylon bag degradability
						a	b	c		12hr	48hr	Ref
						(%)	(%)	(/hour)		(%)	(%)
Maize 3-4 weeks (early)					DM	6.8	66.4	0.0621		41.7	69.8	631
(CP 16.5)					N	26.9	71.8	0.0417		55.2	89.0	"
Maize, pre-dough (late)					DM	10	61.2	0.0691		44.5	69.0	"
(CP 9.9)					N	17.2	69.7	0.035		41.1	73.9	"
	[P (rumen degradability at time t) = a+b*(1-exp(-c*t))]
		Amino acid composition as % of crude protein
Leaf											Ref	157
Arg	Cys	Gly	Hys	Ils	Leu	Lys	Met	Phe	Thr	Try	Tyr	Val
6.1	0.9	5.5	2.3	5.4	9.6	5.9	2.0	5.9	4.7	-	3.9	7.0