Summary

When growing maize for fodder, one of the most important factors is cob content in the total forage amount. It is possible to collect 35-40 tonnes of forage from one hectare in the case of well managed plantations. Such amount is enough to feed 2 or 3 bulls, or to produce about 13-15 thousand litres of milk. Maize produced for making silage must be characterized with a high content of cobs, reaching about 35-40% of the total forage and about 55-60% of the total mass of dry matter.

Such amounts are possible to collect when planting by means of modern technology, and using proper harvesting methods with appropriate timing. If establishment is adequate and soil nutrient and moisture status are not limiting the growth the total forage yield of a maize crop will be proportional to the amount of radiation (solar) captured by the crop. This means that all management practices should be focused on achieving a clean, healthy and well nourished crop, capable of intercepting as much radiation as possible and as early as possible during the growing season.

Maize varieties used for silage production should be characterized with high yield potential and resistance to some diseases e.g. Fusarium sp. Ustilago maydis, Kabatiella zeae and others. The favourable structure of cobs – small share of stump and big share of grains – can be utilized when silaging maize. Maize silage can be stored in a bunker, an aboveground silage stack or a silo. The ideal whole plant dry matter content for bunkers and stack is 30 to 32%. The bunker or sack should be built on a firm base away from hedges, trees and major drains.

The modern varieties of the plant can be characterized as "stay green". Their stems and leaves stay green during the whole maturing process, which enables the high concentration of dry matter in cobs. Harvesting time might be delayed, and the forage can be silaged easily thanks to the higher water content in the stems and in the leaves.

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