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Corn with the best rumen utilization
A high-yielding cow needs a lot of energy at rumen level. It is the rumen that everything revolves around and that is where you have to feed the cow. We know that corn with a lot of starch and good cell wall digestibility gives a high net energy content for lactation. But a generous amount of starch alone is not enough. It is also the starch quality that determines how much starch is available in the rumen and that differs per maize variety.
The LG maize varieties that provide the highest amount of rumen energy can now be recognized by the Starplus label.
Maize specialist Martin Cazot: "On the basis of in vivo research on rumen fistula cows, we can make reliable statements about the percentage of (unresistant) starch that ferments in the rumen, or passes and is broken down in the small intestine (resistant starch). From 360 g starch per kg ds of maize at harvest is on average 65 to 70% unstable. However, we have measured considerable variety differences in the amount of non-resistant starch. So one maize variety provides considerably more rumen energy than the other."
Flint dent hybrids
That higher supply of refractory starch comes from the early dent maize, which has been crossed into LG's flint dent hybrids such as LG 7005 en LG 7005† The dent types bring a lot of yield from crop and cob with a higher starch resistance. The flint types are more resistant and ensure quality, early maturity and cold tolerance of the hybrid.
In this way we have the highest possible nutritional value in 1 variety;
- A lot of VEM from the plant due to good cell wall digestibility: a 5% higher NDF digestibility provides an extra 30 VEM/kg ds
- A lot of VEM and rumen energy from starch due to a high starch yield with a higher instability.
Need for rumen energy
Because more than two-thirds of dairy farms in the Netherlands feed less than 30% maize due to derogation, the need for a lot of direct energy at rumen level is high. The cow needs a lot of energy to convert the nitrogen from the grass into milk protein. The energy is also badly needed for maintenance, growth and fertility of highly productive animals.
Maize varieties with the Starplus label contain a lot of starch per kilo of ds with a high degree of resistance. They therefore fit perfectly in rations with a maize share of up to 50%. If you feed more maize, it is not the starch content but the feed intake that is the limiting factor. Then choose maize varieties with a somewhat lower starch content and, above all, a high VEM and cell wall digestibility.
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