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Starchy corn needed to utilize grass
After three warm, dry years in a row, livestock farmers have once again been able to significantly replenish their grass stocks in 2021. In combination with the derogation rule of 80% grassland, this results in a large amount of grass that must be used in many rations.
Our tip: choose a maize variety that fits well in your ration. With a grass-fed ration, cows need a lot of energy to convert nitrogen (protein) from the grass into milk protein. And preferably for a large part at rumen level, where the rumen microbes take care of this process. Unresistant starch is a perfect source of energy for this.
Variety differences in starch availability
For a grassier ration, choose a variety that scores well on starch content and starch yield, such as LG 7005. Since last year, we have also made the variety differences in starch availability clear. Varieties that supply a lot of unstable starch, which is released at rumen level, can be recognized by the Star Plus label.
If you feed more than 50% maize in the ration, a maize variety with a somewhat more moderate starch supply and a high cell wall digestibility is a better choice:
A high cell wall digestibility in silage maize always pays off. Cell walls are digested on average for 35% in the rumen and 10% in the large intestine. In the rumen they are broken down much more slowly than starch and mainly converted into acetic acid. Every 1% higher cell wall digestibility increases the VEM per kg DM, the feed intake and thus the milk yield. That is why an easily digestible residual plant has been one of the breeding goals in the LG program for decades. View our top digestible maize varieties >>
