Feeding Systems with Legumes to Intensify Dairy Farms - cgiar
Feeding Systems with Legumes to Intensify Dairy Farms - cgiar
Feeding Systems with Legumes to Intensify Dairy Farms - cgiar
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Planting Maize in Association <strong>with</strong> Forage Soybean for Silage<br />
Production on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica<br />
II. Several indica<strong>to</strong>rs of silage quality<br />
Carlos Jiménez, Luis Pineda, Bernardo León, and Alejandro Montenegro<br />
UCR, Costa Rica<br />
The incorporation of a legume in<strong>to</strong> the crop when making silage<br />
improves the quality of the end product. Also, the sale of part of the baby<br />
corn in maize fields could reduce production costs.<br />
On Costa Rica’s North Pacific coast, cattle owners have very sound<br />
dual-purpose dairy farms but face problems <strong>to</strong> feed cows during the dry<br />
season. Under these conditions, the use of good-quality silage—for example,<br />
maize plus forage soybean—would allow these farmers <strong>to</strong> maintain milk<br />
production during this season.<br />
The study was carried out at the Alfredo Volio Mata dairy cattle<br />
experiment station and the School of Zootechny of the University of Costa<br />
Rica, and complements previous studies. It aims <strong>to</strong> evaluate the quality of<br />
silage made from maize grown in association <strong>with</strong> soybean.<br />
Materials and Methods<br />
Microsilos made of double polyethylene plastic bags, <strong>with</strong> approximately<br />
3-kg capacity, were prepared <strong>with</strong> recently harvested maize and forage<br />
soybean in different proportions (Table 1). As in the previous study, the<br />
following maize forage conditions were considered: (a) removal of 50% of the<br />
baby corn (at mid-flowering); (2) removal of 50% of mature maize (tender<br />
grain); and (3) removal of nothing. Maize was harvested one week after<br />
tender grain was harvested and soybean when it reached phenological state<br />
R6 (seed formed and beginning <strong>to</strong> fill).<br />
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