Publication Date
1985
Location
Kyoto Japan
Description
Three experiments were conducted to determine the nutritive value and yield potential of grain sorghum cultivars harvested as whole-plant silage. A commercial yellow endosperm grain sorghum was harvested at late-dough and hard-grain stages of maturity. Each silage was fed unprocessed and processed through a roller mill to steers in growth and digestion trials. A yield study compared five cultivars of grain sorghum and one forage sorghum, each harvested at three stages of matuirity (milk to early dough, late-dough, and hard-grain). Processing the silages significantly improved steer gains and feed efficiencies. There was a nonsignificant increase in silage DM digestibility due to processing at both stages of maturity. Starch digestibility was increased (P < .05) by 22% when the silages were processed. Although grain sorghum cultivars were earlier maturing, they had whole-plant DM yields similar to the forage sorghum at all three stages of maturity. Only at the second stage did any of the grain sorghum have significantly higher grain yields than the forage sorghum. These results indicate that grain sorghum can be a successful silage crop for the beef cattle industry in the High Plains region of the United State.
Citation
Smith, R L. and Bolsen, K K., "Evaluation of Grain Sorghum as a Silage Crop" (1985). IGC Proceedings (1985-2023). 32.
(URL: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1985/ses10/32)
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Evaluation of Grain Sorghum as a Silage Crop
Kyoto Japan
Three experiments were conducted to determine the nutritive value and yield potential of grain sorghum cultivars harvested as whole-plant silage. A commercial yellow endosperm grain sorghum was harvested at late-dough and hard-grain stages of maturity. Each silage was fed unprocessed and processed through a roller mill to steers in growth and digestion trials. A yield study compared five cultivars of grain sorghum and one forage sorghum, each harvested at three stages of matuirity (milk to early dough, late-dough, and hard-grain). Processing the silages significantly improved steer gains and feed efficiencies. There was a nonsignificant increase in silage DM digestibility due to processing at both stages of maturity. Starch digestibility was increased (P < .05) by 22% when the silages were processed. Although grain sorghum cultivars were earlier maturing, they had whole-plant DM yields similar to the forage sorghum at all three stages of maturity. Only at the second stage did any of the grain sorghum have significantly higher grain yields than the forage sorghum. These results indicate that grain sorghum can be a successful silage crop for the beef cattle industry in the High Plains region of the United State.
