Comparisons of the Quality and Nutritional Value of Whole-plant Corn Silage at Various Depths under the Top Surface of Silo

The effect of simple covering of silo on the quality and nutritional value of whole-plant corn silage was evaluated in this study. The silage samples were taken from 10, 20, 40, 80, 160 or 320 cm under the top surface of the aboveground silo and analysed for their quality, chemical composition and in vitro DM digestibility. The results showed that simple covering of the silo significantly affected the quality, chemical composition and in vitro DM digestibility of whole-plant corn silage from 0 to 40 cm under the surface of the silo, as indicated by the higher population of fungi and lactobacilli, the higher content of NDF, ADF and butyric acid, the higher pH value but the lower content of total sugars in the silage. Furthermore, the quality, chemical composition and in vitro DM digestibility of whole-plant corn silage were also affected by the depths under the top surface of the silo, as sampling depths increased, the contents of DM, total sugars and WSC, pH values and DMD decreased gradually, but the contents of lactic acid, VFA, NDF and ADF increased, with the populations of fungi and lactobacilli, the contents of crude protein, EE and ash remaining unaffected.