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Variations in the determination of the digestibility and metabolisable energy content of a maize silage
Author(s) -
Phipps Richard H.,
Fulford Rosemary J.,
Cottrill Bruce R.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.2740340805
Subject(s) - silage , starch , food science , chemistry , agronomy , zea mays , zoology , biology
Maize silage which was freeze‐ or oven‐dried had 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8% or 0 and 8% by weight of pure maize starch added, respectively. The samples were analysed for invitro DOMD content at three different laboratories. There were significant differences (P<0.01) between laboratories and method of sample drying. Higher values were recorded for the freeze‐dried material. Nevertheless similar samples were generally ranked in the same order at different laboratories. The increase in in‐vitro DOMD values with increasing starch suggests that the technique is able to distinguish between maize silages of varying grain contents. Samples were also analysed for MAD fibre and and their ME content estimated from it and also by the gas production method now widely used in Germany. The gas production method produced higher ME values and these were closer to the results obtained from in‐vivo trials.