The information presented in the following tables is intended to help producers select corn hybrids which produce large yields of high quality silage. Consistently high yields over several locations and years reliably show a hybrid's ability to produce top yields. Primary quality factors are the proportion of grain and the digestibility of the grain and non-grain portions of the hybrid.
Hybrids differ in the proportion of grain they produce.
In the past it was accepted that a hybrid with the highest proportion of grain made the highest quality silage. Research has shown that many times this is not true. Feeding such high grain content silage plus the concentrate feeds usually fed can overload the rumen with starch and lead to serious acidosis and associated health problems plus abnormal composition of milk produced. The most desirable silage hybrids for dairy cattle should produce top yields of highly digestible silage. To obtain this high digestibility and maintain high silage intake and normal digestive function, emphasis should be directed to high digestibility of fodder with a lower proportion of grain rather than trying to obtain high digestibility by maximizing the proportion of grain.