## 3 Results
### Characteristics of Silage Chemical and Fermentation Characteristics
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Treatment**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**DM (g kg\({}^{-1}\))**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**CP (g kg\({}^{-1}\) DM)**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**NDF (g kg\({}^{-1}\) DM)**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**ADF (g kg\({}^{-1}\) DM)**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**RFV**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**WSC (g kg\({}^{-1}\) DM)**} \\ \cline{2-13}  & **2017** & **2018** & **2017** & **2018** & **2017** & **2018** & **2017** & **2018** & **2017** & **2018** & **2017** & **2018** \\ \hline \multicolumn{13}{c}{Cropping system} \\ CK & 387.31 & 483.70 & 71.20 & 62.83 & 447.16 & 444.67 & 275.13 & 258.85 & 180.45 & 247.29 & 19.54 & 10.85 \\ AC & 343.62 & 430.20 & 83.32 & 72.51 & 447.97 & 463.14 & 275.82 & 276.28 & 189.77 & 228.31 & 36.07 & 16.48 \\ \multicolumn{13}{c}{N application rate} \\ CK & 387.31 a & 483.70 & 71.20 b & 62.83 b & 447.16 ab & 444.67 b & 275.13 a & 258.85 b & 180.45 & 247.29 a & 19.54 c & 10.85 c \\ N0\({}^{\rm a}\) & 343.07 bc & 405.39 c & 83.02 a & 70.49 ab & 48.98 a & 481.01 a & 288.19 a & 290.83 a & 184.03 & 211.86 b & 28.73 bc & 12.59 bc \\ N60 & 332.42 c & 425.67 bc & 81.87 a & 68.24 ab & 444.63 ab & 445.01 b & 265.98 b & 262.45 b & 195.68 & 246.81 a & 33.77 ab & 15.82 abc \\ N120 & 364.25 ab & 436.54 bc & 84.43 a & 74.85 a & 432.63 b & 461.84 ab & 283.75 ab & 280.48 ab & 185.01 & 227.37 ab & 38.76 ab & 18.33 ab \\ N180 & 334.74 c & 453.18 ab & 83.95 a & 76.43 a & 445.72 ab & 464.68 ab & 265.36 ab & 271.37 ab & 194.35 & 227.17 ab & 43.00 a & 19.16 a \\ \multicolumn{13}{c}{Corn plant density} \\ CK & 387.31 a & 483.70 a & 71.20 c & 62.83 c & 447.16 & 444.67 & 275.13 & 258.85 & 180.45 & 247.29 & 19.54 b & 10.85 b \\ D30\({}^{\rm b}\) & 340.15 b & 409.96 b & 87.86 a & 81.33 a & 457.52 & 467.97 & 271.66 & 278.18 & 192.21 & 222.85 & 40.04 a & 17.99 a \\ D45 & 343.43 b & 435.99 b & 82.47 ab & 69.80 b & 440.58 & 465.95 & 274.96 & 278.42 & 192.42 & 224.43 & 34.39 a & 16.08 ab \\ D60 & 347.29 b & 444.31 ab & 79.62 b & 66.39 bc & 445.81 & 455.49 & 280.85 & 272.24 & 184.67 & 237.64 & 33.76 a & 15.35 ab \\ Overall & 346.98 & 434.31 & 82.38 & 71.76 & 447.91 & 461.72 & 275.77 & 274.94 & 189.05 & 229.76 & 34.80 & 16.04 \\ \multicolumn{13}{c}{Mean} \\ SEM\({}^{\rm c}\) & 3.49 & 5.17 & 0.95 & 1.28 & 3.94 & 3.53 & 3.26 & 2.63 & 2.65 & 3.38 & 1.51 & 0.72 \\ \multicolumn{13}{c}{Source of variation \(p\) value} \\ AC vs. CK & \textless 0.001 & \textless 0.001 & \textless 0.001 & \textless 0.001 & \textless 0.001 & ns & ns & ns & 0.049 & ns & ns & \textless 0.001 & 0.009 \\ NR & \textless 0.001 & \textless 0.001 & \textless 0.001 & 0.011 & 0.004 & 0.002 & 0.001 & ns & 0.03 & \textless 0.001 & 0.009 \\ PD & ns\({}^{\rm d}\) & \textless 0.001 & \textless 0.001 & \textless 0.001 & ns & ns & ns & ns & ns & 0.019 & ns \\ NR \(\times\) PD & \textless 0.001 & \textless 0.001 & \textless 0.001 & 0.028 & ns & ns & ns & ns & ns & 0.041 & ns \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 3: Nutritive values of the mixed silage from alfalfa–silage corn relay intercropping (AC) and whole crop corn from silage corn monoculture control (CK) affected by nitrogen application rate (NR) and corn plant density (PD).