Height matters

3 October 1997

Height matters

HARVESTING maize at 40 and 80cm (16 and 32in) increases energy content to 11.4 and 11.8 ME compared with the conventionally cut crop which analyses at 11.1 ME, according to CEDAR research.

But CEDARs Richard Phipps warns that dry matter yields were reduced by 10% and 22%, respectively. The decision on cutting height must, therefore, depend on forage requirements, he says.

The maize silages had dry matter contents of 31.4% when conventionally cut at 10cm (4in), 33.8% at 40cm and 35.5% at 80cm. Fibre levels of higher cut crops were also reduced. The crop cut at 10cm had a neutral detergent fibre (NDF) content of 382g/kg, at 40cm it was 351g/kg and at 80cm it was 326g/kg. &#42