Source: UNIV OF WISCONSIN submitted to NRP
FACTORS INFLUENCING THE DIGESTIBILITY OF STARCH IN WHOLE-PLANT CORN SILAGE FOR DAIRY COWS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
HATCH
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0232436
Grant No.
(N/A)
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Oct 1, 2013
Project End Date
Sep 30, 2017
Grant Year
(N/A)
Program Code
[(N/A)]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
UNIV OF WISCONSIN
21 N PARK ST STE 6401
MADISON,WI 53715-1218
Performing Department
Dairy Science
Non Technical Summary
The state of Wisconsin ranks near the top nationally for both milk and corn silage production. Corn harvested as whole-plant silage (WPCS) is an extremely important crop in Wisconsin for dairy cattle. Starch provided from the corn kernel contributes about half of the energy value of WPCS. Recent unprecedented increases in corn grain prices have caused dairy producers and their nutritionists to seek ways to evaluate and improve starch utilization.
Animal Health Component
75%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
75%
Developmental
25%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
30234101010100%
Knowledge Area
302 - Nutrient Utilization in Animals;

Subject Of Investigation
3410 - Dairy cattle, live animal;

Field Of Science
1010 - Nutrition and metabolism;
Goals / Objectives
The objectives of the research proposed herein are to: 1) determine relationships between whole-plant corn silage (WPCS) ammonia and kernel processing score measurements and starch digestibility across a wide range of parameter measurements established by varying corn endosperm types, harvest maturities, lengths of cut, protease addition, and lengths of time in storage, 2) use project results to develop a WPCS evaluation system with equations to predict ruminal and total tract starch digestibilities, and 3) conduct a feeding trial with lactating dairy cows to verify model results. Improved and routine evaluation for starch digestibility in corn silage could increase lactation performance, reduce grain supplementation and thus feed costs, increase income over feed cost, and improve rumen and cow health for dairy producers.
Project Methods
Methods will involve the following: survey of commercial feed testing lab results for ammonia, particle size and starch digestibility in corn silage, mini/lab silo experiments with whole-plant corn silage, in vitro digestion experiments, in vivo feeding trials with dairy cows, development of corn silage starch digestibility prediction models, field translational research, and extension/outreach information transfer.

Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/17

Outputs
Target Audience:The feed industry, nutrition consultants, dairy farmers, and county extension agents. Changes/Problems:Objective #2, model development and verification, could not be completed because revised energy equations from the Dairy NRC Committee were not yet published. Objectives #1 and #3 were completed with more effort put into Objective #3 than planned, and all results publshed in peer-review scientific journals and disseminated to clentele groups through extension and outreach activities. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Results presented at scientific meetings and nutrition conferences. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results presented at extension meetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objectives of this research were to: 1) determine relationships between whole-plant corn silage (WPCS) ammonia and kernel processing score measurements and starch digestibility across a wide range of parameter measurements established by varying corn endosperm types, harvest maturities, lengths of cut, protease addition, and lengths of time in storage, 2) use project results to develop a WPCS evaluation system with equations to predict ruminal and total tract starch digestibilities, and 3) conduct a feeding trial with lactating dairy cows to verify model results. Objectives #1 and #3 have been completed, and results published in peer-review scientific journals and disseminated to clientele groups through extension and outreach activities. Objective #2, model development and verification, however, could not be completed because revised energy equations from the Dairy NRC Committee have not yet been published. Research for Objective #1 was completed primarily by doctoral students Luiz Ferraretto and Gilson Dias and myself in collaboration with academic staff member Pat Hoffman, and was complete mainly during years 1-3. Primary measurements included corn silage starch and NDF contents, processing score, particle size, in vitro starch digestibility, and soluble crude protein (CP) and ammonia-N contents. Strong positive relationships were observed across several experiments between in vitro starch digestibility and ammonia-N or soluble-CP with predictive equations developed. Length of the ensiling period on the farm before feeding was found to be more important than hybrid type, with stage of harvest maturity intermediate, regarding effects on the nitrogen parameters and starch digestibility. These findings affirm the practice of managing on-farm corn silage inventories for several months of carryover so newly harvested corn silage does not need to be fed too quickly to ensure that high starch digestibility is attained. Our work also related corn silage processing score to starch digestibility; finer kernels particles yield more highly digestible starch. We established that a novel hydrodynamic separation followed by dry sieving of the kernel fraction provided a better assessment of kernel breakage in corn silage that was more related to starch digestibility than the standard industry measurement of corn silage processing score. The new separation and sieving procedure shows potential for use in forage testing laboratories. Research for Objective #3 was completed primarily by doctoral student Luiz Ferraretto and master's student Lauryn Vanderwerff. Measurements in these feeding trials included dry matter intake, milk yield and composition, and feed efficiency. A meta- analysis of literature data for effects of hybrid type on lactation performance and digestibility was performed in year 1 while our dairy cattle feeding experiments were performed in years 3-4 of the project. Findings from the meta-analysis in the starch area were as follows: hybrids varying in kernel characteristics did not affect intake, milk production, or total-tract nutrient digestibilities by lactating dairy cows; positive effects of brown-midrib corn silage on intake and milk yield were observed for lactating dairy cows, but the reduced total-tract starch digestibility for these hybrids merits further study. Findings from feedings trials were as follows: total-tract starch digestibility was greater for cows fed the leafy, corn silage, however, dry matter intake and milk and protein yields were greater for cows fed the brown-midrib corn silage; although total-tract starch digestibility was greater for cows fed the leafy corn silage, feed efficiency was not affected by hybrid type due to greater dry matter intake and milk and protein yields by cows fed the brown-midrib corn silage; cows fed corn silage with better processed corn silage produced more milk in two experiments. Overall results advance the science related to starch digestion by dairy cows and improve the efficiency conversion of forage, corn silage, to milk.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Ferraretto, L.F., R.D. Shaver and B.D. Luck. 2017. Recent advances and future technologies for whole-plant and fractionated corn silage harvesting: A contemporary review. JDS Special Silage Issue. Accepted 9/27/2017.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Ferraretto, L.F., J.P. Goeser, and R.D. Shaver. 2017. Case Study: Fermentation of frozen whole-plant corn silage and high-moisture corn after thawing. The Professional Animal Scientist. 33:504-508.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Salvati, G.G.S., L.F. Ferraretto, G.S. Dias J�nior, F.L. Drago, and R. D. Shaver. 2017. Survey of mean particle length in whole-plant corn silage. The Professional Animal Scientist. Accepted 9/4/2017.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Ferraretto, L. F., R. D. Shaver, J. G. Lauer, L. H. Brown, J. P. Kennicker, and D. M. Taysom. 2017. Influence of plant population, hybrid relative maturity, and cutting height on yield, nutrient content, and digestibility in whole-plant corn forage. J. Dairy Sci. E-Suppl. 2. 100:150.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Shaver, R. D. 2017. The impact of forages and their quality on the efficiency of dairy production. Invited. J. Dairy Sci. E-Suppl. 2. 100:209.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Sorge, E. L., and R. D. Shaver. 2017. Effects of lactose and sucrose with varying starch and rumen degradable protein concentrations on ruminal fermentation in vitro. Dairy Sci. E-Suppl. 2. 100:303.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Shaver*, R.D. 2017. Producing more milk from using more high quality forages. Proc. Four-State Dairy Nutr. & Mgmt. Conf. Dubuque, IA.


Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/16

Outputs
Target Audience:The feed industry, nutrition consultants, dairy farmers, and county extension agents. Changes/Problems:Important to incorporate new Dairy NRC equations as appropriate and as published prior to project termination. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Results presented at scientific meetings and and at nutrition conferences How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results presented at extension meetings What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We plan to continue model development and model results verification. We plan to incorporate the new Dairy NRC equations as appropriate and as time permits based on the publication of the new NRC relative to project termination timeline.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective #1 and part of Objective #3 have been completed, results published in peer-review scientific journals and disseminated to clientele groups through extension and outreach activities. Objective #2, model development and results verification, remains in progress and is expected to involve equations from the new Dairy NRC when completed.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Ferraretto, L.F., S.M. Fredin, R.E. Muck, and R.D. Shaver. 2016. Case Study: Microbial inoculant and ensiling time effects on fermentation profile, nitrogen fractions, and ruminal in vitro and in situ starch digestibility in corn shredlage and late-maturity corn silage. The Professional Animal Scientist. 32:861-868.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Ferraretto., L.F., R. D. Shaver, J. G. Lauer, L. Brown, R. Lutz, J. Kennicker, R. Schmidt, and D. M. Taysom. 2016. Influence of plant population, maturity and ensiling time on fermentation profile, nitrogen fractions, and starch digestibility in earlage. J. Dairy Sci. E-Suppl. 1. 99:293.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Ferraretto*, L., and R. Shaver. 2016. Current strategies to increase nutritive value of corn silage. In: Proc. Florida Dairy Production Conference. Gainesville, FL. Pages 57-64.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Dias, G.S., Jr., L.F. Ferraretto, G.G.S. Salvati, L.C. de Resende, P.C. Hoffman and R.D. Shaver. 2016. Relationship between processing score and kernel-fraction particle size in whole-plant corn silage. J. Dairy Sci. 99:2719-2729.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Lauer, J.G., R.D. Shaver, L. Brown, D. Taysom, and J. Kennicker. 2016. Corn grain and silage response to plant density and hybrid. American Society of Agronomy Annual Meeting. Phoenix, AZ. Abstr.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Goeser, J. P., B. Beck, T. Koehler, D. Tanata, E. Reid, M. Kirk, and R. D. Shaver. 2016. Commercial ground corn surface area is better related to rumen disappearance than geometric mean particle size. J. Dairy Sci. E-Suppl. 1. 99:689.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Shaver*, R.D, and L.F. Ferraretto. 2016. Revisiting starch for lactating dairy cows. Proc. Four-State Dairy Nutr. & Mgmt. Conf. Dubuque, IA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Ferraretto., L.F., E. Lynch, J. P. Goeser, and R. D. Shaver. 2016. Impact of temperature after defrosting on fermentation of high-moisture corn. J. Dairy Sci. E-Suppl. 1. 99:317.


Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audiences are: the feed industry, nutrition consultants, dairy farmers, and county extension agents Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Results presented at scientific meetings and at nutrition conferences. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results were presented at extension meetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will continue work on model development for Objective #2 and plan feeding trial for Objective #3, which is to conduct a feeding trial with lactating dairy cows to verify model results.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective #1 has been completed and published in peer-review journal and results disseminated to clientele groups through extension activities. Objective #2, which is to use project results to develop a WPCS evaluation system with equations to predict ruminal and total tract starch digestibilities, is still in progress.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Vanderwerff, L.M., L.F. Ferraretto and R.D. Shaver. 2015. Brown midrib corn shredlage in diets for high-producing dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci. 98:5642-5652.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Ferraretto, L.F., P.M. Crump and R.D. Shaver. 2015. Effect of ensiling time and exogenous protease addition to whole-plant corn silage of varied hybrids, maturities and chop lengths on nitrogen fractions and ruminal in vitro starch digestibility. J. Dairy Sci. 98:8869-8881.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Ferraretto, L. F., and R.D. Shaver. 2015. Effects of whole-plant corn silage hybrid type on intake, digestion, ruminal fermentation, and lactation performance by dairy cows through a meta-analysis. J. Dairy Sci. 98:2662-2675.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Ferraretto, L. F., A. C. Fonseca, C. J. Sniffen, A. Formigoni, and R. D. Shaver. 2015. Effect of corn silage hybrids differing in starch and neutral detergent fiber digestibility on lactation performance and total tract nutrient digestibility by dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci. 98:395-405.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Ferraretto, L. F., R. D. Shaver, S. Massie, R. Singo, D. M. Taysom, and J. P. Brouillette. 2015. Effect of ensiling time and hybrid type on fermentation profile, nitrogen fractions and ruminal in vitro starch and NDF digestibility in whole-plant corn silage. The Prof. Anim. Sci. 31:146-152.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Ferraretto, L.F., S.M. Fredin, and R.D. Shaver. 2015. Influence of ensiling, exogenous protease addition and bacterial inoculation on fermentation profile, nitrogen fractions and ruminal in vitro starch digestibility in rehydrated and high-moisture corn. J. Dairy Sci. 98:7318-7327.


Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/14

Outputs
Target Audience: The target audiences are: the feed industry, nutrition consultants, dairy farmers, and county extension agents Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Results presented at scientific meetings and at nutrition conferences. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Results were presented at extension meetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? In the next reporitng period, we will continue to conduct trials, samples and data analyses and will work on objective #2 or model development.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Effect of ensiling time and exogenous protease addition on nitrogen fractions and ruminal in vitro starch digestibility in whole-plant corn silage from varied hybrid types, maturities and particle size. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of ensiling time and exogenous protease addition on soluble CP (%CP), ammonia-N (%N) and ruminal in vitro starch digestibility (ivStarchD) in whole-plant corn silage (WPCS) of varied hybrid types, maturities and particle size. Samples from 3 hybrids (brown midrib [BMR], dual-purpose [DP], or floury-leafy [FLY]) at 2 harvest maturities (2/3 of milk line [early; ER] or 7 d later [LT]) with 2 theoretical lengths of cut settings on the forage harvester (0.64- or 1.95-cm) were collected at harvest, treated with (PROT) or without (CON) exogenous protease, and ensiled in triplicate in vacuum-sealed plastic bags for 0, 30, 60, 120 and 240 d. Thus, the experiment consisted of 120 treatments (3 hybrids x 2 maturities x 2 particle size x 2 protease treatments x 5 time-points) and 360 mini-silos (3 replications per treatment). Data was analyzed as a split-split-plot design using Proc Mixed of SAS with the Fixed effects of hybrid, maturity, particle size, protease addition, ensiling time and their interaction and the Random effects of hybrid by maturity and hybrid by maturity by particle size. Vitreousness measured on unfermented kernels on the day of harvest was 83.0%, 47.5% and 42%, on average, for BMR, DP and LFY, respectively. Although ammonia-N did not differ (P > 0.10), soluble CP tended to increase (41.4 vs. 42.1% of CP; P = 0.06) and ivStarchD approached a trend for an increase (60.9 vs. 61.8% of starch; P = 0.11) with exogenous protease addition. A protease by maturity interaction was observed (P = 0.01) with protease increasing ivStarchD in LT but not ER WPCS. Gradual increases were observed (P < 0.001) over time from 0 to 240 d for soluble CP and ammonia-N concentrations. Likewise, the ivStarchD measurements increased with ensiling time (P < 0.001; 56.2, 58.8, 61.2, 63.3, and 67.3% of starch for 0, 30, 60, 120 and 240 d, respectively). Ensiling time by hybrid interactions was observed (P = 0.001) for ammonia-N and soluble CP concentrations with greater values for FLY than other hybrids only after 120 d of ensiling. Similarly, ivStarchD was greater for FLY than DP only after 60 d of ensiling. Length of the ensiling period did not attenuate negative effects of kernel vitreousness on starch digestibility in WPCS. Results suggest that exogenous protease addition may reduce the negative effects of maturity on starch digestibility in WPCS, and merits further investigation.These results highlight the importance of proper harvest maturity of whole-plant corn silage for optimum starch digestibility. Although ensiling time did not overcome the negative effects of maturity on starch digestibility in whole-plant corn silage, it increased starch digestibility of all treatments and is still a valuable tool for optimize starch digestibility in ruminants. Data from this trial can be used in dynamic models of ruminant starch utilization.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: 1. Fredin, S. M., L. F. Ferraretto, M. S. Akins, S. J. Bertics, and R. D. Shaver. Effects of corn-based diet starch content and corn particle size on lactation performance, digestibility, and bacterial protein flow in dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci. Accepted. In press. 2. Fredin, S. M., M. S. Akins, L. F. Ferraretto, and R. D. Shaver. Effects of corn-based diet starch content and NDF source on lactation performance, digestibility, and bacterial protein flow in dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci. Accepted. In press. 3. Akins, M.S., and R. D. Shaver. Influence of corn silage hybrid type on lactation performance by Holstein dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci. Accepted. In press. 4. Ferraretto, L. F., A. C. Fonseca, C. J. Sniffen, A. Formigoni, and R. D. Shaver. 2014. Effect of corn silage hybrids differing in starch and NDF digestibility on lactation performance and total tract nutrient digestibility by dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci. Accepted. In press. 5. Ferraretto, L. F., R. D. Shaver, S. Massie, R. Singo, D. M. Taysom, and J. P. Brouillette. Effect of ensiling time and hybrid type on fermentation profile, nitrogen fractions and ruminal in vitro starch and NDF digestibility in whole-plant corn silage. Prof. Anim. Sci. Accepted. In press.