Comparison of maize silage production systems using alternative fertilization methods
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33158/ASB.r279.v13.2027Keywords:
Zea mays, organomineral fertilization, nutritional quality, multivariate analysis, ruminants, livestock systems, animal nutritionAbstract
This study evaluated the effects of different nutritional management strategies under irrigated and rainfed conditions on agronomic performance, biomass chemical composition, and soil physical properties of silage maize. The experiment was conducted during the 2025/2026 growing season in Augusto Pestana, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, using a randomized complete block design with five treatments and five replicates. Four treatments were conducted under irrigation, involving different fertilization strategies, while one treatment used chemical fertilization under rainfed conditions. The evaluated variables included green biomass yield, plant morphological characteristics, biomass chemical composition, and soil penetration resistance. Analysis of variance revealed significant treatment effects on most evaluated variables. The treatment without supplemental fertilization under irrigation presented the highest plant stand (4.2 plants m⁻¹) and emergence speed index (1.771), as well as the highest soil penetration resistance across the evaluated soil layers. In contrast, the irrigated Ferticel® 07-11-10 treatment achieved the highest green biomass yield, reaching 55,755 kg ha⁻¹, with a green leaf proportion of 94.26% and a stalk weight proportion of 52.57%. Principal component analysis associated the Ferticel® treatment with greater biomass production, stalk diameter, total number of leaves, and green leaf proportion. Pearson correlation analysis also revealed strong positive relationships between green biomass yield and stalk diameter (r = 0.98) and between yield and total number of leaves (r = 0.95). Overall, the results indicate that nutritional management and water availability influence maize establishment, productivity, and soil physical properties. Under experimental conditions, Ferticel® 07-11-10 combined with irrigation provided the highest green biomass yield, demonstrating its potential for silage maize production.
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Copyright (c) 2027 : Goergen, E. T., Schneider, G. A., Carvaljo, I. R., Luz, G. B., Babeski, C. M., Bandeira, W. J. A., Krahn, C. O., & Silva, F. C.
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