RESPONSE OF SILAGE MAIZE TO PLANTING METHODS AND POPULATION DENSITIES

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to quantify the response of maize silage to planting methods and plant densities. Two field experiments were established at the Campo Experimental La Laguna (INIFAP), the first one in the spring of 1993 and the second one in the summer of 1998. Four planting methods (0.60 and 0.76 m wide in single rows; 0.80 and 0.90 m wide in twin rows) and plant densities from 5.3 to 15.5 plants m^-2 were evaluated. Dry matter distribution, yield and forage quality were determined. No significant differences in forage dry matter and grain yield were found among planting methods. In spring, forage yield dry matter was increased significantly (16.7 %) as plant density increased from 8.2 to 11.2 plants m^-2. In summer, dry matter forage yield was increased significantly only as plant density increased from 5.5 to 8.6 plants m^-2. The dry matter yield decreased significantly (14.4-17.7 %) as plant density was reduced from 8.2-8.6 to 5.3-5.5 plants m^-2. Neither planting methods nor plant densities affected the forage quality. Probably, this response was related to the no reduction of harvest index as plant density increased.