Critical element of maize maturity is amount of by-pass starch it provides

摘要

New ultra early forage maize varieties are already finding acceptance in the UK by easing concerns over cross compliance, but according to Saaten Union's Dr Ernst Loop the greatest benefit is in improved utilisation of starch. The long-term focus of the breeding cooperative Saaten Union has been on achieving extreme earliness without yield penalty - the latest results of which are seen in a variety like Revolver for example -but success has not been achieved at the expense of quality. High starch levels, and in particular the ability of ultra early varieties to present a greater proportion in a rumen by-pass form, lie at the heart of the added potential for these latest varieties. Dr Loop's arguments are based on maize feeding studies carried out as part of variety development in Germany and Holland, much of which has centred on achieving the right balance of starch for the high performing dairy cow.