Corn silage production in a crop-livestock integration system

Abstract Intercropping maize with forages in crop-livestock integration systems may enhance the benefits of both components for animal production. This study aimed to evaluate the yield and quality of maize silages produced in association with grasses in a crop-livestock integration system. Treatments were arranged in a randomized block design, in a 4 × 2 + 1 factorial scheme, consisting of four grasses (Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu, U. brizantha cv. MG4, U. brizantha cv. MG5, and Megathyrsus maximus cv. Mombaça), two forage sowing methods (simultaneously with maize sowing and at maize topdressing fertilization), and an additional control treatment of monocropped maize, totaling nine treatments, with four replications. pH, effluent losses, microbiological count, and bromatological analyses were performed. Intercropping with Mombaça grass resulted in the highest forage proportion in the silage, but also in the greatest effluent loss. Monocropped maize produced silage with higher quantity and superior quality.