EVALUATION OF MEXICAN NATIVE AND HYBRID MAIZE (ZEA MAYS) SILAGES FOR SUSTAINABLE MILK PRODUCTION

Background . Maize cultivation and dairy cattle represent two of the main economic activities in Mexico. Objective . Determine the forage yield (ton / ha) and forage quality of the maize silage produced in Mexico and estimate potential milk production. Methodology . For this purpose, 13 studies carried out in Mexico, were analyzed according to study area (north vs. center of Mexico) and variety (native vs. hybrid). For inclusion in the final database, the studies should have been including agronomic and chemical variables such as: dry matter yield (DMY) (ton / ha), plant density (number of plants / ha), dry matter content (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), ash or organic matter (OM), dry matter digestibility (DMD), neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD), starch and fat content. The data were analyzed using a completely randomized statistical design. Results . The forage DMY (dry matter yield) / ha, and the milk production (ton DM / ha) were higher (P <0.0001) for the central region with respect to the northern region. Regarding to the milk production (kg milk/ ha) the native silages produced more (P <0.05) than the hybrids. A positive correlation was observed for the content of NEL (net energy of lactation) (MJ / kg DM) and kg milk / ton DM. Implications . The native maize of Mexico thus has the potential to provide greater production of milk / ha and kg Milk/ per ton DM with respect to hybrid maize, due to the higher digestibility of the NDF that causes the higher NEl. Conclusions. The use of native maize in Mexico is a viable alternative for use as a silage in feed for dairy cows, with higher milk production per hectare and per ton of dry matter compared to hybrid maize.