Features of the carbohydrate composition of the silage corn hybrids green mass

Purpose. To investigate the carbohydrate composition of green mass of silage corn hybrids and the ratio between easily hydrolyzed and structural carbohydrates; to establish the feed and biological value of green mass of silage corn hybrids. Methods. Sampling and determination of the content of basic and biologically active substances were carried out in accordance with current standards: moisture and volatile substances, nitrogen and crude protein, fat, fiber (crude, neutral and acid-detergent), ash, carbohydrate-lignin complex (sugars, hemicellulose, cellulose), lignin and starch. Results. The content of crude protein in samples of green mass of silage corn hybrids is in the range from 3.23% to 6.59%, on average it is 4.9%, and the crude fiber index is in the range from 14.58% to 25.39%, on average 18.71%. In silage-grain hybrids, these values are much lower, namely in the range from 5.07% to 8.25% and from 16.02% to 27.94%, respectively. The amount of neutral detergent fiber also differs in silage-grain on average 44.45%, and in silage – 47.02%, with respect to non-structural carbohydrates, this indicator is practically the same – 42.44% and 42.62%. The amount of easily hydrolyzed carbohydrates in silage hybrids is quite high, because the content of sugars and starch in them is twice as high, and in the amount of structural carbohydrates there is more hemicellulose and less cellulose. Conclusions. The results of the studies showed that the indicator of exchangeable energy of the green mass of silage and silage-grain hybrids of corn is almost the same, despite the lower protein content in silage hybrids. Their feed and biological value is higher, in particular due to the increased content of easily hydrolyzed carbohydrates – starch and sugars. Structural carbohydrates in these hybrids are also redistributed: more hemicellulose and less cellulose compared to silage grains.