EFEITO DO SILÍCIO E BACTÉRIAS FIXADORAS DE NITROGÊNIO NOS PARÂMETROS MORFOPRODUTIVOS E NO VALOR NUTRICIONAL DE SILAGENS DE MILHO NA FORMA DE RAÇÃO TOTAL PARA OVINOS E BOVINOS

Abstract

Corn plays a crucial role in the Brazilian agribusiness chain, being a crop of great importance in both productive and economic terms. However, the potential for phytomass productivity and the quality of corn silage can be influenced by various factors, including water availability, temperature, solar radiation, damage caused by pests and diseases, nutrient availability and the plant population at sowing. Of these factors, droughts represent a significant challenge, reducing crop yields by between 20 and 40%, especially for cereals. The aim was to evaluate the effect of microbial inoculation and silicon fertigation on the morphoproductive characteristics and nutritional value of corn silage, total feed silage for sheep and total feed silage for cattle during the agricultural off-season. A randomized block design was used, in a 4 × 2 factorial scheme, represented by four doses of silicon (Si; 0, 4, 8 and 12 kg ha-1 ) and with or without the addition of A. brasilense (A. brasilense; strains Ab-V5 and Ab-V6) with four replications, totaling 32 experimental units. The corn used was the ferocious hybrid vip 3 (SYN8A98 TLTG Viptera). The morphoproductive characteristics were evaluated. At 81 days after the maize emerged, it was harvested to make maize silage and total maize-based feed to meet the requirements of dairy cattle and beef sheep. After 120 days, the silos were opened and a chemical-bromatological analysis was carried out on the corn silage and total feed for dairy cattle and beef sheep.In this study, DECP (p=0.018), DESP (p=0.044), CESP (p=0.0013) and PECP (p=0.028) obtained gains with the association of Azospirillum brasilense and doses of silicon. The CECP with the application of A. brasilense obtained gains compared to that without Azospirillum brasilense and the doses of 8 and 12 kg ha-1 silicon had the highest CECP. In maize, the application of 12 kg ha-1 of silicon obtained the highest PMV (p=0.011), PMVF (p=0.037), PMVEP (p=0.008) and PMVC (p=0.023). There was an interaction (p<0.05) between silicon and A. brasilense for N-NH3 in corn silage and total feed for sheep. The application of silicon associated with inoculation with A. brasilense promotes increases in ear diameter with straw, ear diameter without straw, ear length with straw and ear weight with straw. The application of silicon increases the production of green matter, with a recommended dose of 12 kg ha-1 . The application of different doses of silicon associated with inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense in corn production does not alter the fermentation patterns, microbial populations and chemical-bromatological composition of corn silage and total feed silage for dairy cattle and beef sheep.