The great use of corn Zea mays L. for forage production enabled the greater intensification of animal raising. In addition, for having a good nutritional composition, it has enabled increased gain of animal production. However, the nutritive value of corn may be related directly to agronomical aspects of the plants. Aspects such as density, spacing and leaf canopy of hybrids can affect the nutrient composition of the forage. As related with that, there has been a trend in reducing the row spacing and increasing the densities of sowing, privileging more erect materials, as the simple hybrids, aiming at higher productivity and greater operational efficiency. The objective of this work was to investigate the behavior of corn hybrids of different leaf canopy submitted to two interrow spacings, in two densities of sowing, and to two years of cultivation. The design utilized in the experiments (row spacings of 0,7 or 0,9 meters) was that of randomized blocks in a 3x2 factorial scheme, with the performance of three hybrids (AG1051, AG 9010, DKB440) and two densities of sowing (55,000 and 75,000 plants.ha-1) being evaluated. The spacings (0,70 m e 0,90 m) and densities of sowing (55,000 e 75,000 plantas ha-1) had no influence over neither gross protein content nor over the NDF or ADF. The gross protein content is influenced only by the year factor. The AG1051 has presented the highest NDF and ADF contents, thus being the crude fibrous and less digestible material.
Zea mays; Arrangement of plants; Crude Protein; NDF; ADF
