Potencial da benzohidrazida na qualidade da silagem de milho

Abstract

Corn is one of the most important crops for silage production, being an essential roughage feed for ruminant nutrition due to its high energy value and good preservation characteristics. However, a limiting factor is the presence of lignin in the plant cell wall, a phenolic polymer that provides rigidity but limits the degradation of structural carbohydrates by the rumen microbiota. BHZ has the potential to promote lignocellulose saccharification, increasing the availability of fermentable sugars and potentially interfering with the lignin synthesis pathway, which would enhance fiber fraction digestibility. The general objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of benzohydrazide application at different concentrations on corn silage quality. The experiment was carried out in the experimental area of UTFPR, Pato Branco Campus, during the 2024/2025 growing season. The design was a randomized block with a unifactorial arrangement, testing three treatments: benzohydrazide at concentrations of 50 and 500 μM, and a control, in four blocks with two replications. Plants were harvested manually at the R5 stage, the forage was chopped, treated with BHZ, and compacted into 24 experimental PVC silos. The evaluations included: chemical composition, digestibility, fermentation, and microbiology of the silage. The results showed that benzohydrazide application did not cause significant changes in the main bromatological components, including lignin content. However, the BHZ treatment at the highest dose led to a significant increase in in vitro dry matter digestibility at 48 hours (IVDMD48), which rose from 79.9% to 82.0%. It is concluded that, although it does not alter the quantitative lignin content, benzohydrazide improves the digestibility of structural carbohydrates in corn silage, indicating promising potential to optimize the energetic utilization of roughage in animal nutrition.