Effects of hybrid on maize grain and plant carbohydrates

Maize is one of the most important naturally renewable carbohydrate raw materials. The basic chemical composition (content of starch, protein, oil, crude fibre and ash) and the content of lignocellulose fibres (content of NDF, ADF, ADL, hemicelullose and cellulose) were determined for grain and the whole maize plant of the seven ZP maize hybrids. The negative very significant correlation between protein and starch content (r=-0.78) and significant correlation between oil and starch content (r=-0.65) was obtained in grain. The hybrid ZP 666 had the highest starch, crude fibre, ADF and cellulose content, high NDF content, the lowest ADL and low protein content in grain. The lowest starch, crude fibre, ADF, cellulose content and the highest protein and oil content in grain was determined in hybrid ZP 158. The hybrid ZP 730 had the highest and hybrid ZP158 the lowest dry matter yield of whole plant, whole plant without ear, ear and yield of digestible dry matter of whole plant. The differences in the contents of NDF, ADF, ADL, hemicelluloses, cellulose and digestibility of the whole maize plant among observed ZP hybrids were 6.21%, 4.01%, 0.79%, 5.65%, 3.88% and 6.79%, respectively. Obtained values for the content of lignocellulose fibres differed significantly among hybrids and were closely related to digestibility. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. TR31068]