Agronomic performance of forage corn for cattle feeding in Amazonas, Peru

Corn (Zea mays) silage is an important and popular feed for dairy production in the Amazon region, so it is necessary to evaluate the agronomic performance of forage varieties of corn for cattle feeding in Amazonas. For this purpose, three corn varieties were evaluated (variety 1: Yellow Starchy Corn, variety 2: Chuska INIA 617, and variety 3: DOW 2B710), with two planting densities (density 1: 30 × 80 cm and density 2: 35 × 75 cm) and two fertilization conditions: with fertilization (F1) and without fertilization (F2). The parameters evaluated were plant height, number of leaves, leaf length and width, stem diameter, fresh forage, and dry matter. Student t-tests, correlation analysis of variables, and principal component analysis using R software version 4.1.3 were used for data analysis. The results indicated that variety 2 obtained the best values for the variables leaf width (12.33 cm) and stem diameter (3.25 cm), fresh forage (17.77 kg/m²), and dry matter (4.8 kg/m²), which would explain the directly proportional correlation found between leaf width and stem diameter with fresh forage and dry matter. The principal component analysis showed constant height and leaf length increases, and the best-evaluated parameters were associated with applying fertilizer. The variety that showed the best agronomic performance under Chachapoyas conditions was Chuska INIA 617, emerging as a potential feed for cattle.