This work was carriedout to evaluate the agronomic characteristics (bedding, breakage, and productivity)and the chemical-bromatological of the green matter and silage of 19 cultivarsof maize. The treatments were applied on 5 x 4-m plots arranged in a randomizedblock design with four replications. By the ocassion of sowing, doses correspondingto 500 kg/ha of the formula 4-14-8 (N-P2O5-K2O),were applied and at the 47 day of emergency, 60 kg/ha of N in broadcast. Fromthe studied nineteen cultivars, nine were selected based on percentage of brokenand bedridden plants with adequate agronomic characteristics to mechanical harvest.When the plants from the useful area (12 m2) reached the dough stage,they were harvested and mechanically chopped, to obtain particles closely to2 cm. After being chopped and homogenized, nearly 15 kg of green matter wereplaced inside plastic bags. After the air being eliminated, they were transferredinto a dark chamber, thus simulating a silo condition. Dry matter yield fromthe selected hybrids to be stored did not present big variation, with Zeneca850 and Braskalb XL 380 (12.72 and 12.62 t/ha of dry matter, respectively) beingthe most outstanding. The percentage of ear in the plants and contents of neutraldetergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and soluble carbohydratesand dry matter in vitro disappearance (IVDMD) of hybrids did not differ. However,the FDN, FDA, N-NH3/NT and IVDMD in the silage showed differencesamong the nine hybrids, which was not verified for the crude protein, lacticacid, and pH.
