Comprehensive evaluation and analysis of the performance and nutritional value of 10 silage corn varieties in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area

The production performance and nutritional value of 10 silage corn varieties were investigated to screen the number of high yield, good quality, and adaptable silage corn varieties suitable for cultivation in the Three Gorges Reservoir area. The results showed that the highest hay yield was from Yuqingyu 3 at 30 636.16 kg·ha^–1. The highest plant height was for Chonggen 166 and Yuqingyu No. 3 at 311.93 cm and 310.67 cm, respectively. Spike height ranged from 99.04 cm to 123.05 cm, with the maximum value for Da’ai 111 and the lowest dry-fresh ratio for Quchen 9. The best performance for leaf length and width were for Da’ai 111 and Yuqingyu 3, respectively. The best performance for stem diameter was for Yuqingyu 3 and Quchen 9. The highest content of crude protein was silage corn 318, being up to 10.4%, and the lowest content of medium acid detergent fiber also occurred for silage maize 318. Grey correlation analysis showed that the top three equal weight correlation degrees and weighted correlation degrees were Yuqingyu 3, silage maize 318, and Da’ai 111. These varieties are suitable for planting in the Three Gorges Reservoir area.