DSD 6.12 | Brachytic corn for increased production

About this episode

This episode discusses the impact of brachytic corn on dairy production and its potential benefits for dairy farms.

DSD 6.12 | Brachytic corn for increased production The brachytic gene mutation results in corn that is shorter in stature but an improved digestibility profile. Through a reduction in intranode distance, the corn plant reduces indigestible fiber. Dr. Antonio Gallo, PhD ruminant nutritionist from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and his team in Italy recently studied the impact of this gene mutation on the productivity of the dairy herd. High quality, home grown forages allow dairy producers to maintain the competitive edge. By limiting the purchase of off-farm nutrients, forages possess the ability to advance or hold back a herd. When brachytic corn was fed, they found a yield increase of 3.8 lbs/cow/day. However, the higher producing animals did not consume more. “This is likely due to a chemotactic effect,” Gallo describes. The team measured changes in the intake pattern which provided insight to future research questions for data to better understand how this phenomenon could have happened. The quality of corn silage impacts the health and productivity of the dairy cow. Additionally, her intake behavior is impacted by the ration. As more dairy farms move toward robotic…

People in this episode

Guest: Dr. Antonio Gallo

Topics covered

• brachytic corn
• dairy production
• ruminant nutrition
• forage quality
• robotic systems

Keywords

• brachytic gene mutation
• digestibility
• dairy herd productivity
• corn silage
• energy density

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

More episodes of Dairy Science Digest

• DSD 7.5 | Impact of A2 milk on cheese production · May 19, 2026 · 30 min
• DSD 7.4 | Impact of infection on mammary development in pregnant heifers · April 15, 2026 · 32 min
• DSD 7.3 | Generate More Grade 1 Embryos · March 16, 2026 · 32 min
• DSD 7.2 | Take a second look at Sorghum · February 17, 2026 · 36 min
• DSD 7.1 | Deliver more protein to the herd at a lower cost through microbial efficiency · January 16, 2026 · 31 min
• Spotify DSD 6.11 | The sweet spot - Insemination timing for peak profit · November 23, 2025 · 36 min