The objective of this work was to verify the effect of ammoniation on the contents of crude protein (CP), nitrogen retention (NR), dry matter (DM) content, preservation, cell wall constituents and in vitro dry matter disappearance (IVDMD) of cracked corn with high moisture (25%). Four levels of anhydrous ammonia (0, 1, 2 and 3%) and five aeration periods (0, 7, 14 21, and 28 days) were studied using a completely randomized design, in a split plot design. The contents of cracked corn CP increased (10.3, 14, 15.2 and 16.7%) with increasing anhydrous ammonia levels (0, 1, 2 and 3%) respectively. The CP NR decreased, 61.9, 39 and 31.2%, for the levels 1, 2 and 3 of anhydrous ammonia, respectively. The DM content decreased with increase of anhydrous ammonia levels (81.0, 77.7, 77.0 and 78,0%) and with the increase of aeration periods (74.2, 75.8, 78.9, 80.3 and 80.7%). The NR (52.2 to 38.9%) and CP (14.7 to 13.5%) decreased with increasing of aeration periods, respectively, at the period from 0 to 28 days. There was a fungi presence for levels of 0 and 1 % of anhydrous ammonia, associated with higher temperature. The acid detergent fiber content (5.6%) and cellulose (4.5%) maintained unaltered, such as for anhydrous ammonia levels, as for aeration periods. The contents of neutral detergent fiber (22.7, 22.8, 18.5 and 14.8%) and hemicellulose (17.0, 17.3, 12.7 and 9.2%) decreased in the levels of 0, 1, 2, and 3% of anhydrous ammonia, respectively. The IVDMD (88.5, 89.8, 90.3 and 90.8), of cracked corn improved with the increase of the anhydrous ammonia levels (0, 1, 2 and 3%).
ammonia; preservation; digestibility; cracked corn; moisture
