Corn Wet Mill Liquid Holding Capacity of Corn Stover

Abstract. Despite its low nutritive value, corn stover is considered an important feed material because of its dry matter and roughage content. Alkali treatment of stover improves its digestibility and increases the dry matter content. Mixing stover with liquid coproducts from industrial corn wet mill processing gives ample opportunity to improve the feed value and to develop feed with higher nutritive value. The coproduct liquid (corn steep liquor and corn molasses) holding capacity of corn stover (treated and untreated) was investigated in this study. Increase in particle size reduced the liquid holding capacity of untreated stover. In general, one gram of untreated stover held approximately 5 to 7 g of corn steep liquor and 5 to 8 g of corn molasses. Alkali treatment of corn stover reduced the liquid holding capacity. For treated stover, moisture content had an inverse relationship, while particle size had a direct relationship with the liquid holding capacity. The liquid holding capacity depended on the physical structure, moisture content, and particle size of corn stover, and the physical properties of coproduct liquids. This study was conducted with the aim of quantifying the amount of coproduct liquids that can be mixed with corn stover and the results indicate that corn stover can act as a good carrier for the corn coproduct liquids.