The influence of season on lambs' feeding preference for plantain, chicory and red clover

2015 ◽  
Vol 55 (10) ◽  
pp. 1241 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. J. Pain ◽  
J. R. Corkran ◽  
P. R. Kenyon ◽  
S. T. Morris ◽  
P. D. Kemp
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Trifolium Pratense ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Diet Selection ◽  
Similar Rate ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Soluble Carbohydrate ◽  
Intake Rate ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Selection Of

The objective of the three studies reported here was to examine the grazing preference and diet selection of lambs for plantain (Plantago laceolata), chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) and red clover (Trifolium pratense) compared with New Zealand’s conventional ryegrass (Lolium perenne) pasture. Study One investigated the diet selection of lambs for 7 days at the beginning of March, using transects with tagged plants on a mixed plantain, chicory and red clover sward. Study Two was an outdoor preference experiment conducted in both March and May by observation of lambs on adjacent monocultures of plantain, chicory and red clover. Study Three was an indoor feeding trial that aimed to determine the intake rate and relative preference of weaned lambs for two herbages (chicory and plantain), two legumes (lucerne and red clover) and ryegrass pasture, in both spring (November) and summer (March). Study One determined that when grazing the mixed sward for a period of 7 days, the mean day that lambs commenced grazing red clover, chicory and plantain was Day 1.6 ± 0.1, 4.8 ± 0.2 and 6.2 ± 0.2, respectively, with significant (P < 0.05) differences between all species. In relation to preference as observed in Study Two, more lambs (P < 0.05) were seen to be grazing red clover at any time, and more lambs were grazing chicory (P < 0.05) than plantain. There was, also an interaction of season with preference, with plantain becoming more acceptable (P < 0.05) to the lambs in May (late autumn) versus March (early autumn). In Study Three, the term ‘preference’ refers to the natural logarithm of the ratio of amounts eaten between the forage being tested and the alternative forage offered simultaneously. This was established in triplicate by offering pairs of all the plant species side by side to individually penned lambs. The results indicated that plantain was consumed at a similar rate (P > 0.05) to that of ryegrass, whereas red clover and chicory had higher voluntary feed intakes, likely due to lower fibre content. The intake rate of chicory was greater in summer than spring and may be related to increased palatability due to the increased water-soluble carbohydrate content of chicory in summer. Regardless of season, average preference for red clover was always higher (P < 0.05) than that of chicory, plantain and ryegrass. Plantain was considerably less preferred in summer than spring. Differences in diet selection and preference may offer a unique opportunity to manipulate utilisation of pastures using a diverse range of plant species.

scholarly journals Changes in yield and nutritive value of red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and Festulolium (Festulolium braunii (K. Richt) A. Camus) under drought stress

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariola Staniak
Keyword(s):  
Drought Stress ◽  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Trifolium Pratense ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Soluble Carbohydrate ◽  
Pure Stand ◽  
Crude Fibre ◽  
Influence Of Water ◽  
The Impact

The aim of the research was to assess the impact of water stress on the yield and content of basic nutrients in the biomass of Trifolium pratense and Festulolium braunii cultivated in pure stand and in mixture. A pot experiment was carried out in 2012–2014, at two levels of soil moisture: well-watered and drought stress. The study showed that stress significantly reduced the dry matter yield (DMY), the most in T. pratense, followed by mixture, and F. braunii. The effect of drought stress on the nutritive value was considerable less pronounced than the influence on DMY. No significant influence of water deficit on crude protein, crude fibre and crude ash contents was found, but only on water-soluble carbohydrate and crude fat content in one year of the study. It was found, that under drought stress T. pratense is more suitable for cultivation in the mixture with F. braunii than in pure stand, due to a lower reduction of DMY and no adverse effect of water deficiency on yield quality.

Diet selection by sheep grazing Phalaris aquatica L. pastures of differing water-soluble carbohydrate content

2000 ◽  
Vol 51 (6) ◽  
pp. 757 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. A. Ciavarella ◽  
H. Dove ◽  
B. J. Leury ◽  
R. J. Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Diet Selection ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Soluble Carbohydrate ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Phalaris Aquatica ◽  
Fibre Concentration ◽  
Water Soluble Carbohydrate ◽  
Reporting Data ◽  
Selection Of

A short-term shading treatment was used to create a Phalaris aquatica L. pasture with alternating strips of ‘low’ [62 mg/g dry matter (DM)] and ‘high’ (126 mg/g DM) water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) concentration. Analyses showed that starch and all components of the WSC were reduced in concentration by shading. The shaded and unshaded pasture strips did not differ significantly in in vitro DM digestibility (84% DM), nitrogen (3.1% DM), or neutral detergent fibre concentration (42.4% DM). Synthetic alkanes were applied to the pasture strips as markers to measure the selection of the shaded and unshaded pasture by sheep. When 12–13-month-old Merino wethers were given simultaneous access to both pasture treatments, they selected 2.6-fold more unshaded (high WSC) pasture than shaded pasture. The results indicate the involvement of herbage total WSC and its components in the process of diet selection by sheep, and suggest that in future studies, more attention should be paid to reporting data for total WSC concentration.

The assessment of herbage legume varieties. II. In vitro digestibility, water soluble carbohydrate, crude protein and mineral content of primary growth of clover and lucerne

1966 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 351-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Ellis Davies ◽  
G. ap Griffith ◽  
A. Ellington
Keyword(s):  
White Clover ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Soluble Carbohydrates ◽  
Soluble Carbohydrate ◽  
In Vitro Digestibility ◽  
Primary Growth

The primary growth of eight varieties of three species–white clover (3), red clover (4) and lucerne (1)–was sampled at fortnightly intervals and the percentage dry matter, in vitro digestibility, crude protein, water soluble carbohydrates, P, Ca, K, Na and Mg were determined.Differences between species were nearly always significant and the general order of merit was white clover, red clover and lucerne. The exceptions were for dry-matter percentage where this order was reversed, and red clover had the lowest Na and highest Mg content.

Yield Performance and Content of Selected Organic Compounds in Trifolium pratense Treated with Various Biostimulants against the Background of Nitrogen Fertilisation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Godlewska ◽  
G. A. Ciepiela
Keyword(s):  
Chlorophyll Content ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Trifolium Pratense ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Application Rate ◽  
Soluble Carbohydrates ◽  
Soluble Carbohydrate ◽  
Yield Performance ◽  
Biomass Yields ◽  
Nitrogen Application Rate

The present work is an attempt to assess the effect of biostimulants of various origins and nitrogen regime on yield performance, chlorophyll content, protein content and soluble carbohydrate in red clover. A field experiment was arranged as a randomized subblock design (split-plot) in Poland in August 2013. The following factors were examined: type of biostimulant; nitrogen application rate: 0 (control) and 30 kg. ha-1. Biostimulants significantly increased red clover biomass yields. All the examined biostimulants contributed to an increase in the amount of organic components in red clover dry matter. Nitrogen applied at the rate of 30 kg. ha-1 significantly increased red clover yield, chlorophyll content in red clover leaves and protein compounds but it also significantly reduced soluble carbohydrates in the dry matter of test plants.

Selective behaviour in cattle grazing pastures of strips of birdsfoot trefoil and red clover. 2. The effects of sward maturity and structure

2006 ◽  
Vol 144 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. H. E. C. POLI ◽  
J. HODGSON ◽  
G. P. COSGROVE ◽  
G. C. ARNOLD
Keyword(s):  
White Clover ◽  
Trifolium Repens ◽  
Trifolium Pratense ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Birdsfoot Trefoil ◽  
Grazing Cattle ◽  
Biting Rate ◽  
Partial Preference ◽  
Ingestive Behaviour ◽  
Selection Of

The effects of manipulation of sward maturity on ingestive behaviour and diet selection of grazing cattle were tested in two experiments using legumes which are equally preferred by cattle. Yearling heifers, in groups of three, grazed plots formed by alternate 2·4 m wide strips of a mixture of birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.) (BW) and strips of red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) (RC). The treatments comprised four combinations of each of the two swards at two contrasting levels of maturity/height replicated over four successive 3-day periods, in an order which balanced the effect of previous treatments. Observations of the distribution of grazing activity and biting rate were made over 3-hour periods each evening and in the morning of Day 2.Rate of biting was generally greater on immature than mature swards, and on BW than on RC, with little evidence of interactions between these effects. The animals demonstrated partial preference throughout the two studies, the proportion of grazing time devoted to BW being 0·40±0·010 in Expt 1 and 0·47±0·017 in Expt 2. The distribution of grazing time between sward type and maturity combinations was influenced progressively by herbage mass and height contrasts as strips were grazed down. An overall analysis using the results from these studies and a companion experiment indicated differences between studies in partial preference for BW and RC which appeared to be related to variations in sward morphology.

Effect of flower complexity on relearning flower-handling skills in bumble bees

1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (11) ◽  
pp. 2052-2058 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Gegear ◽  
Terence M. Laverty
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Trifolium Pratense ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Lythrum Salicaria ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
Access Time ◽  
Interference Effects ◽  
Flower Constancy ◽  
Flower Handling ◽  
Interference Hypothesis

Pollinators often forage sequentially among the flowers of the same plant species while bypassing flowers of other rewarding species. Darwin proposed that it is more efficient for pollinators to remain constant to one plant species because switching to a second species interferes with their ability to recall a previously learned flower-handling technique. This interference hypothesis was tested using Bombus impatiens workers. Bees that had learned to handle one type of flower (species A) were retested on species A after they had learned to handle a second type of flower (species B). Interference effects were detected by comparing flower access times (time to insert the tongue into the flower) during the retesting period with initial access times on species A. Bees retested on both simple (red clover, Trifolium pratense) and complex (toadflax, Linaria vulgaris) flowers showed no evidence of interference after learning simple-flowered plant species (blueweed, Echium vulgare; purple loosestrife, Lythrum salicaria). However, bees relearning the complex flowers of toadflax showed a 2.2-s (81%) increase over their initial access time after switching to a second complex-flowered species (orange touch-me-not, Impatiens capensis). These results suggest that the interference effects incurred by bees switching between toadflax and orange touch-me-not under biologically realistic conditions are relatively small, and are unlikely to account for flower constancy in bumble bees.

Single-cut red clover combined with late timothy may be valuable in short-term rotations

2000 ◽  
Vol 80 (2) ◽  
pp. 309-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. T. Kunelius ◽  
K. B. McRae ◽  
S. A. E. Fillmore ◽  
G. Dürr
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Trifolium Pratense ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Phleum Pratense ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Soluble Carbohydrates ◽  
In Vitro Digestibility ◽  
Short Term

Late-maturing cultivars of red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and timothy (Phleum pratense L.) may be grown in short-term rotations with other crops and harvested for hay and silage. Harvesting forage in mid-summer is often advantageous for field curing, but the quality of mature forage may be low. We studied how harvests at different developmental stages affected yield, composition of herbage, and species persistence. The late-maturing single-cut red clover cultivar Altaswede and late timothy cultivar Farol were grown alone and in combination with and without applied N. Total forage, and red clover and timothy dry matter yields, increased between the first (27 June) and third (11 July) dates of harvest. Timothy grown alone or combined with red clover and fertilized with N produced greater forage yields than red clover alone or red clover + timothy without applied N. The in vitro digestibility of dry matter declined from 670 to 625 g kg−1 and crude protein from 134 to 109 g kg−1 between 27 June and 11 July. Water soluble carbohydrates in forage were low (36–66 g kg−1) in cuts 1 and 2. Macronutrient and micronutrient concentrations were generally highest at the first date of harvest on 27 June. Nutrient concentrations in cut 2 were similar for the three harvest schedules. We conclude that growing late-maturing single-cut red clover combined with late timothy produced high yields with good nutritional quality even at advanced stages of maturity. Single-cut red clover persisted for the first production year making this combination suited for short-term rotations that involve late harvesting of the primary growth. Key words: Red clover, Trifolium pratense, timothy, Phleum pratense, composition

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