The development of a Lolium multiflorum cultivar with a low moisture content and an increased readily digestible energy to protein ratio

2003 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 101 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Marais ◽  
D. C. W. Goodenough ◽  
M. de Figueiredo ◽  
C. Hopkins

A breeding program was conducted to improve the forage quality of Lolium multiflorum. Fifteen cultivars grown in spaced-plant trials were subjected to selection for a low moisture and a high non-structural carbohydrate content. Results showed consistent positive correlations between non-structural carbohydrate content, dry matter content, and digestibility in vitro of the grass. In a small plot trial comparing F6 plants (Selection 121) with 11 commercial L. multiflorum cultivars, Selection 121 gave the second-highest dry matter yield (difference not significant, P > 0.05) of the cultivars tested. The dry matter content of Selection 121 was significantly higher and the acid detergent fibre content significantly lower than that of the commercial cultivars. Furthermore, the total non-structural carbohydrate content was significantly higher and the nitrogen content significantly lower than that of the other L. multiflorum cultivars, giving Selection 121 nutritionally a much more favourable readily digestible energy to protein ratio than the commercial cultivars. Selection 121 was subsequently named 'NCD Enhancer' and is inscribed on the South African Variety List.

1980 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 519-524 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. T. KUNELIUS

Westerwolds ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam. ’Promenade’) was grown on fine sandy and light loam soils. Nitrogen was applied at 40, 80, or 120 kg/ha after emergence and after both the first and second harvests. The 1st harvest under schedules A, B and C was on 10, 15 and 22 July followed by the 2nd harvest in 28, 37 and 40 days and the 3rd harvest in 30, 50 and 37 days after the 2nd harvest, respectively. The 4th harvest for schedule A was 46 days after the 3rd harvest. Mean dry matter yields ranged from 6.26 to 9.03 t/ha, total N in tissue from 2.09 to 2.99%, in vitro digestibility of dry matter from 73.3 to 76.3%, and dry matter content from 12.1 to 14.1% depending on the N rate and/or harvest schedule. Nitrate-N concentration in plant tissue was low for 40 and 80 kg/N/ha/application but reached up to 0.45% for the 120 kg/ha/application under harvest schedule A. Yield distribution within the season was most uniform for schedule B. A 3-harvest schedule with 80 kg/ha of applied N at seeding and after the 1st and 2nd harvests was suitable management for Promenade Westerwolds ryegrass in this region.


2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 2129
Author(s):  
Samantha Mariana Monteiro Sunahara ◽  
Marcela Abbado Neres ◽  
Jaqueline Rocha Wobeto Sarto ◽  
Caroline Daiane Nath ◽  
Kácia Carine Scheidt ◽  
...  

The goal of this study was to assess the dehydration curve and nutritional value of Tifton 85 bermudagrass at two cutting heights from ground level (4 and 8 cm) during 120 days of storage in a closed shed. The dehydration curve was determined using samples from the entire plant at eight different times. The experimental design consisted of randomized blocks with plots subdivided per times and five replicates. The second step consisted of assessing the nutritional value of the stored Tifton 85 bermudagrass in randomized blocks with plots subdivided per times and two treatments per plot: cutting height of four and eight centimeters from the ground, and five different times for the subplots, with five replicates. Dehydration of Tifton 85 bermudagrass at the two heights occurred in 48 hours, considered an ideal time for hay drying. The dry matter content responded quadratically to the time of storage of the two heights, only differing during baling and after 120 days of storage. Crude protein content had a quadratic behavior in the two cutting heights, with the smallest value after 30 days of storage (107.0 g kg-1) and the largest after 90 days (147.8 g kg-1) in the cutting height of eight centimeters. The ether extract exhibited a quadratic behavior in the two cutting heights, only differing after 90 days of storage. The neutral detergent fiber content had linear positive response according to the time of storage, with no difference between the cutting heights. For the neutral detergent fiber content in the two cutting heights, the quadratic regression model was the best fit to the data, differing between the heights after 30 and 60 days of storage. In vitro dry matter digestibility and in vitro cell wall digestibility values of the stored hay were lower than the values obtained at the time of cutting. Cutting performed at four centimeters from the ground was the most suitable for hay production due to higher dry matter production and nutritional value without difference between bailing treatments. Hay storage caused undesirable changes in the nutritional value, especially in fiber content and in vitro digestibility.


1972 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
DC Brown ◽  
JC Radcliffe

Twenty experimental silages were made from seven pasture species at different stages of maturity. In vivo dry matter, organic matter, and energy ad libitum intakes and digestibilities of the silages were determined with standardized pairs of Merino wethers. The following chemical characteristics of the silages were measured: nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, total titratable acids, acetic, propionic, butyric, and lactic acids, total volatiles lost during oven drying, lactic acid as a percentage of the total organic acids, pH, acid pepsin dry matter disappearance, dry matter content, and in vitro digestibility and rate of digestion. When all 20 silages were considered, energy intakes on a body weight basis were significantly related to silage pH (r = 0.55) and rate of in vitro digestion (r = 0.58). When the five legume silages were removed from the analysis and only the 15 grass-dominant silages were considered, dry matter intakes were significantly related to acetic (r = –0.57) and propionic acid (r = –0.55) concentrations. Multiple regression analyses did not significantly increase the accuracy of predicting intake. The results suggested that silage intake was negatively related to the degree of fermentation that occurred during the ensiling process.


1997 ◽  
Vol 1997 ◽  
pp. 197-197
Author(s):  
R. Sanderson ◽  
S.J. Lister ◽  
A. Sargeant ◽  
M.S. Dhanoa

The objectives of this study were a) to examine the effect of particle size and silage dry matter (DM) content on the rate and pattern of fermentation of fresh silages in vitro as an aid to modelling the in vivo situation and b) to compare the rate and pattern of fermentation of fresh silage samples with those obtained for freeze-dried material.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 2045 ◽  
Author(s):  
Flávio Pinto Monção ◽  
Marco Aurélio Moraes Soares Costa ◽  
João Paulo Sampaio Rigueria ◽  
Marielly Maria Almeida Moura ◽  
Vicente Ribeiro Rocha Júnior ◽  
...  

The objective was to evaluate the productivity, chemical composition, ruminal degradability of dry matter and digestibility of BRS capiaçu grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) managed at five regrowth ages. A completely randomized design with ten replications was used in the BRS capiaçu elephant grass subjected to five cutting intervals (30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 days) in the summer, making a total of 50 plots with a useful area of 4 x 2 m. There were daily increases in the dry matter production in the order of 382 kg ha-1, with 49,859 kg ha-1 being produced at 150 regrowth days. The dry matter content and organic matter linearly increased (P < 0.01) at different regrowth ages. The crude protein content, in vitro dry matter digestibility and in vitro digestibility of neutral detergent fiber linearly reduced (P < 0.01) 0.037%, 0.196% and 0.256% per day, respectively. Potential degradability of dry matter decreased from 68.9% at 30 days to 44.7% at 150 regrowth days (0.194 percentage units per day). The rate of degradation of fraction B 'c' was not modified (P = 0.94), averaging 1.46% hour-1. In the cultivation of BRS capiaçu elephant grass in the summer season, in the northern region of Minas Gerais, the age for harvesting between 90 and 120 days of regrowth is recommended.


1983 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 601-609 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. VATTIKONDA ◽  
R. B. HUNTER

A 2-yr study was conducted at Elora and Brucefield, Ont. to examine the relationship between grain yield following grain physiological maturity and whole-plant dry matter (DM) yield and quality determined at the stage desirable for ensiling. Quality parameters analyzed include in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVD) of the stover, IVD of the whole plant, stover lignin content and stover protein content. There was a significant linear relationship between the performance of hybrids for grain yield production and their yield for silage production. However, the relationship was not complete enough to permit reliable selection of hybrids for silage production based on grain yield performance (coefficients of determination were 0.23 and 0.25 for Elora and Brucefield, respectively). Grain dry matter content, however, provided a satisfactory estimate of whole-plant maturity for silage production. Coefficients of determination between grain DM content and whole-plant DM content were 0.71 and 0.53 for Elora and Brucefield, respectively. There was considerable variation among hybrids for lignin content and IVD of stover. Differences were much less for whole-plant IVD. The findings of this study support the need for separate evaluation trials for corn grown for whole-plant silage production as opposed to grain production.Key words: Zea mays, corn silage, grain yield, hybrid performance


1988 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 711 ◽  
Author(s):  
KA Meney ◽  
KW Dixon

Four species of Restionaceae and Cyperaceae from the Mediterranean-type climate region of Western Australia were studied to determine factor(s) limiting their reproductive performance. Ecdeiocolea monostachya (Ecdeiocoleaceae), Lepidobolus chaetocephalus (Restionaceae), Restio aff. sphacelatus (Restionaceae) and Mesomelaena pseudostygia (Cyperaceae) differed in the pattern of dry matter partitioning and phenological patterns. All species were moderately efficient at remobilising dry matter from senescing vegetative organs, maintaining constant tissue water to dry matter content in mature organs over the study period regardless of soil moisture availability. In situ nutrient and water supplements of study species did not elicit improved seed production or significant increases in dry matter accumulation (except for current and old culms of E. monostachya and spikelets of L. chaetocephalus). For all study species except L. chaetocephalus, seed production was low, while herbivore activity, insect predation andlor infection by a smut (Tolyposporium lepidiboli) reduced seed production potential in L. chaetocephalus and E. monostachya. Attempts at seed germination for all study species were not successful. Extracted embryos from mature seed of all species cultured in vitro grew rapidly, providing a reliable method for propagation of study species.


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