No abstract

Limited information is available on cicer milkvetch (CMV, Astragalus cicer L.) performance in mixtures with grasses. A field trial was sown at Melfort, SK, Canada, in May 2013 to evaluate forage accumulation, nutritive value, and botanical composition of different mixtures of grasses and CMV under two‐cut and three‐cut harvest management from 2014 to 2017. Thirteen forage mixtures consisted of (i) monocultures of Bromus riparius Rehm. (MB), Bromus riparius Rehm. × B. inermis Leyss. (HB), Agropyron cristatum (L.) (CWG), Agropyron intermedium Beauv. (IWG), and CMV; (ii) binary mixtures of each of the grass + CMV; (iii) a four‐grass mixture (MB, HB, CWG, and IWG) (Mix 4); (iv) Mix 4 + CMV (Mix 5); (v) a six‐grass mixture (Mix 4) + Dactylis glomerata L. and Phleum pratense L. (Mix 6); and (vi) Mix 6 + CMV (Mix 7). The two‐cut system resulted in greater total forage accumulation (10.3 ± 2.8 Mg ha−1) compared with the three‐cut system (8.6 ± 2.3 Mg ha−1) with the exception of 2017. On average, grass mixtures containing CMV and CMV monoculture (11.1 ± 1.7 Mg ha−1) had greater forage accumulation than grass monocultures and grass only mixtures (7.5 ± 2.4 Mg ha−1). Cicer milkvetch dominated in all mixtures (44.0–68.8% of forage mass) in 2016 compared with its initial proportion of 2.1 to 31.2%. Concentration of crude protein was significantly increased with the inclusion of CMV compared with the grass‐only treatments. Acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) concentrations were similar, but mixtures without CMV tended to have a greater NDF concentration. In conclusion, the inclusion of CMV in forage mixtures increased forage accumulation and protein concentration. Binary CMV–grass mixtures produced similar or greater forage accumulation than more complex CMV–grass mixtures.

<p>The objective of this study was to determine the chemical composition and <em>in situ</em> rumen degradability of whole plant barley (<em>Hordeum vulgare</em>), whole plant foxtail millet (<em>Setaria italica</em>) and smooth bromegrass (<em>Bromus inermis</em> <em>Leyss</em>)-alfalfa (<em>Medicago sativa </em>L.) (grass-legume) hay, collected during a companion field grazing study. Relative to grass-legume hay, barley and millet were higher (P = 0.05) in crude protein (CP) and soluble CP, and lower (P = 0.02) in neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), lignin, neutral detergent insoluble CP, and acid detergent insoluble crude protein. The potentially undegradable fraction of CP averaged 32% lower for barley and millet, compared to grass-legume hay, while CP soluble fraction was 36 and 64% higher (P &lt; 0.05) for barley and millet, respectively, than for grass-legume hay. Millet had the highest NDF degradability (P = 0.03) and grass-legume hay the least. Barley and millet had greater (P = 0.02) effective degradability of dry matter (DM), CP, and NDF than grass-legume hay. Millet had the highest (P = 0.01) degradable and lowest undegradable fractions of DM and NDF, and lowest soluble fraction of NDF and rate of CP degradation (P &lt; 0.05). Results indicate that whole plant barley and millet have greater nutritive value than grass-legume hay and may be suitable annual forages for extensive grazing.</p>

. Forbs decreased (p < 0.10) in moisture late in the grazing period, while shrubs were (p > 0.10) still succulent (63%). Forbs and shrubs were higher (p < 0.10) than grasses in crude protein (11, 14, and 6%, respectively) and digestibility (59, 50, and 42%, respectively). In summary, our results suggest that cattle grazing late-summer riparian pastures will switch to intensive shrub utilization when grasses decline in quantity and quality, and forbs decline in quantity. Land managers need to know the effect of their management on vegetation and if a goal is to protect riparian woody vegetation, our data suggest that late-summer grazing should be light, or avoided when grasses have senesced.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of pretreatment of canola meal with hydrothermal processing, phytase, and organic acid on phytate degradation. Six experiments were conducted processing canola meal in a hydrothermal reactor with different moisture conditions (15-350%), acid additions (hydrochloric acid, citric acid, malic acid, and lactic acid), pH (pH 4, 5, and 6), incubation times (30, 45, and 60 min), and phytase enzymes ('Quantum Blue' and 'Finase'). The study revealed that although hydrothermal pretreatment of canola meal with phytase and higher moisture (200-350%) would allow 24.8-36% phytate breakdown, and a higher moisture addition (200%) combined with organic acid increased even further to 46.6%, lower moisture (50 and 100%) and organic acid was still effective in reducing phytate (by 7.9-19.4%). Optimal pH and incubation time in hydrothermal reactor for phytase efficacy were determined to be pH 4 and 5 and 30 to 60 min. Still, the results of the current study suggest that pretreatments should be further evaluated to optimize the efficacy of enzyme and organic acids as prebiotics to reduce anti-nutrients in canola meal, thus improving its utilization for livestock and reducing excretion to environment.