The objective of the study was to quantify differences in nutritive value, over four seasons, of native grasses such as <i>Bouteloua curtipendula, Bouteloua trifida, Brachiaria fasciculata, Chloris ciliata, Digitaria insularis, Leptochloa filiformis, Panicum hallii, Panicum obtusum, Paspalum unispicatum, Setaria grisebachii, Setaria macrostachya, Tridens eragrostoides, Tridens muticu</i>s and naturalized <i>chrus ciliaris</i> and <i>Rhynchelytrum repens</i> that are used as forages for grazing beef cattle. <i>Cenchrus ciliaris</i> was included as a reference grass of good nutritional quality. Plants were collected in autumn 2001 and in winter, spring and summer 2002. The nutritive value was assessed in terms of nutrient content, effective rumen degradable dry matter (EDDM), metabolizable energy (ME) and metabolizable protein (MP). Most grasses had crude protein (CP) content comparable to the reference <i>C. ciliaris</i> grass (grand mean = 120 g/kg) and some of them had a higher content (140 g/kg). Cell wall (NDF) and lignin contents were lower in <i>C. ciliaris</i> (650 g/kg, 30, respectively) than in the other grasses (mean = 700 g/kg, 60, respectively). All grasses had less EDDM (mean = 420 g/kg) than <i>C. ciliaris</i> (470 g/kg). All grasses had the ME content (mean = 5.6 MJ/kg DM) that was lower for maintenance requirements of growing beef cattle. Conversely, mean MP values (67 g/kg DM) were sufficient. Lower content of P (annual mean = 120 g/kg DM), Na (0.3) and Cu (40 mg/kg DM) was detected in all grasses to meet the requirements of growing cattle. All grasses, in all seasons, had sufficient CP and MP content to meet the maintenance requirements of growing beef cattle. Higher levels of EDDM occurred in summer and autumn. Because of their good nutritional quality, grasses such as <i>B. fasciculata, C. ciliata, P. hallii, P. obtusum, S. grisebachii, S. macrostachy</i> and <i>T. eragrostoides</i> can be considered as good forages for ruminants.

Ramirez, R.G., Gonzalez

The aim of the study was to evaluate and to compare the dry matter production (DMP), chemical composition and in situ disappearance of dry matter (ISDDM), crude protein (ISDCP) and cell wall (ISDNDF) of 78 genotypes of buffelgrass (Cenchrus ciliaris L.) recently introduced to Mexico. I n addition, mineral content and potential intake of minerals by cattle consuming these genotypes was determined. Grasses were collected at the end of the autumn. The DMP (1-6 ton ha-'), crude protein (6-9%), ash (11-18%), cell wall (67-79%), cellulose (38-44%), hemicellulose (20-31 %), lignin (4-9%), insoluble ash (2-6%), ISDDM (50-62 %), ISDCP (53-74%) and ISDNDF (4642%) were significan~ly different among genotypes. With exception of one genotype all had sufficient protein to fulfill grazing growing cattle needs, whereas, digestible energy content of all grasses fulfilled the maintenance requirements of growing cattle. All grasses had Ca, Mg, K and Fe in sufficient amounts to meet maintenance requirements of a cow weighing 400 kg. However, P, N a and Cu in all grasses and Z n and M n in some genotypes were lower. Because of their superior DMP and good nutritional quality, genotypes identified as PI409377, PI409472, PI409373, PI4091 55 and PI409529 may be considered with higher potential to be used as good rain fed forages for grazing cattle.

No abstract