Effect of harvest date on the chemical composition and nutritive value of Cerastium holosteoides

Abstract

Cerastium holosteoides is a short‐lived plant often found in small proportions on dry and mesotropic semi‐natural, species‐rich grassland communities. To obtain more information about its nutritive value, two experiments on Arrhenatheretum elatioris grassland were carried out to examine the effect of harvest date on in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD), neutral‐detergent fibre (NDF), acid‐detergent fibre (ADF), acid‐detergent lignin (ADL), estimated net energy for lactation (NEL) and crude protein (CP) concentrations of C. holosteoides, and selection of this plant by dairy cows grazing on semi‐natural grassland. C. holosteoides starts flowering in spring and continuously develops new flowers on new branches throughout the summer. Harvests were made in relation to particular growth stages of Dactylis glomerata present in the sward: (A) tillering; (B) stem elongation; (C) ear emergence; (D) flowering; and (E) ripening. Chemical composition and nutritive value were evaluated in 1998 and 1999. With advancing maturity, IVOMD of C. holosteoides decreased from 0·771 at growth stage A to 0·485 at growth stage E. At the same time, CP concentration decreased from 153 to 69 g kg−1 dry matter (DM) and estimated NEL concentration from 6·00 to 4·07 MJ kg−1 DM. With advancing maturity, there was a significant increase in NDF, ADF and ADL concentrations. In the summer harvest season, C. holosteoides contained significantly higher NDF, ADF and ADL concentrations, lower NEL concentration and had a lower IVOMD value than in the spring. Differences between years were also found for IVOMD and for NDF, ADF, ADL and NEL concentrations. In a grazing experiment in the year 1999, at growth stage B, Simmental cows grazed an A. elatioris sward in which the main species was D. glomerata (0·092), and the proportion of C. holosteoides was 0·034. C. holosteoides was, on average, grazed by cows to the same relative extent as other species in the sward.

Effect of morphological stage and clipping intervals of Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) and Setaria (Setaria anceps Stapf.) on biochemical composition and in vitro dry matter digestibility in mid hill Himalayan region

“…Advancing concentration may be attributed to decreased leaf to stem ratio with advancing plant age. Similar results were presented by Dong et al (2003), Dabo et al (1988), Kramberger and Klemen (2003) and Madakadze et al (1999).…”

Evaluation of the relative feed value of indigenous savanna forage shrub species in Ghana

“…It was revealed in this study that there was no significant influence of time of harvest on mean ADF values of the shrubs, however, means ADF content was highest in plants harvested at 13 WAE. This observation was consistent with the findings of Kramberger and Klemencic (2003) and Sultan et al (2007) who reported increased ADF with maturity of grasses.…”

Productivity, chemical composition and ruminal degradability of irrigated Napier grass leaves harvested at three stages of maturity

“…CP content serves as an important indicator of fodder quality. In other studies, the CP content of Napier grass also decreased with maturity (Kramberger & Klemencic, 2003;Bayble, 2007;Sultan et al, 2007;Ansah et al, 2010;Jusoh et al, 2014). In the present study, despite the decline in CP content with increasing stage of maturity, the final concentration exceeded the minimum CP level (7.5%) required for rumen function (Jusoh et al, 2014).…”

“…Kramberger & Klemencic (2003), Bayble (2007) and Ansah et al (2010) reported that the DM content increased as Napier grass maturity increased. As expected, CP was highest in the early stage compared with the intermediate stage and late stage.…”

“…Research consistently indicates that as Napier grass matures, the DM yield increases, while CP declines (Kramberger & Klemencic, 2003;Bayble, 2007, Sultan et al, 2007, Ansah et al, 2010. Hence, the maturity stage of pasture grass at harvesting or grazing is considered a crucial management practice because this determines nutritional value of the grass (Jusoh et al, 2014).…”