Effects of calendar date and summer management on the in situ dry matter and fiber degradation of stockpiled forage from bermudagrass pastures.

Abstract

Limited information is available that describes the disappearance kinetics of bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L. Pers.) during fall and early winter. Five ruminally cannulated, crossbred steers (387 +/- 18.3 kg) were used to determine the effects of calendar date and previous summer management on the in situ degradation kinetics of DM and NDF for forage clipped from stockpiled 'Greenfield' bermudagrass pastures. Forage was stockpiled at two sites following summer hay or pasture management, and samples were taken outside (GRAZED) and under caged exclosures (UNGRAZED) at 4-wk intervals beginning October 17, 1997, and ending January 9, 1998. No effort was made to remove or avoid contaminate species. Concentrations of NDF increased (P < 0.001) to a maximum for UNGRAZED forages at the hay site between October 17 and December 12, but sampling date had no effect (P = 0.627) on concentrations of NDF at the pasture site. Concentrations of ADF and lignin increased (P < or = 0.023) during at least one sampling interval in UNGRAZED forages at both sites. At the hay site, degradation rates of DM decreased (P < 0.001) by 0.013/h for UNGRAZED forage between October 17 and January 9, whereas the effective ruminal degradability of DM decreased (P < 0.001) by 33.5% during the same time period. Fractional degradation rates of NDF for UNGRAZED forages at the hay site decreased (P < 0.001) by 0.014/h between October 17 and November 14 but did not change (P > or = 0.077) throughout the remainder of the study. The effective ruminal degradability of NDF decreased (P < 0.001) by 33.8% between the first and last sampling date. At the pasture site, sampling date did not affect (P = 0.458) rates of DM degradation, but the effective degradability of DM for UNGRAZED forages decreased (P = 0.001) by 19.0% from October 17 to December 12. Rates of NDF degradation for UNGRAZED forages did not differ (P > or = 0.113) on the first three sampling dates, but the rate on January 9 was slower than that observed on October 17 (P = 0.025) and November 14 (P = 0.044). The effective degradability of NDF decreased (P < 0.001) by 19.2% between October 17 and December 12. These data indicate that stockpiled bermudagrass should be used during a limited window during the late fall; after this time, the nutritive value becomes very poor.

Nutritive value of red clover and lucerne forages for ruminants estimated by in vitro and in vivo digestibility methods

“…Forage quality can also be subject to the fibre characteristics of forage (Scarbrough et al, 2001), because the nutritive value of forages for ruminants highly depends on the ratio between cell content and cell walls and on the ability of the rumen microorganisms to degrade the plant cell walls (Waldo, 1986). The fibre fraction makes up an important part of the ruminant diet and originates mainly from plant cell walls that consist of a variety of structural polysaccharides, often cross-linked with proteins and phenolic components, particularly with lignin, which is also prevalent in the cell wall.…”

Effects of Nitrogen Fertilization Rate, Stockpiling Initiation Date, and Harvest Date on Canopy Height and Dry Matter Yield of Autumn‐Stockpiled Bermudagrass

“…In contrast, autumn stockpiling is a management technique in which forage is allowed to accumulate throughout the late summer and early fall for subsequent grazing throughout the late fall and winter. Recently, there has been increased interest in the utilization of autumn‐stockpiled standing bermudagrass for this purpose (Lalman et al, 2000; Scarbrough et al, 2001). Stockpiled forages can provide winter pasture for grazing livestock, thereby reducing the need for supplemental hay and its associated costs (Adams et al, 1994; D'Souza et al, 1990; Hitz and Russell, 1998).…”

“…Previously, Lalman et al (2000) suggested that the digestibility and concentrations of crude protein in stockpiled bermudagrass are generally adequate to meet the nutritional requirements of spring‐calving cows during the first few weeks after frost. Scarbrough et al (2001) suggested that this forage should be used in northern Arkansas during a relatively short (60‐d) window between mid‐October and mid‐December; after that time, the nutritive value becomes very poor. However, autumn‐stockpiled bermudagrass potentially could fill an important niche in the upper South by providing forage in mid‐ to late autumn when many producers in the region are allowing tall fescue ( Festuca arundinacea Schreb.)…”

In situ Degradation Patterns of ‘Tifton 85’ Bermudagrass with Dried Distillers’ Grains Supplementation

“…1, daylength data in Fig. Tifton 85 samples were dried at 50°C for at least 72 h (Scarbrough et al, 2001), composited by date and shipped to Texas A&M AgriLife Research-Beeville, and ground using a Wiley mill (Arthur H. Thomas Company, Philadelphia, PA) to pass through a 4-mm screen before incubation. 3.…”

“…Tifton 85 forage samples at different dates represented similar leaf:stem components (visually). Tifton 85 samples were dried at 50°C for at least 72 h (Scarbrough et al, 2001), composited by date and shipped to Texas A&M AgriLife Research-Beeville, and ground using a Wiley mill (Arthur H. Thomas Company, Philadelphia, PA) to pass through a 4-mm screen before incubation. This grind size was a deviation from Vanzant et al (1998), who recommended grinding samples to 2 mm, but has been used by Foster et al (2011).…”