Protein, lignin and mineral contents and in situ dry matter digestibility of native Mexican grasses consumed by range goats

Ramírez, Rafael; Haenlein, G.F.W.; García-Castillo, C. G.; Núñez-González, María Adriana

doi:10.1016/s0921-4488(03)00257-8

Cited by 32 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Native grasses with adequate levels of K for growing beef cattle needs were also reported in several species growing in south (González and Everitt, 1982;Pinchak et al, 1989) and north Texas, USA (Ganskoop and Bohnert, 2001), northeastern Mexico (Ramírez et al, 2004) and Florida, USA (Kalmbacher, 1983). In this study, high levels of K (Table 3) may cause Mg deficiency because Mg is absorbed from the rumen by two active processes against an electrochemical gradient; the process is inhibited by K (Dua and Care, 1995).…”

Section: Mineral Contentsupporting

confidence: 52%

“…and S. macrostachya had CP values of 50 and 100 g/kg, 50 and 90 g/kg, 0.7 and 100 g/kg, respectively. Moreover, Ramírez et al (2004) found that C. ciliaris, P. hallii, B. gracilis and S. macrostachya had higher annual means of CP content in spring and autumn seasons. However, Huston et al (1981) reported that P. hallii growing in Texas, USA, had the CP content of 70 g/kg in both summer and autumn seasons.…”

Section: Chemical Compositionmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…However, CP concentration in plants is influenced mainly by the supply of available N in soil and the state of maturity. Studies carried out in the same area (Ramírez et al, 2003a,b;Ramírez et al, 2005) reported that CP content in cultivated grasses such as Panicum coloratum, C. ciliaris, Cynodon dactylon and Dichanthium annulatum and in native grasses such as Aristida longiseta, B. gracilis, C. incertus, H. Berlangeri, P. hallii, and S. macrostachya (Ramírez et al, 2004) markedly declined as the plant increased in maturity, possibly because of the relative increase in the cell wall and decrease in the cytoplasm. It is possible that this effect could be manifested in the evaluated grasses of this study in winter and spring, because grasses showed the lowest CP content in these seasons.…”

Section: Chemical Compositionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It seems that all grasses, in all seasons, had insufficient Cu to meet the requirements of growing beef cattle (10 mg/kg DM; McDowell, 2003). Low Cu concentrations were also found in native grasses growing in semiarid regions of south Texas, USA (Barnes et al, 1990) and northeastern Mexico (Ramírez et al, 2004). Low Cu in evaluated grasses may be caused by the high pH (7.5-8.5) in soils (Spears, 1994) of these regions.…”

Section: Mineral Contentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, many native grasses are well adapted to survive the heat and lack of moisture typical of many areas of northeastern Mexico and South Texas, U.S. (Ramírez et al, 2004). It has also been found that native grasses have thickened stems at the base for food storage and a corky integument over the roots to protect them against excessive heat.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Chemical composition and dry matter digestion of some native and cultivated grasses in Mexico

Ramírez¹,

González‐Rodríguez²,

Morales-Rodríguez³

et al. 2009

CZECH J ANIM SCI

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The objective of the study was to quantify differences in nutritive value, over four seasons, of native grasses such as 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 muticus and naturalized chrus ciliaris and Rhynchelytrum repens that are used as forages for grazing beef cattle. Cenchrus ciliaris 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 C. ciliaris 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 C. ciliaris (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 C. ciliaris (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 B. fasciculata, C. ciliata, P. hallii, P. obtusum, S. grisebachii, S. macrostachy and T. eragrostoides can be considered as good forages for ruminants.

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