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ARS Home » Plains Area » Mandan, North Dakota » Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #306187
Title: Supplementation of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) with condensed tannin-containing pellets of sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata): Effects on ruminant urinary urea excretion and digestibility

Author
item Kronberg, Scott
item Zeller, Wayne
item Grabber, John
item TERRILL, T - FORT VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY
item WAGHORN, G - DAIRY NZ, LTD
item Liebig, Mark

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/28/2014
Publication Date: 11/1/2014
Citation: Kronberg, S.L., Zeller, W.E., Grabber, J.H., Terrill, T.H., Waghorn, G.C., Liebig, M.A. 2014. Supplementation of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) with condensed tannin-containing pellets of sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata): Effects on ruminant urinary urea excretion and digestibility. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts. ASA Poster Section on Environmental Quality. Poster #431.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Some feedstuffs that contain condensed tannins can reduce urinary urea excretion without compromising nutrition for ruminant livestock. This results in reducing environmental impact, improving productivity and enhancing sustainability of ruminant farming operations. In some situations there are advantages to feeding tannin-containing feedstuffs in a dry form, but this can be problematic because soluble tannin content usually decreases considerably with air drying. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine if a forage with relatively high condensed tannin concentration when air dried and pelleted would have any beneficial effects when consumed by sheep. A 4x4 Latin square trial was conducted with four castrated mature sheep to determine if intake of pellets (8% soluble condensed tannin) of the AU Grazer cultivar of sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) at 0, 10, 20 or 40% of the ration would reduce urinary urea excretion and to measure the impact on digestibility of an alfalfa (Medicago sativa) hay basal ration.