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Title: Palatability of Forage Chicory Cultivars for Goats

Author
item Cassida, Kimberly
item Foster, Joyce
item Turner, Kenneth

Submitted to: American Forage and Grassland Council Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/19/2007
Publication Date: 1/26/2008
Citation: Cassida, K.A., Foster, J.G., Turner, K.E. 2008. Palatability of Forage Chicory Cultivars for Goats. In: Proceedings of American Forage and Grassland Council and Society Range Management. January 26-31, 2008, Louisville, KY. 2008 CDROM.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Sesquiterpene lactones (SL) in forage chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) may have anthelmintic activity against gastrointestinal parasites in sheep and goats, but have been implicated in poor palatability of forage. We used three levels of soil P fertilization to influence SL concentrations in three cultivars of forage chicory (‘Puna,’ ‘Forage Feast,’ ‘Lacerta’) and evaluated palatability of leaves to goats using a 3x3 Latin square design with factors of animal, day, and cultivar/P fertility combination. The experiment was conducted twice and three replicate squares were used each time. Animals were Boer-cross goat kids (mean wt 51lb) which were accustomed to chicory forage and trained to the palatability test routine. Results were analyzed using ANOVA, regression, and multidimensional scaling. Actual available soil P at harvest averaged 9, 18, and 36 mg/g for the three P levels in year 1 and 9, 26, and 45 mg/g in year 2. Leaves offered to goats did not differ across P treatments for moisture, ash, neutral or acid detergent fiber (NDF, ADF), crude protein (CP), non-structural carbohydrate (TNC), individual leaf weight, or individual leaf area. Cultivars varied in response of specific SL to soil P: Puna SL were not affected, 8-deoxylactucin in Forage Feast decreased with increasing soil P, and lactucopicrin in Lacerta increased with increasing soil P. Forage Feast contained more ADF, CP, lactucin, and lactucopicrin, and less TNC and 8-deoxylactucin than Puna or Lacerta. Dry matter intake did not differ among chicory cultivars. Palatability preferences within cultivars were related to the available soil P at which they were grown and to various measured forage composition or morphological factors, but results were not consistent across cultivars. We conclude that soil P-mediated SL concentration is not the only factor affecting palatability of chicory cultivars for goats.