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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Madison, Wisconsin » U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #202969

Title: Nutritive Value of Fall-Grown Cereal-Grain Forages Over Time

Author
item AKINS, MATT - ARKANSAS COOPERATIVE
item GUNSAULIS, JOHNNY - ARKANSAS COOPERATIVE
item Coblentz, Wayne
item KEGLEY, ELIZABETH - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item LUSBY, KEITH - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item OGDEN, ROBIN - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item CALDWELL, JAMES - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item BACON, ROBERT - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item COFFEY, KENNETH - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/16/2006
Publication Date: 3/19/2007
Citation: Akins, M.S., Gunsaulis, J.L., Coblentz, W.K., Kegley, E.B., Lusby, K.S., Ogden, R.K., Caldwell, J.D., Bacon, R.K., Coffey, K.P. 2007. Nutritive Value of Fall-Grown Cereal-Grain Forages Over Time. Journal of Animal Science. 85:133

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Changes in nutritive value of fall-grown cereal-grain forages over time can affect cattle performance. The objective of this study was to evaluate nutritive values of various fall-grown cereal-grain forages over time. One variety each of hard red (HR) and soft red (SR) winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), oat (Avena sativa L.), rye (Secale cereale L.), and triticale (X Triticosecale rimpau Wittm.) were planted September 8, 2004, in Fayetteville, AR and September 5 and 6, 2005, in Fayetteville and Batesville, AR, respectively. Forages were sampled randomly on six dates at 2-wk intervals beginning 6 wk after planting. Samples were taken from a different strip each sample date. Forage x sample date interactions (P<0.05) occurred during both years for NDF and in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD), and during 2004 in Fayetteville and 2005 in Batesville for N. In 2004 at Fayetteville, SR had the highest IVOMD (P<0.05) and lowest NDF (P<0.05) among all forages and rye had the highest N (P<0.05). In 2005 at Fayetteville, HR, rye, and SR were higher (P<0.05) in IVOMD than oat and triticale. Oat was higher in N than triticale (P=0.04) and tended to be higher in N than HR (P=0.05) and SR (P=0.06). Rye contained less (P<0.05) NDF than all other forages. At Batesville, oat had the lowest IVOMD (P<0.05), triticale tended to have higher (P=0.08) IVOMD than HR, but no differences among HR, SR, and rye were found. Oat was higher (P<0.05) in N than all others except for rye (P=0.12). Also, oat had the highest average NDF content (P<0.05), but there were no differences (P>0.05) among other forages. Overall, results were inconsistent among site and year but rye, SR, and HR showed the highest digestibilities and lowest NDF contents of the varieties tested. Nitrogen content ranged from 2.75 to 5.75% in the varieties tested which meets requirements of growing cattle.