Abstract
The objective of this experiment was to study the effects of grass maturity at harvest on the nutritive value of grass silage (GS) in relation to voluntary intake, digestibility, nitrogen (N) utilization and in sacco dry matter (DM) degradability. Silage was cut from a sward dominated by orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) at the late-vegetative (early-cut), internode elongation (mediumcut) and flowering (late-cut) stages of growth. The DM yield at harvest was the lowest for early-cut silage (5.4 t/ha) and increased to 6.5 and 7.0 t/ha for the medium and late-cut silage respectively. As the crop matured, the crude protein (CP) concentration decreased significantly (p<0.05) and there was a marked increase in acid detergent fiber (ADF) concentration (p<0.001). The three different silages were offered to four 18-month old Charolais wether sheep to measure the voluntary intake, in vivo digestibility and N retention over four 21-day periods in an incomplete changeover design. Silage degradability characteristics were determined using four fistulated sheep to measure DM degradability over 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h. There was a linear decrease in the voluntary intake of silage fresh matter, DM, organic matter (OM) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF), digestibility of DM, OM, NDF, ADF and CP, and digestibility of OM in DM (Dvalue) (P L <0.01) as harvesting of grass was delayed. Nitrogen intake, N output in urine, N output in faeces and N balance also linearly decreased (P L <0.01) with postponed harvesting of grass for silage. DM degradability and effective degradability (ED) significantly decreased with increasing maturity of grass at harvest. The results suggest that harvesting date has a significant influence on the nutritive value of GS in terms of intake, digestibility, N balance and in sacco degradability in the rumen. It was concluded that early harvest GS ensured higher intake, digestibility, N intake and DM degradability in comparison with the medium and the late cut GS as a result of improved rumen N efficiency and utilization probably due to a better balance of available energy and protein.
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Claims 13
Claim · model-written summary
The DM yield at harvest was lowest for early-cut silage (5.4 t/ha) compared with medium and late-cut silage.
- Taxon
- orchardgrass
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Dactylis glomeratae0 - Organ / stage
- late-vegetativee0
- Treatment
- early-cute1
- Outcome
- DM yield at harveste1
- Direction
- loweste1
- Value
- 5.4 t/hae1
- Comparator
- medium and late-cut silagee1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Silage was cut from a sward dominated by orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) at the late-vegetative (early-cut), internode elongation (mediumcut) and flowering (late-cut) stages of growth”
e1“The DM yield at harvest was the lowest for early-cut silage (5.4 t/ha) and increased to 6.5 and 7.0 t/ha for the medium and late-cut silage respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
DM yield increased to 6.5 and 7.0 t/ha for medium and late-cut silage compared with early-cut silage.
- Taxon
- orchardgrassDactylis glomeratae0
- Organ / stage
- internode elongatione0
- Treatment
- medium and late-cut silagee1
- Outcome
- DM yield at harveste1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- 6.5 and 7.0 t/hae1
- Comparator
- early-cut silagee1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Silage was cut from a sward dominated by orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) at the late-vegetative (early-cut), internode elongation (mediumcut) and flowering (late-cut) stages of growth”
e1“The DM yield at harvest was the lowest for early-cut silage (5.4 t/ha) and increased to 6.5 and 7.0 t/ha for the medium and late-cut silage respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Crude protein concentration decreased significantly as the crop matured.
- Taxon
- orchardgrassDactylis glomeratae0
- Treatment
- crop maturede2
- Outcome
- crude protein (CP) concentratione2
- Direction
- decreasede2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Silage was cut from a sward dominated by orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) at the late-vegetative (early-cut), internode elongation (mediumcut) and flowering (late-cut) stages of growth”
e2“As the crop matured, the crude protein (CP) concentration decreased significantly (p<0.05)”
Claim · model-written summary
Acid detergent fiber concentration increased markedly as the crop matured.
- Taxon
- orchardgrassDactylis glomeratae0
- Treatment
- crop maturede2
- Outcome
- acid detergent fiber (ADF) concentratione3
- Direction
- increasee3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Silage was cut from a sward dominated by orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) at the late-vegetative (early-cut), internode elongation (mediumcut) and flowering (late-cut) stages of growth”
e2“As the crop matured, the crude protein (CP) concentration decreased significantly (p<0.05)”
e3“there was a marked increase in acid detergent fiber (ADF) concentration (p<0.001)”
Claim · model-written summary
Voluntary intake of silage fresh matter, DM and organic matter decreased linearly as harvesting was delayed.
- Taxon
- orchardgrassDactylis glomeratae0
- Treatment
- harvesting of grass was delayede4
- Outcome
- voluntary intake of silage fresh matter, DM, organic matter (OM)e4
- Direction
- linear decreasee4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Silage was cut from a sward dominated by orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) at the late-vegetative (early-cut), internode elongation (mediumcut) and flowering (late-cut) stages of growth”
e4“There was a linear decrease in the voluntary intake of silage fresh matter, DM, organic matter (OM) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF), digestibility of DM, OM, NDF, ADF and CP, and digestibility of OM in DM (Dvalue) (P L <0.01) as harvesting of grass was delayed”
Claim · model-written summary
Voluntary intake of silage neutral detergent fiber decreased linearly as harvesting was delayed.
- Taxon
- orchardgrassDactylis glomeratae0
- Treatment
- harvesting of grass was delayede4
- Outcome
- voluntary intakee4
- Direction
- linear decreasee4
- Qualifier
- neutral detergent fiber (NDF)e4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Silage was cut from a sward dominated by orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) at the late-vegetative (early-cut), internode elongation (mediumcut) and flowering (late-cut) stages of growth”
e4“There was a linear decrease in the voluntary intake of silage fresh matter, DM, organic matter (OM) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF), digestibility of DM, OM, NDF, ADF and CP, and digestibility of OM in DM (Dvalue) (P L <0.01) as harvesting of grass was delayed”
Claim · model-written summary
Digestibility of DM, OM and NDF decreased linearly as harvesting was delayed.
- Taxon
- orchardgrassDactylis glomeratae0
- Treatment
- harvesting of grass was delayede4
- Outcome
- digestibility of DM, OM, NDFe4
- Direction
- linear decreasee4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Silage was cut from a sward dominated by orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) at the late-vegetative (early-cut), internode elongation (mediumcut) and flowering (late-cut) stages of growth”
e4“There was a linear decrease in the voluntary intake of silage fresh matter, DM, organic matter (OM) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF), digestibility of DM, OM, NDF, ADF and CP, and digestibility of OM in DM (Dvalue) (P L <0.01) as harvesting of grass was delayed”
Claim · model-written summary
Digestibility of ADF and CP decreased linearly as harvesting was delayed.
- Taxon
- orchardgrassDactylis glomeratae0
- Treatment
- harvesting of grass was delayede4
- Outcome
- digestibilitye4
- Direction
- linear decreasee4
- Qualifier
- ADF and CPe4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Silage was cut from a sward dominated by orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) at the late-vegetative (early-cut), internode elongation (mediumcut) and flowering (late-cut) stages of growth”
e4“There was a linear decrease in the voluntary intake of silage fresh matter, DM, organic matter (OM) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF), digestibility of DM, OM, NDF, ADF and CP, and digestibility of OM in DM (Dvalue) (P L <0.01) as harvesting of grass was delayed”
Claim · model-written summary
Digestibility of OM in DM (Dvalue) decreased linearly as harvesting was delayed.
- Taxon
- orchardgrassDactylis glomeratae0
- Treatment
- harvesting of grass was delayede4
- Outcome
- digestibility of OM in DM (Dvalue)e4
- Direction
- linear decreasee4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Silage was cut from a sward dominated by orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) at the late-vegetative (early-cut), internode elongation (mediumcut) and flowering (late-cut) stages of growth”
e4“There was a linear decrease in the voluntary intake of silage fresh matter, DM, organic matter (OM) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF), digestibility of DM, OM, NDF, ADF and CP, and digestibility of OM in DM (Dvalue) (P L <0.01) as harvesting of grass was delayed”
Claim · model-written summary
Nitrogen intake, urinary and faecal N output decreased linearly with postponed harvest.
- Taxon
- orchardgrassDactylis glomeratae0
- Treatment
- postponed harvesting of grasse5
- Outcome
- Nitrogen intake, N output in urine, N output in faecese5
- Direction
- linearly decreasede5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Silage was cut from a sward dominated by orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) at the late-vegetative (early-cut), internode elongation (mediumcut) and flowering (late-cut) stages of growth”
e5“Nitrogen intake, N output in urine, N output in faeces and N balance also linearly decreased (P L <0.01) with postponed harvesting of grass for silage”
Claim · model-written summary
N balance decreased linearly with postponed harvest.
- Taxon
- orchardgrassDactylis glomeratae0
- Treatment
- postponed harvesting of grasse5
- Outcome
- N balancee5
- Direction
- linearly decreasede5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Silage was cut from a sward dominated by orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) at the late-vegetative (early-cut), internode elongation (mediumcut) and flowering (late-cut) stages of growth”
e5“Nitrogen intake, N output in urine, N output in faeces and N balance also linearly decreased (P L <0.01) with postponed harvesting of grass for silage”
Claim · model-written summary
DM degradability and effective degradability decreased significantly with increasing maturity at harvest.
- Taxon
- orchardgrassDactylis glomeratae0
- Treatment
- increasing maturity of grass at harveste6
- Outcome
- DM degradability and effective degradability (ED)e6
- Direction
- significantly decreasede6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Silage was cut from a sward dominated by orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) at the late-vegetative (early-cut), internode elongation (mediumcut) and flowering (late-cut) stages of growth”
e6“DM degradability and effective degradability (ED) significantly decreased with increasing maturity of grass at harvest”
Claim · model-written summary
Early harvest silage is suggested to have higher N utilisation through improved rumen N efficiency, probably from a better energy and protein balance.
- Taxon
- orchardgrassDactylis glomeratae0
- Outcome
- rumen N efficiency and utilizatione7
- Qualifier
- a better balance of available energy and proteine7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Silage was cut from a sward dominated by orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) at the late-vegetative (early-cut), internode elongation (mediumcut) and flowering (late-cut) stages of growth”
e7“as a result of improved rumen N efficiency and utilization probably due to a better balance of available energy and protein”
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See all 7 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.