Abstract
Context Brassica forages are used in times of seasonal shortage to fulfil nutritional requirements of beef cattle, dairy cows, sheep or pigs. Although brassicas have been reported with high concentrations of readily fermentable carbohydrate, details have not been fully described and there is little information about the non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) profiles of Brassica forages. Aim The study was designed to evaluate nutrient concentrations, as well as NSC levels and constituents, of the main Brassica forages and to determine differences among varieties. Methods Five varieties of each of the four main forage brassicas (summer turnip, forage rape, kale and swede) were grown in plots and harvested for chemical analysis of the nutrient concentrations and NSC profiles of leaf and bulb (turnip and swede) and leaf and stem (rape and kale) components. Key results Brassica species differed in the amounts and types of NSC; swede had the highest concentration of NSC, mainly comprising sugars (glucose and fructose), followed by kale (with similar proportions of glucose, sucrose and fructose), turnip (with similar concentrations of glucose and starch and slightly lower fructose), and forage rape (in which starch was the main NSC). Forage chemical composition and NSC profile of plant organs varied among varieties of individual Brassica forages; for example, there were significant differences among swede varieties for concentrations of starch and sugar (total and profile) in bulbs. Conclusions Brassica forages differed with respect to quantities and types of NSC; swede had higher concentrations, mainly composed of glucose and fructose, followed by kale with similar proportions of glucose, sucrose and fructose, and turnip with NSC represented by glucose, starch and slightly lower fructose; and finally, forage rape, in which starch was the main NSC. Chemical composition, as well as NSC profile of plant organs (leaves, bulbs or stems), varied among varieties of Brassica species. Implications The approach described here has implications for ration formulation and is useful when considering the nutritional and dietary requirements of the animals of interest, because the type of Brassica, the variety and the proportion of plant organs can affect animal performance.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Swede had the highest non-structural carbohydrate concentration, mainly glucose and fructose.
Verbatim
e0“swede had the highest concentration of NSC, mainly comprising sugars (glucose and fructose)”
Claim · model-written summary
Kale followed swede in non-structural carbohydrate concentration and had similar glucose, sucrose and fructose proportions.
- Taxon
- kale
Brassica oleracea var. viridise0 - Outcome
- proportions of glucose, sucrose and fructosee0
- Direction
- similare0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“followed by kale (with similar proportions of glucose, sucrose and fructose)”
Claim · model-written summary
Turnip had similar glucose and starch concentrations and slightly lower fructose.
- Taxon
- turnip
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Brassica rapa subsp. rapae0 - Outcome
- concentrations of glucose and starche0
- Direction
- similare0
- Qualifier
- slightly lower fructosee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“turnip (with similar concentrations of glucose and starch and slightly lower fructose)”
Claim · model-written summary
Starch was the main non-structural carbohydrate in forage rape.
Verbatim
e0“forage rape (in which starch was the main NSC)”
Claim · model-written summary
Forage composition and carbohydrate profiles of organs varied among varieties.
Verbatim
e0“Forage chemical composition and NSC profile of plant organs varied among varieties of individual Brassica forages”
Claim · model-written summary
Swede varieties differed significantly in bulb starch concentration.
Verbatim
e0“there were significant differences among swede varieties for concentrations of starch and sugar (total and profile) in bulbs.”
Claim · model-written summary
Swede varieties differed significantly in bulb sugar concentration and profile.
Verbatim
e0“there were significant differences among swede varieties for concentrations of starch and sugar (total and profile) in bulbs.”