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Rates of In Vitro Forage Fiber Digestion as Influenced by Chemical Treatment¹

United States Department of Agriculture Beltsville, Maryland 20705 and University of Maryland, College Park 20742

Abstract

Neither the 72-hr, in vitro digestibility nor the rate of digestion of alfalfa or orchardgrass cell walls was changed by removing the solubles by neutral detergent extraction. However, cellulose digestibility was increased from 66 to 91% by chemical removal or degradation of lignin. Immature forage fiber digested 68% more rapidly than mature forage fiber. Cellulose digestion was 30% faster in sodium chlorite-delignified cell walls than in total forage, neutral detergent-extracted forage, or sodium hydroxide-extracted holocellulose.

¹ Data are from the Senior Author's Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for the M.S. degree, Graduate School, University of Maryland, College Park.

² Biological Waste Management Laboratory, Agricultural Environmental Quality Institute, A.R.S., Beltsville, Md. 20705.

³ Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture, University of Maryland, College Park.

⁴ The authors acknowledge B. T. Weinland, Biometrical Staff, Northeastern Region, A.R.S., for performing the statistical analysis and D. R. Waldo for constructive suggestions on this report.