J. Anim Sci.
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J. Anim Sci. 1975. 41:208-212.
© 1975 American Society of Animal Science
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Seasonal Trends in Nutrients and Cattle Digestibility of Forage on Pine-Wiregrass Range1

C. E. Lewis2, R. S. Lowrey3, W. G. Monson4 and F. E. Knox4

Southeastern Forest Experiment Station, Marianna, Florida 32446

Abstract

Samples of pineland threeawn, Curtiss dropseed, bluestem grasses, other grasses, forbs, and shrubs were collected at 2-week intervals during the grazing season (April to October) on pine-wiregrass range in southern Georgia. They were analyzed for nylon bag dry-matter digestibility (NBDMD), two-state in vitro dry-matter digestibility (IVDMD) by cattle, crude protein (CP), cell-wall constituents (CWC), and dry matter (DM). NBDMD and IVDMD were highly correlated for each species or group of species and for all species together, indicating that both methods gave a similar estimate of digestibility for herbaceous plants. The shrub sample, which contained woody twigs along with leaves, was more digestible in NBDMD and IVDMD tests; however, the correlation between the two techniques was high.

As the season advanced through late summer, CP and IVDMD decreased and DM increased. The poor quality of forage on pine-wiregrass range was indicated by CP levels under 8% and IVDMD of less than 40% during most of the grazing season. Crude protein appeared useful for predicting digestibility of grasses but not forbs and shrubs. Neither CWC nor DM appeared useful for predicting digestibility of forbs and shrubs.

Footnotes

1 Cooperative investigations conducted by the Southeastern Forest Experiment Station, Forest Service; Crops Research Division, A.R.S., U.S.D.A.; and the University of Georgia, Animal Science Department, Coastal Plain Experiment Station.

2 Present address: Range Scientist, Marianna, Florida.

3 Present address: Head, Animal Science Department, University of Georgia, Athens.

4 Research Agronomist and Chemist, Tifton, GA.






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Copyright © 1975 by the American Society of Animal Science.