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Mefluidide Treatment of Tall Fescue: Effect on Nutrient Utilization^1,2

University of Kentucky, Lexington 40546

Abstract

Mefluidide (n-[2,4-dimethyl-5[[(trifluoro-methyl)sulfonyl] amino] phenyl] acetamide), a plant growth regulator, was applied to Kentucky 31 tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Shreb.) on May 2. Mefluidide-treated fescue (T) and untreated (C) accumulated fescue were harvested on May 31, July 15 and August 18 (except C which was harvested on October 5). In addition, C and T regrowth tall fescue, clipped on June 7, was harvested on July 14 and August 18. Nutrient utilization of the forages was compared using 20 lambs in a 10 X 10 Latin square design digestion trial replicated within groups. Mefluidide increased (P<.001) N content of tall fescue harvested on July 14, 15 and August 18. Digestibilities of dry matter, N, acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber were increased (P<.001, .001, .004 and .054, respectively) by mefluidide treatment. Treated forage also had greater amino acid concentrations and a smaller portion of the N as nonprotein N. The overall result of mefluidide was an improvement of forage quality and animal nutrient utilization of the tall fescue harvested on July 14, 15 and August 18. The use of mefluidide offers the potential to minimize the suboptimum performance commonly associated with animals grazing cool season grasses during the summer months.

Key Words: Mefluidide • Fescue • Nutrient Utilization

¹ This manuscript (80-5-295) is published with the approval of the Director of the Kentucky Agr. Exp. Sta.

² This work was supported by the 3M Company, St. Paul, MN 55101.

³ Dept. of Anim. Sci., North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC 27650.

⁴ Dept. of Anim. Sci., Univ. of Kentucky.

⁵ DuPont Chemicals, Fletcher, OK 73541.

⁶ USDA-ARS, Bldg. 200, BARC-E, Beltsville, MD 20705.

⁷ Dept. of Agron., Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742.