The assessment of herbage legume varieties: I. Lucerne

Davies, William E.; Reusch, J.D.H.

doi:10.1017/s0021859600015069

Cited by 6 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Gaillard (1962) found an increase in lignin, xylan and cellulose with stage of growth, accompanied by a fall in pectic substances, and suggested that the hemieellulose fraction might play a part in digestibility. Falls in protein content have been reported by Weir, Jones & Meyer, (1960) and Martz (1961), and in digestibility by numerous authors (Davies, ap Griffith & Ellington, 1966;Davies, 1963;MowatetaZ. 19656;Martz, 1961;Terry & Tilley, 1964;Calder & MacLeod, 1968;Anderson et al 1964).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Digestibility and chemical composition of fractions of lucerne during spring and summer

1970

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Bulk harvests of primary growth were made at intervals during the spring and summer of 2 consecutive years from an ungrazed area of lucerne (Medicago sativa) and the digestibility by sheep was measured. At the same times, shoots of known length representative of the sward were collected, divided into 7-5 cm lengths, and separated into leaf and stem for the determination of ash, nitrogen, cellulose, and in vitro organic matter digestibility.Digestibility and leaf: stem ratio of the bulk harvests decreased and dry matter increased as the season advanced. Leaf composition changed little, but stem increased in lignin and decreased in ash and in vitro digestibility. In vitro digestibility and leaf: stem ratio were highly correlated with sheep digestibility.Chemical composition of shoots of known heights was similar to that of the bulk harvests. Leaf weights/shoot tended to increase linearly with height of shoot, whereas stem increased nearly as the square of the height. Dry matter of leaf and stem were inversely related to leaf:stem ratio. Stem digestibility decreased with leaf:stem ratio and with increase in shoot height.Chemical components of shoot fractions were associated with each other and were largely dependent on the distance from the top of the shoot at which they had been taken, irrespective of shoot height or time of year. Bottom stems had lower ash, nitrogen and digestibility but higher cellulose, dry weight and dry matter than top stems, whose composition approached that of leaves. Leaf fractions showed little consistent trend with position on the shoot.Some of the difficulties in studying changes in plant composition under field conditions are discussed. INTRODUCTIONreported by Mowat et al. (1965a, 6) to be similar; they suggested that digestibility might be preDespite the large niunber of chemical analyses dieted on a date basis by adjusting for particular which have been carried out on lucerne (Medicago year effects. sativa), information on the comparative nutritional The nutritive value of the material eaten by the value of various parts of the plant at different grazing animal may be greatly influenced by the times of the year is limited. Terry & Tilley (1964) height and stage of growth of the pasture and by divided lucerne stems into 6 in lengths and found the degree of selection, and cannot be determined that there was a progressive decline in digestibility merely by whole plant analysis. This paper reports from top to bottom, though the digestibilities of work carried out during two seasons, in an attempt equivalent stem fractions in young and mature to characterize more clearly plants at different stages plants were very similar. Davies (1963) observed of growth so that general predictions of the quality that as the season advanced and plant height of herbage available to the grazing animal might be increased, the leaf and upper third of the stem made. maintained high digestibilities, but formed a de-MATERIALS AND METHODS creasing portion of the total yield; the lower stem fell steeply in digest...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Digestibility and chemical composition of fractions of lucerne during spring and summer

1970

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 80%

“…Spaced plants of lucerne were included in order to study varietal interactions with method of growing. This aspect, in so far as it has implications for the plant breeder, has already been reported (5). MATERIALS The experimental layout was a randomized split block with 4 replicates; the 5 methods of growing constituted the main plots:…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The summers of 1954 and 1956 were cool and wet, but in 1955 July Four varieties of lucerne, Du Puits (early), and August were sunny and dry and the plots Provence (mid-season), Grimm (late) and suffered from drought. Details of prevailing S205 (late) were sown as sub-plots (16-5 ftx weather have been described previously, as 6 ft) in the main plots, with S215 meadow has the technique used in cutting and handling fescue, the most compatible companion for the plots (5). Establishment was good generally, but some replicates of the S205 and Grimm drills showed poorer initial growth than the remainder, the reason for which was not obvious; this is reflected in the yields at the first cut (Table 1).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Yields and Composition of Lucerne, Grass and Clover Under Different Systems of Management

Davies¹

1964

Grass and Forage Science

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The mean yields of 4 varieties of lucerne were compared under 5 methods of growing: broadcast with and without grass; drills 2 ft apart; alternate lucerne/grass drills 1 ft apart; spaced plants. One cut was harvested in the sowing year and 3 cuts a year for the next 3 years.The alternate lucerne/grass drills yielded 20% less dry matter than the comparable broadcast plots. Broadcasting and sowing in alternate drills had the same effect on the pattern of lucerne/grass competition. The meadow fescue companion produced its highest yield at the first cut and there was a marked drop during each year and from year to year. There was little evidence of nitrogen transfer from the lucerne to the grass.

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“…Griffith & WaIters (1965) reviewed earlier work on grasses and reported agreement between several workers on a relative order of sodium content; ryegrass and cocksfoot contain more sodium than fescues and timothy. Davies et al (1966) and Whitehead & Jones (1969) reported that white clover contains more sodium than red clover and lucerne.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A note on sodium concentrations in New Zealand pasture species

Sherrell

1978

New Zealand Journal of Experimental Agriculture

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Sodium concentration varied widely in 21 pasture species grown as individual species under standard pot conditions. Red clover, alsike clover, lucerne, browntop, timothy, paspalum, and kikuyu contained low concentrations of sodium (less than 0.05%), and would not provide adequate sodium for grazing animals. White clover, ryegrasses, and cocks foot were intermediate, and lotus, subterranean clover, and Yorkshire fog had a higher sodium concentration (0.15%). Phalaris was outstanding in that its sodium concentration was double that of any other species.

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The assessment of herbage legume varieties: I. Lucerne

Cited by 6 publications

References 20 publications

Digestibility and chemical composition of fractions of lucerne during spring and summer

Digestibility and chemical composition of fractions of lucerne during spring and summer

The Yields and Composition of Lucerne, Grass and Clover Under Different Systems of Management

A note on sodium concentrations in New Zealand pasture species

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