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Publication Date

1977

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An infrared reflectance spectro/computer sys­tem (IRSCS) has been established at The Pennsylvania State University to evaluate the nutritional quality of forage and feedstuffs. Studies with alfalfa forage clearly show that the reflectance spectral curve of the forage is a composite curve consisting of various chemical constituents in the forage such as water, protein and cellulose. Chemical constituents are not measured directly by IRSCS but calibration prediction equations are developed from sam­ples with known chemical constituents and animal response data. After this is completed, forage samples can be analyzed for multiple chemical constituents and animal responses in less than 2 minutes. Preliminary testing of the accuracy of IRSCS resulted in standard errors for predicting protein to be ± 1.00% and in vitro dry matter disappearance ± 1.52 %­The standard errors of duplicate values for these analyses by IRSCS are similar in magni­tude to those obtained by the standard labora­tory procedures. Applications of this technol­ogy to forage breeding and production pro­grams, animal nutrition studies and ration for­mulation are currently being investigated.

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Forage and feedstuff analysis with infrared reflectance spectro/computer system1

An infrared reflectance spectro/computer sys­tem (IRSCS) has been established at The Pennsylvania State University to evaluate the nutritional quality of forage and feedstuffs. Studies with alfalfa forage clearly show that the reflectance spectral curve of the forage is a composite curve consisting of various chemical constituents in the forage such as water, protein and cellulose. Chemical constituents are not measured directly by IRSCS but calibration prediction equations are developed from sam­ples with known chemical constituents and animal response data. After this is completed, forage samples can be analyzed for multiple chemical constituents and animal responses in less than 2 minutes. Preliminary testing of the accuracy of IRSCS resulted in standard errors for predicting protein to be ± 1.00% and in vitro dry matter disappearance ± 1.52 %­The standard errors of duplicate values for these analyses by IRSCS are similar in magni­tude to those obtained by the standard labora­tory procedures. Applications of this technol­ogy to forage breeding and production pro­grams, animal nutrition studies and ration for­mulation are currently being investigated.