Publication Date
1985
Description
The contribution of some basic plant disciplines, principally physiology and histology, to the improvement of pasture yield and quality is discussed. Studies of temperate pasture grasses have identified several sources of loss of potential yield and have provided selection criteria for increasing yield. Integration of this physiological research with studies of forage consumption on the same pastures is proving a valuable inter- disciplinary approach to defining management options for maximising pasture and/or animal productivity. In tropical grasses, research towards increasing total dry matter yield is perhaps unwarranted but there is need for more co-operative studies involving plant and animal scientists to maximise the amount of dry matter produced that is high quality and readily eaten by animals. The active involvement of more basic plant disciplines in forage quality studies is relatively recent. Most advance through this effort has been in understanding the basis for variation in digestibility with particular emphasis in current research on the influence of anatomy at the macro, micro and ultra scale. The challenge now is to understand the factors controlling the amount of fibre in plants and its resistance to breakdown in the animal and to apply this understanding to improving the intake of digestible energy.
Citation
Wilson, J R., "An Interdisciplinary Approach for Increasing Yield and Improving Quality of Forages" (1985). IGC Proceedings (1985-2023). 3.
(URL: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1985/openingspeeches/3)
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
An Interdisciplinary Approach for Increasing Yield and Improving Quality of Forages
The contribution of some basic plant disciplines, principally physiology and histology, to the improvement of pasture yield and quality is discussed. Studies of temperate pasture grasses have identified several sources of loss of potential yield and have provided selection criteria for increasing yield. Integration of this physiological research with studies of forage consumption on the same pastures is proving a valuable inter- disciplinary approach to defining management options for maximising pasture and/or animal productivity. In tropical grasses, research towards increasing total dry matter yield is perhaps unwarranted but there is need for more co-operative studies involving plant and animal scientists to maximise the amount of dry matter produced that is high quality and readily eaten by animals. The active involvement of more basic plant disciplines in forage quality studies is relatively recent. Most advance through this effort has been in understanding the basis for variation in digestibility with particular emphasis in current research on the influence of anatomy at the macro, micro and ultra scale. The challenge now is to understand the factors controlling the amount of fibre in plants and its resistance to breakdown in the animal and to apply this understanding to improving the intake of digestible energy.
