Publication Date
1985
Location
Kyoto Japan
Description
The cultivation of tropical grasses is gradually becoming widespread in southwest Japan. In this research, the digestibility, voluntary intake and rumen fermentation of the tropical grasses (green panic, Rhodes grass, Sudan grass and African millet) were compared with Italian ryegrass. The crude protein contents of all tropical grasses tested were over 10% in the dry matter, and were not so much different from the Italian ryegrass. The tropical grasses, in general, had higher contents of cell wall materials and lower content of total non-structural carbohydrate than the Italian ryegrass. In the dry matter digestibility and digestible nutrient contents, the tropical grasses were similar to the poor quality Italian ryegrass. The voluntaly intake of tropical grasses, however, were obviously less than the Italian ryegrass. The total non-structural carbohydrate was almost completely digested in all the samples. The dry matter digestibility and the voluntary intake of tropical grasses significantly correlated with the content of the lignin plus silica and the NDF, respectively. The concentration of VFA and the proportion of propionic acid were lower in the rumen of sheep fed the tropical grasses than the Italian ryegrass. From these results, it must be considered that, compared with Italian ryegrass, the feeding value of tropical grasses in Japan, which have less voluntary intake and may be less efficiently utilized even if they can match in digestibility, is low.
Citation
Kawamura, O; Tanaka, S; and Miaki, T, "The Digestibility, Intake and Rumen Fermentation by Sheep of some Tropical Grasses in Japan" (1985). IGC Proceedings (1985-2023). 37.
(URL: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1985/ses10/37)
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
The Digestibility, Intake and Rumen Fermentation by Sheep of some Tropical Grasses in Japan
Kyoto Japan
The cultivation of tropical grasses is gradually becoming widespread in southwest Japan. In this research, the digestibility, voluntary intake and rumen fermentation of the tropical grasses (green panic, Rhodes grass, Sudan grass and African millet) were compared with Italian ryegrass. The crude protein contents of all tropical grasses tested were over 10% in the dry matter, and were not so much different from the Italian ryegrass. The tropical grasses, in general, had higher contents of cell wall materials and lower content of total non-structural carbohydrate than the Italian ryegrass. In the dry matter digestibility and digestible nutrient contents, the tropical grasses were similar to the poor quality Italian ryegrass. The voluntaly intake of tropical grasses, however, were obviously less than the Italian ryegrass. The total non-structural carbohydrate was almost completely digested in all the samples. The dry matter digestibility and the voluntary intake of tropical grasses significantly correlated with the content of the lignin plus silica and the NDF, respectively. The concentration of VFA and the proportion of propionic acid were lower in the rumen of sheep fed the tropical grasses than the Italian ryegrass. From these results, it must be considered that, compared with Italian ryegrass, the feeding value of tropical grasses in Japan, which have less voluntary intake and may be less efficiently utilized even if they can match in digestibility, is low.
