Publication Date

1985

Location

Kyoto Japan

Description

Four tropical grasses and one legume were fertilized with O or 60 kg S/ha. Leaves and stems of 6 and 9 weeks old regrowth were harvested seperately from replicated plots and used to study the effect of S fertilization on parameters of in vitro DM and NDF digestion. The overall effect of fertilization was negative and most pronounced for leaves. There were large differences among forages. DM digestibility at 48 h was reduced (P < .05) for fertilized guinea grass and setaria but NDF digestion at 96 h was only lower for guinea grass. DM digestibility of stems was not affected by fertilization but NDF disappearance of napier grass stems was decreased significantly. S fertilization had no effect on lag of NDF digestion but rate of NDF digestion for stems and leaves was reduced (P < .05) by fertilization. The effect was especially large for centro. It is suggested that the negative effects of S fertilization are associated with changes in the structural components of the forages and the source of the rumen inoculum.

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Sulfur Fertilization of Five Tropical Forages II. Digestibility of Dry Matter and Cell Wall Constituents

Kyoto Japan

Four tropical grasses and one legume were fertilized with O or 60 kg S/ha. Leaves and stems of 6 and 9 weeks old regrowth were harvested seperately from replicated plots and used to study the effect of S fertilization on parameters of in vitro DM and NDF digestion. The overall effect of fertilization was negative and most pronounced for leaves. There were large differences among forages. DM digestibility at 48 h was reduced (P < .05) for fertilized guinea grass and setaria but NDF digestion at 96 h was only lower for guinea grass. DM digestibility of stems was not affected by fertilization but NDF disappearance of napier grass stems was decreased significantly. S fertilization had no effect on lag of NDF digestion but rate of NDF digestion for stems and leaves was reduced (P < .05) by fertilization. The effect was especially large for centro. It is suggested that the negative effects of S fertilization are associated with changes in the structural components of the forages and the source of the rumen inoculum.