Publication Date
1989
Description
Although sheep grazing dry subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) pasture may maintain body weight for the early part of summer, they usually lose weight during late summer and autumn, with consequent adverse effects on productivity (Purser, 1980). A decline in the digestibility of clover during plant senescence (Hume and Purser, 1975) is believed to be an important component of the reduced nutritive value of this dry feed. In a survey of dry mature stem material from a range of early flowering subterranean clover genotypes, Taylor et al. (1987a) found that in vitro digestibility ranged between 41 and 62 % DM. Subsequent measurements made on a representative group of these genotypes grown under a range of environmental conditions (Taylor et al., 1987b) showed a reasonable degree of consistency in their rankings for digestibility which suggested that digestibility is under at least some degree of genetic control. This paper describes the results of measurements of animal intake and in vivo digestibility made on genotypes of different in vitro digestibility.
Citation
Taylor, G B.; Rossiter, R C.; Purser, D B.; and Collins, W J., "The Intake and Digestibility of Dry Mature Subterranean Clovers" (2025). IGC Proceedings (1989-2023). 27.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1989/session7/27
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
The Intake and Digestibility of Dry Mature Subterranean Clovers
Although sheep grazing dry subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) pasture may maintain body weight for the early part of summer, they usually lose weight during late summer and autumn, with consequent adverse effects on productivity (Purser, 1980). A decline in the digestibility of clover during plant senescence (Hume and Purser, 1975) is believed to be an important component of the reduced nutritive value of this dry feed. In a survey of dry mature stem material from a range of early flowering subterranean clover genotypes, Taylor et al. (1987a) found that in vitro digestibility ranged between 41 and 62 % DM. Subsequent measurements made on a representative group of these genotypes grown under a range of environmental conditions (Taylor et al., 1987b) showed a reasonable degree of consistency in their rankings for digestibility which suggested that digestibility is under at least some degree of genetic control. This paper describes the results of measurements of animal intake and in vivo digestibility made on genotypes of different in vitro digestibility.
