Publication Date
1989
Description
Digestion of herbage by ruminants is limited primarily by concentration of neutral-detergent fiber (NDF) in herbage and degradability of this cell-wall material. Because mature stems usually contain more NDF than immature stems or leaves the proportion of stems approaching maturity is normally' the dominant morphological factor that determines digestibility of herbage (Buxton and Hornstein, 1986). On the basis of digestibility, NDF can be divided into two fractions: potentially digestible NDF (PDNDF) and indigestible NDF (IDNDF; Mertens and Ely, 1982), which is not digested regardless of length of fermentation. Digestion of NDF can be characterized by a two-stage process involving a lag followed by microbial degradation. Both duration of lag and digestion rate of PDNDF determine the time required for PDNDF is digestion. The digestion lag is probably related to hydration rate of NDF and/or time needed for microbial association with NDF. Digestion rate of PDNDF seems to be related to intrinsic chemical and physical characteristics of the NDF (Buxton, 1989). This study was undertaken to determine the influence of digestion lag, rate of digestion, and stem characteristics on total digestion time of PDNDF.
Citation
Buxton, D R., "Fermentation Characteristics of Temperate Forage Stems Digested in Vitro" (2025). IGC Proceedings (1989-2023). 81.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1989/session7/81
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Fermentation Characteristics of Temperate Forage Stems Digested in Vitro
Digestion of herbage by ruminants is limited primarily by concentration of neutral-detergent fiber (NDF) in herbage and degradability of this cell-wall material. Because mature stems usually contain more NDF than immature stems or leaves the proportion of stems approaching maturity is normally' the dominant morphological factor that determines digestibility of herbage (Buxton and Hornstein, 1986). On the basis of digestibility, NDF can be divided into two fractions: potentially digestible NDF (PDNDF) and indigestible NDF (IDNDF; Mertens and Ely, 1982), which is not digested regardless of length of fermentation. Digestion of NDF can be characterized by a two-stage process involving a lag followed by microbial degradation. Both duration of lag and digestion rate of PDNDF determine the time required for PDNDF is digestion. The digestion lag is probably related to hydration rate of NDF and/or time needed for microbial association with NDF. Digestion rate of PDNDF seems to be related to intrinsic chemical and physical characteristics of the NDF (Buxton, 1989). This study was undertaken to determine the influence of digestion lag, rate of digestion, and stem characteristics on total digestion time of PDNDF.
