Publication Date
1997
Description
Nutritive quality of many grass species used for forage in the Northern Great Plains of Canada and the United States is not well documented, especially at different maturity stages. This study compared agronomic and forage quality characteristics of eleven grasses common to Saskatchewan. Botanical separation and quality analysis was undertaken at three growth stages. Meadow Brome (Bromus riparius), Russian Wildrye (Psathyrostachys juceus) and Altai Wildrye (Elymus angustus) were shown to have high leaf to stem ratios which corresponded with high protein levels. Separations showed persistence of Reed Canarygrass (Phalaris arudinaceus), Creeping Foxtail (Alopecurus arundinaceus), Russian Wildrye, Smooth Brome (Bromus inermus), Tall Wheatgrass (Agropyron elongatum) and Altai Wildrye (Elymus angustus) to be greater than 65% of the sward botanical composition after four years of establishment. Digestibility of the grasses was analyzed using total tract and in vitro techniques. Tall Wheatgrass (Agropyron elongatum),(58.4%) and Intermediate Wheatgrass (Agropyron intermedium),(59.7%) were shown to have the highest apparent digestibility. In vitro digestibility of clipped samples was similar to digestibility values determined by total tract digestibility.
Citation
Glover, D E.; Kielly, G A.; Cohen, R H.; and Jefferson, P G., "Comparison of Yield, Forage Quality and Persistence of 11 Grasses Grown with Irrigation in a Semi-arid Climate" (2024). IGC Proceedings (1993-2023). 71.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1997/session29/71
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Comparison of Yield, Forage Quality and Persistence of 11 Grasses Grown with Irrigation in a Semi-arid Climate
Nutritive quality of many grass species used for forage in the Northern Great Plains of Canada and the United States is not well documented, especially at different maturity stages. This study compared agronomic and forage quality characteristics of eleven grasses common to Saskatchewan. Botanical separation and quality analysis was undertaken at three growth stages. Meadow Brome (Bromus riparius), Russian Wildrye (Psathyrostachys juceus) and Altai Wildrye (Elymus angustus) were shown to have high leaf to stem ratios which corresponded with high protein levels. Separations showed persistence of Reed Canarygrass (Phalaris arudinaceus), Creeping Foxtail (Alopecurus arundinaceus), Russian Wildrye, Smooth Brome (Bromus inermus), Tall Wheatgrass (Agropyron elongatum) and Altai Wildrye (Elymus angustus) to be greater than 65% of the sward botanical composition after four years of establishment. Digestibility of the grasses was analyzed using total tract and in vitro techniques. Tall Wheatgrass (Agropyron elongatum),(58.4%) and Intermediate Wheatgrass (Agropyron intermedium),(59.7%) were shown to have the highest apparent digestibility. In vitro digestibility of clipped samples was similar to digestibility values determined by total tract digestibility.
