Offered Papers Theme A: Efficient Production from Grassland
Description
The n-alkane profiles of epicuticular waxes derived from different plant species are sufficiently distinct to allow assessment of the proportions of different herbages in two-component mixtures including perennial ryegrass/white clover, heather/hill grass and rush/perennial ryegrass (Dove & Mayes, 1996). Evidence suggests the reliability of such estimates declines as the number of different dietary components increases. However, recent studies have shown analysis of additional compounds, including long-chain fatty alcohols, may improve discrimination between different dietary components. The aim of this experiment was to quantify the accuracy of such methods for determining the diet composition of animals grazing complex swards.
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
An Evaluation of the N-Alkane Technique for Determining Diet Composition in Animals Grazing Complex Swards
The n-alkane profiles of epicuticular waxes derived from different plant species are sufficiently distinct to allow assessment of the proportions of different herbages in two-component mixtures including perennial ryegrass/white clover, heather/hill grass and rush/perennial ryegrass (Dove & Mayes, 1996). Evidence suggests the reliability of such estimates declines as the number of different dietary components increases. However, recent studies have shown analysis of additional compounds, including long-chain fatty alcohols, may improve discrimination between different dietary components. The aim of this experiment was to quantify the accuracy of such methods for determining the diet composition of animals grazing complex swards.
