Track 1-07: Prospects for Management to Increase Grassland and Forage Productivity
Publication Date
2013
Location
Sydney, Australia
Description
Farms in Latvia have an insufficient amount of protein in a feed for herbivorous animals. To tackle this issue, plants containing high protein content should be cultivated in grass mixtures. Legumes are rich in protein and play an important role on farms with dairy livestock. It is advisable to have at least 30-50% of legumes in mixtures with grass for grazing animals and to conserve fodder for the winter period, which lasts from November to May. As well as being rich in protein, legumes have a high dry matter digestibility (TDN) and high energy content (NEL). While legumes during the optimal mowing period (early flowering) have a high-buffer capacity (BC) of 600 - 700 mEq/kg and a low fermentation coefficient (FC) of 13 - 18, they contain less carbohydrates than grasses and consequently, have poor fermentability (Osmane et al. 2008, Jemeljanovs 2006, Mustafa et al. 2003, Wilkins et al. 2000). Therefore, they need to be included with grasses to make silage or hay. Latvian farmers use legumes in grass mixtures about from 20 species of different clover (Trifolium), alfalfa (Medicago sativa), eastern galega (Galega orientalis) and the annual legumes, peas (Pisum sativum), vetch (Vicia sativa) and cowpeas (Phaseolus vulgaris), each with a varied biochemical and microbial composition and requiring different requirements for cultivation and fodder conservation.
Citation
Osmane, Baiba; Jansons, Imants; Jemeljanovs, Aleksandrs; Cerina, Sallija; and Proskina, Liga, "Legumes--A High Quality Protein Source in Latvian Animal Feeds" (2013). IGC Proceedings (1985-2023). 17.
(URL: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/22/1-7/17)
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Legumes--A High Quality Protein Source in Latvian Animal Feeds
Sydney, Australia
Farms in Latvia have an insufficient amount of protein in a feed for herbivorous animals. To tackle this issue, plants containing high protein content should be cultivated in grass mixtures. Legumes are rich in protein and play an important role on farms with dairy livestock. It is advisable to have at least 30-50% of legumes in mixtures with grass for grazing animals and to conserve fodder for the winter period, which lasts from November to May. As well as being rich in protein, legumes have a high dry matter digestibility (TDN) and high energy content (NEL). While legumes during the optimal mowing period (early flowering) have a high-buffer capacity (BC) of 600 - 700 mEq/kg and a low fermentation coefficient (FC) of 13 - 18, they contain less carbohydrates than grasses and consequently, have poor fermentability (Osmane et al. 2008, Jemeljanovs 2006, Mustafa et al. 2003, Wilkins et al. 2000). Therefore, they need to be included with grasses to make silage or hay. Latvian farmers use legumes in grass mixtures about from 20 species of different clover (Trifolium), alfalfa (Medicago sativa), eastern galega (Galega orientalis) and the annual legumes, peas (Pisum sativum), vetch (Vicia sativa) and cowpeas (Phaseolus vulgaris), each with a varied biochemical and microbial composition and requiring different requirements for cultivation and fodder conservation.
