Wednesday, 9 November 2005
6

Quality of Stockpiled Forages.

Andrew P. Robinson, Darrin F. Roberts, David D. Parker, and R. D. Horrocks. Brigham Young University, Plant & Animal Sciences Department, 263 Widtsoe Building, Provo, UT 84602

Eight common pasture forages, three legumes and five grasses, were established in 2001 for the purpose of evaluating the quality of the autumn and early winter stockpiled forage. Leaf N and RFV were determined from samples taken on a periodic basis beginning near 1 October in 2002, 2003, and 2004. The average N concentration of legumes was generally greater than N in grasses regardless of sampling date and year. In two of the three years no differences existed among the grasses within sampling dates. N concentration declined, 3-year average, -0.018%/d for the legumes and -0.019%/d for the grasses from 1 October to 1 December. Leaf N concentrations ranged from 2.5 to 3.8 for the legumes and 1.4 to 2.9% for the grasses. Relative Feed Value (RFV) of the legumes was generally higher than for the grasses throughout the sampling period. Decline in RFV for the sampling period averaged -1.74 units/d for the legumes and -0.38 units/d for the grasses. RFV ranged from 115 to 270 for the legumes and 90 to 150 for the grasses. Available forage and forage theoretically available and accessible to grazing animals differed significantly between legumes and grasses, with the latter being higher. Rapid deterioration of the legumes with the onset of inclement winter weather made the legumes less desirable as stockpiled forage.

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