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Research for Selection Criteria for Grass Quality, Based upon Animal References
No full textIn an effort to find selection criteria for intake and digestibility, based on correlations with the same characters measured on animals, we have compared 4 to 6 grasses of similar heading dates for intake, palatability, digestibility by sheep, intake by goats and many laboratory tests. 1979 results were published for Lexington Congress. Results of 1980 and 1981 springs bear them out in several points :
- palatability was a very precise and stable test
- palatability, digestibility and goat intake were stable and correlated with each other
- soluble phenols were able to predict palatability and part of digestibility
-sheep intake was not reliable : it was very unstable, difficult to predict by laboratory tests, its correlations with othercharacters were very variable: good in 1981, bad in 1979, negative in 1980. More information is needed to understand its variations. The experiment has been enlarged to include milk production, 2nd spring grass growth and since 1983 dairy cows
Use of Leaf Protein as Human Food
No full textLeaf protein obtained from lucerne was fed to pre-school children, for a period of three years. These children who were on leaf protein were compared against those who received milk in the place of leaf protein, leaf protein + 300 calories, 300 calories alone and control group who did not get any supplement. The results indicated that 100 grams of leaf protein provides 397 calories, 60 g of protein, 800 mg of calcium, 50 mg of iron and 1.4 µg of B carotene. Leaf protein is acceptable for pre-school children from poor socio-economic groups. Adults need more persuasion. Leaf Protein is digestible and promotes growth. Leaf protein can be produced only in a central place and where there is lushious growth of non-edible leaves
Anthracnose on Native Florida Stylosanthes
No full textThe current status of anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz.) Sacc. on Stylosanthes spp. in Florida is discussed. The pathogen was probably imported since it was not found on native stands of Stylosanthes in Florida. The reaction of Florida Stylosanthes to C. gloeosporioides, now present in Florida, ranges from resistant to moderately affected. Some accessions of native Florida S. hamata (L.) Taub., unaffected by the disease, have potential for forage use
Influence of Irrigation Frequency during Bloom on Lucerne Seed Yield on a Shallow Duplex Soil in South-Eastern Australia
No full textDuring bloom, lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) was subjected to different irrigation frequencies based on accumulated Class A 1 Pan evaporation (Epan) to determine the 1 irrigation requirements on a shallow duplex soil. Seed yields ranged from 528 kg ha- on the driest treatment to 1105 kg ha- on the treatment irrigated on the lowest Epan interval. The components of yield which correlated with seed yield were top growth, number of sterns, number of racemes with pods,.and the number of seeds per pod. In order to produce high seed yields, lucerne has a high requirement for water during bloom and on shallow soils most of the crops water requirements must be applied during bloom. An Epan interval of 75 mm was found to be most productive, however, a shorter Epan interval may be necessary for shallow soils which are more difficult to wet
Studies on Nitrogen Fixation of Forage Grasses in Taiwan
No full textExperiments were conducted to determine the nitrogen(N)-fixing activities of the tropical forage grasses in Taiwan, the relationship between N-fixing activity and soil fertility and the morphological and the physiological properties of the associated bacteria. Hybrid napier grass (Pennisetum americanum X P. purpureum) cv.A7005 was the most effective in N fixation among 13 species of forage grasses,with 97 nmoles C2H4 per gram dry roots per hour. A negative correlation was found between N activity and total N content in soil. However, no relationship was observed between N-fixing activity and pH value, organic matter, and available P and K in soil. An associated bacteria was isolated from Digitaria decumbens. It was identified to be Azospirillum brasilense. The bacteria was microaerophilic in the medium without N and it was Gram-negative with the size of 0.9X 2.0 µ,m. It was single polar flagellum and rod shape which could be cultured in Dobereiner\u27s medium without N and biotin. However, it could\u27t grow in N-free medium when glucose was used as the only carbon source. The bacteria could utilize different carbon sources, such as citrate, ethanol, latic acid, malate, and succinate
The Genetic Improvement of Panicum maximum Jacq. for the Seed Production
No full textThe genetic improvement of P.maximum for the seed production is based on two features : the number of spikelets and, especially, the number of every-day new panicles. With this purpose, we have set a topcross between an apomictic and four sexuals. The floral behavior is split into three independant factors and the heritabilities are estimated for this ones. This study has led to the choice of suitable methods of selection
Seasonal Beef Performance on Au Triumph and Kentucky 31 Tall Fescue at Three Fungal Endophyte Infection Levels
No full textGreatly improved performance has been reported from cattle grazing tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) free of Acremonium coenophialum Morgan-Jones and Garns compared to those grazing heavily infected tall fescue. However, cultivar effects and the effects of intermediate infection levels have not been adequately explored. Therefore, a 3-year grazing study was conducted in west-central Alabama to compare beef steer performance on non infected \u27AU Triumph\u27 and \u27Kentucky 31\u27 tall fescue at three levels of A coenophialum infection. A. coenophialum infection levels of 0% on AU Triumph and 1, 34, and 90% on Kentucky 31 resulted in average daily gains (ADG) of 0.95, 0.98, 0.80, and 0.64 kg, respectively. Stocking rate was highest on Kentucky 31 at the 90% infection level. Gains ha-1 for the above treatments were 581,517, 445, and 414 kg, respectively. The low production shown for the 34% infected Kentucky 31 was due to reduced ADG combined with a low stocking rate. The 12% higher gain ha-1 on AU Triumph than on A. coenophialum free Kentucky.31 was a result of more forage production
Winter Injury of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) in Soil Freezing Area of Japan
No full textIn spite of the importance of alfalfa for dairy cattle, the cultivation of alfalfa is not yet expanded in eastern Hokkaido, Japan. A combined research project has been carried out, based on (1) observation of winter injury in 130 fields all over the Tokachi district from 1981 to 1983 and (2) observation of the influence of controlled snow depth during the winter 1983-1984 on regrowth of alfalfa. Tokachi was divided into three areas according to the type of winter injury, the depth of snow cover and the depth of soil frost. Both the depth of snow cover and the depth of maximum soil frost of 30 cm to 40 cm were the favorable conditions for cultivation of alfalfa in this district, because the damage due to freezing injury and snow mold injury was very little. However, when the depth of snow cover was below 20 cm or the depth of maximum soil frost was over 50 cm, the freezing injury occuered severely due to decreasing of soil temperature below -5°C. On the other hand, it was found that the damage by Typhula disease increased in the case of the depth of snow cover of more than 40 cm lasted for a long period
Energy Flow and Distribution Through Green Crop Fractionation of Italian Ryegrass
No full textThe present experiment was carried out to obtain some informations about the energy flow and distribution through the soiling plants, every three fractions, and silage made from the fibrous residue (FR) of Italian ryegrass. The early maturing Minamiwase and late maturing Hitachiaoba were sown 5 Oct. 1983. The experiments were conducted under three times of first cutting (A; 29 Mar., B; 12 Apr., C; 25 Apr.) following regrowth frequencies of 3, 2, and 2, respectively. Dry matter production of both varieties at first cutting was increased accompanying with the growth progressed including spring flush of crop. The percentage of top dry weight of regrowth cutting was lower than that of first cutting, especially on early maturing variety Minamiwase . The different physiological characteristics were expressed between two varieties by seasonal deviation of environmental factors and were emphasized in chemical and energy storage of crop plant. The calorific value per one gram of dry weight was different among three fractions. Though the value of leaf protein concentrate (LPC) and brown juice (BJ) fluctuated with time, it was kept constant value on fibrous residue (FR) all cutting times through. The efficiency of solar energy storage in each fraction, especially in FR, was the highest at the second cutting and on Minamiwase , and then it was declined. Energy losses of fractionation process from top and of ensiling process from FR were recognized within 3 and 5 percent, respectively. These results suggest that a practice for this purpose is advisable, using early maturing variety with spring flush and cutting a few frequencies, in warm region of Japan
Using Acid Soil Selection to Develop Alfalfa Cultivars
No full textSince alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is very sensitive to acid soils, it is logical to question whether alfalfa cultivars selected for acid soil tolerance will be as productive as cultivars selected in limed fertile soils when tested under production schemes which exhibit a range of soil pH and fertility conditions, especially in the subsoils. In this paper, the value of acid soil selection for developing alfalfa cultivars productive in both limed and acidic soil profiles are reported. Selection in acid soils was found to be better than selection in limed, fertile soil for developing alfalfa germplasms more productive in both acidic and limed subsoil conditions. It was also found that acid soil selected cultivars performed as well as a high yielding commercial cultivar. It appears from these data that selection in acid soils is effective in isolating high yielding genotypes and has value as a plant breeding method for improving forage yield