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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbia, Missouri » Plant Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #111651
Title: SELECTIVITY OF GRAZING CATTLE FOR BIRDSFOOT TREFOIL AND TALL FESCUE IN MIXED PASTURE

Author
item WEN, LIAN - UNIV OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA
item WILLIAMS, JAMES - UNIV OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA
item KALLENBACH, ROBERT - UNIV OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA
item ROBERTS, CRAIG - UNIV OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA
item MCGRAW, ROBERT - UNIV OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA
item BEUSELINCK, PAUL
item THOMPSON, JOHN - UNIV OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA
item GEBREHIWOT, LUSEDGED - UNIV OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA
item BENEDICT, HEATHER - UNIV OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA
item NAVARRO, EDUARDO - UNIV OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/5/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: A three-year study was conducted to investigate the effect of birdsfoot trefoil (BFT) interseeded in tall fescue (TF) on selectivity of cattle grazing the forages. The treatments were BFT with rhizomes (RBFT) and without rhizomes (BFT), TF, BFT+TF and RBFT+TF with four replications (0.53 ha) for each treatment. Four esophageal-cannulated heifers were used to study the grazing selectivity of the BFT+TF mixture. Forage samples were clipped and hand-sorted into TF and BFT portions; each portion was fed to heifers separately and re-collected from the esophageal cannula, freeze-dried, and ground. Samples were analyzed for neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and crude proteins (CP) by near-infrared reflectance. Samples were taken from May through Nov. 1998 and April to July 1999. Heifers selected forage with less NDF (P<0.05) and more CP (P<0.05) in BFT and TF mixtures than that in TF. Neutral detergent fiber contents selected from BFT+TF, RBFT+TF, and TF were 32.9, 32.7, and 35.3% (P>0.05), respectively, in summer 1999; 55.5, 54.9, and 61.1% (P<0.05) in summer 1998; 58.4, 55.3, and 62.2% (P<0.05) in fall 1998. Crude protein contents selected from BFT+TF, RBFT+TF, and TF were 18.6, 18.2, and 14.2% (P<0.05), respectively, in summer 1999; 18.7, 19.0, and 16.7% (P<0.05) in summer 1998; 15.3, 16.4, and 13.7% (P<0.05) in fall 1998. In summer 1998 and 1999, a decrease in selection of BFT by heifers from BFT+TF may be attributed to a decreased percentage of BFT in pastures as well as reduced forage quality.