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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Crop Genetics and Breeding Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #219776
Title: Coastcross II, Russell, and Tifton 85 bermudagrass hay intake and digestion by steers

Author
item HILL, G - UNIV OF GA
item Anderson, William - Bill
item RENNEY, D - UNIV OF GA
item TUCKER, S - UNIV OF GA
item MULLINIX, B - UNIV OF GA

Submitted to: American Society of Animal Science
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/5/2007
Publication Date: 2/4/2008
Citation: Hill, G.M., Anderson, W.F., Renney, D.J., Tucker, S.V., Mullinix, B.G. 2008. Coastcross II, Russell, and Tifton 85 bermudagrass hay intake and digestion by steers. [abstract]. Journal of Animal Science 86(1):13.

Interpretive Summary: not required

Technical Abstract: Coastcross II is a new bermudagrass entry being compared with other cultivars for quality and yields for grazing and hay production. Exp.1. In a 2-yr (2005, 2006) replicated small plot study (4 plots/entry, each 10m2, total annual N 196.7 kg/ha), Coastal (C), Coastcross II (C2), Russell (R), and Tifton 85 (T85) were clipped five times/yr at 5-wk intervals, and the 2-yr average IVDMD (%), ADF, and NDF (% of DM), respectively, were: IVDMD=51.6b, 56.5a 48.1c, 56.6a, SE 0.4; ADF=28.3b, 30.0a, 30.5a, 30.3a, SE 0.2; NDF=71.3b, 69.6c, 72.9a, 69.9c SE 0.3; means with different superscripts differ (P < 0.05). Total annual yields (kg/ha) for C, C2, R and T85, respectively, were: 2005 = 12640c, 20,410a, 17828ab,18826ab, LSD0.05 2,640; 2006 = 16,330c, 28,260a, 22,814b, 29,393a LSD0.05 2,990. Exp.2. In 2006, C2, R and T85 hays were harvested at 5-wk maturity and fed to steers to determine DM1 and digestibility. Hays were harvested from 0.61 ha paddocks of each bermudagrass that were fertilized with ammonium nitrate (280 kg/ha) 5 wk before harvest. Beef steers (n =18; age =24 mo; BW= 475.4 ± 33.8 kg) were randomly assigned to treatments in a completely randomized design experiment. Steers were individually-fed C2, R, and T85 hays free-choice for 17d, with corn (0.22 kg DM/d) as a carrier for chromic oxide (10 g/steer daily, d 8 to d 17) as an indigestible marker. Fecal samples (11/steer; d 13 to d 17) were composited for each steer, ground through a 1mm screen, and analyzed for Cr and nutrients. Hay DM, CP, ADF, and NDF (%, DM basis), respectively, were: C2= 90.4, 14.0, 36.24, 72.4; R = 91.0, 15.6, 35.5, 72.0; T85 = 91.1, 14.2, 35.0, 71.3. Least squares means for hay DM1 and digestion coefficients (DC; Table) were adjusted for steer BW. Hay DM1 was higher (P < 0.01) for T85 than for C2 and R. Digestion of OM, CP, ADF and NDF were higher (P < 0.01) for T85 than C2 and R. Although annual average forage yields and IVDMD were similar for C2 and T85, and higher than C and R, hay intake and digestibility of OM, CP and fiber by steers were higher for T85 than C2 and R.