Characterisation of the WSC fraction of six species of temperate pasture grass

2004 ◽  
Vol 32 ◽  
pp. 247-248
Author(s):  
J. C. Ince ◽  
A. C. Longland ◽  
A. J. Cairns ◽  
M. Moore–Colyer
Keyword(s):  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Italian Ryegrass ◽  
Soluble Carbohydrate ◽  
Meadow Fescue ◽  
Pasture Grass ◽  
Pasture Grasses ◽  
Optimal Health ◽  
Water Soluble Carbohydrate ◽  
Field Plots

The carbohydrate (CHO) fraction of pasture grasses is a major source of energy for many domestic herbivores. However, the amounts, and types, of the water–soluble carbohydrate (WSC) fraction (i.e. glucose, fructose, sucrose, and polymers of sucrose and fructose, the fructans) present in such grasses, varies with species and environmental conditions. As the WSC constitute a highly digestible, energy yielding fraction of grasses, it is important to be able to measure their levels in a sward so that the diets of pastured animals may be designed to elicit optimal health and productivity. The aim of this study was to characterise the WSC profile of six UK pasture grasses, and to develop a technique for extracting the fructan portion of the WSC.Six species of UK pasture grasses [Cocksfoot (C), Timothy (T), Meadow Fescue (M), Italian Ryegrass (IR), Perennial Ryegrass (PR) and Hybrid Ryegrass (HR)] were grown in experimental field plots at IGER.

Differences between related grasses, times of year and plant parts in digestibility and chemical composition

1996 ◽  
Vol 127 (3) ◽  
pp. 311-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Wilman ◽  
Y. Gao ◽  
M. A. K. Altimimi
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Lolium Multiflorum ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Italian Ryegrass ◽  
Soluble Carbohydrate ◽  
Meadow Fescue ◽  
Cell Content ◽  
Plant Parts ◽  
Dry Matter Digestibility ◽  
Water Soluble Carbohydrate

SUMMARYTrue dry matter digestibility, proportion of cell content, digestibility of cell wall, N and water-soluble carbohydrate were determined in eight related grasses in February, June and September in each of three years. In a separate experiment, true dry matter digestibility, proportion of cell content and digestibility of cell wall were determined in five plant parts of vegetative tillers of two grasses in February, April, June, August, October and December in each of two years.Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) was the most digestible grass and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) and Westerwolds ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum var. Westerwoldicum) were the least digestible. Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) was high in proportion of cell content, but not in digestibility of cell wall. Meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis) was high in digestibility of cell wall, but low in proportion of cell content. Perennial ryegrass and hybrid ryegrass were high, and tall fescue low, in both proportion of cell content and digestibility of cell wall. Ryegrasses were lower than fescues in concentration of N and higher than the fescues in water-soluble carbohydrate; ryegrass × meadow fescue hybrids were intermediate between the parent species in N and watersoluble carbohydrate.Grass sampled in June and August was lower in both proportion of cell content and digestibility of cell wall than grass sampled at cooler times of year. Grass sampled in February was high in proportion of cell content and N, intermediate to high in digestibility of cell wall and intermediate in water-soluble carbohydrate.Expanding leaf blades of perennial and Italian ryegrass were higher than expanded blades and sheaths in digestibility of cell wall and similar to expanded blades and higher than sheaths in proportion of cell content. Cell wall was less digestible in the tip than in the middle and basal portions of expanded leaf blades.

scholarly journals Comparison of herbage yield, nutritive value and ensilability traits of three ryegrass species evaluated for the Irish Recommended List

2015 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. A. Burns ◽  
P. O’Kiely ◽  
D. Grogan ◽  
S. Watson ◽  
T. J. Gilliland
Keyword(s):  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Italian Ryegrass ◽  
Soluble Carbohydrate ◽  
Dry Matter Digestibility ◽  
Water Soluble Carbohydrate

Abstract This study examined 169 of the newest varieties of three ryegrass species, perennial (Lolium perenne L.), Italian (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) and hybrid (Lolium boucheanum Kunth), from Recommended List trials in Ireland. The traits examined were yield, dry matter concentration, three nutritive value traits (in vitro dry matter digestibility, water-soluble carbohydrate on a dry matter basis and crude protein concentration) and two ensilability traits (buffering capacity and water soluble carbohydrate concentration on an aqueous phase basis). Varietal monocultures of each species underwent a six cut combined simulated grazing and silage management in each of two years following sowing. Perennial ryegrass yielded less than both other species in one-year-old swards, but less than only Italian ryegrass in two-year-old swards, but generally had the higher in vitro dry matter digestibility and crude protein values. Italian ryegrass displayed the most favourable ensilability characteristics of the three species with perennial ryegrass less favourable and hybrid ryegrass intermediate. Overall, despite the high yields and favourable nutritive value and ensilability traits recorded, the general differences between the three ryegrass species studied were in line with industry expectations. These findings justify assessing the nutritive value and ensilability of ryegrass species, in addition to yield, to allow farmers select species that match farming enterprise requirements.

Methane emissions differ between sheep offered a conventional diploid, a high-sugar diploid or a tetraploid perennial ryegrass cultivar at two allowances at three times of the year

2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (6) ◽  
pp. 1043 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Jonker ◽  
G. Molano ◽  
E. Sandoval ◽  
P. S. Taylor ◽  
C. Antwi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Soluble Carbohydrate ◽  
Ch4 Emissions ◽  
High Sugar ◽  
Elevated Water ◽  
Water Soluble Carbohydrate ◽  
Male Sheep

Elevated water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) concentration in the diet may affect rumen fermentation and consequently reduce methane (CH4) emissions. The objective of the present study was to determine CH4 emissions from male sheep (8 per treatment) in respiration chambers for 48 h and fed either a conventional diploid (CRG), a high-sugar diploid (HSG) or a tetraploid (TRG) perennial ryegrass cultivar, each offered at 0.7 or 1.0 kg dry matter (DM)/day during periods in early spring 2013 (P1), early autumn 2014 (P2) and late spring 2014 (P3). There was a significant (P < 0.001) interaction between cultivar and period for CH4 yield (g/kg DM intake). In P1 yield was 9% lower (P = 0.007) for sheep fed HSG than for sheep fed CRG or TRG, in P2 yield was 16% lower (P < 0.001) for sheep fed TRG than that for sheep fed CRG or HSG, and in P3 yield was 15% lower (P < 0.001) for sheep fed TRG than that for sheep fed CRG, with HSG-fed sheep being intermediate and not significantly different from either CRG or TRG. Despite there being a cultivar × period interaction, overall, CH4 yield was lower for sheep fed HSG or TRG than for sheep fed CRG (P < 0.001). There were no cultivar × level of feed offer interactions and, overall, yield of CH4 was 9% higher (P = 0.003) for sheep offered 0.7 than for sheep offered 1.0 kg DM/day. In each period, one or other of the high-WSC diploid (HSG) or tetraploid cultivars (TRG) gave lower CH4 yields than did the control diploid (CRG), suggesting that CH4 yield is reduced by characteristics of these cultivars. However, the effect was not consistently associated with either cultivar and could not be attributed to higher forage water-soluble carbohydrate concentrations.

The distribution of errors associated with genotype and environment during the prediction of the water-soluble carbohydrate concentration of perennial ryegrass cultivars using near infrared reflectance spectroscopy

2000 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 481 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. F. Smith ◽  
G. A. Kearney
Keyword(s):  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Reflectance Spectroscopy ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Soluble Carbohydrate ◽  
Infrared Reflectance ◽  
Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy ◽  
Near Infrared Reflectance ◽  
Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy ◽  
Water Soluble Carbohydrate

Significant deviations associated with site or cultivars within sites were detected in 4 of 6 independent near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) calibrations developed to predict water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) concentrations in perennial ryegrass herbage harvested from 2 sites. These effects were observed both when calibration subsets were selected on the basis of spectral characteristics, and when calibration sets were balanced with respect to a priori knowledge of the structure of the data set. However, there were also instances when non-random deviations were not significant, demonstrating that it was possible to develop broadly based NIRS calibrations to predict WSC in perennial ryegrass. Deviations between NIRS predictions and reference values should be monitored, with reference to the structure of the experiment from which the samples were derived, before NIRS estimates of WSC concentration are used in agronomy or plant breeding.

scholarly journals Sheep performance on perennial ryegrass cultivars differing in concentration of water-soluble carbohydrate

2015 ◽  
Vol 77 ◽  
pp. 123-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.P. Cosgrove ◽  
P.S. Taylor ◽  
A. Jonker
Keyword(s):  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Average Daily Gain ◽  
Continuous Variable ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Soluble Carbohydrate ◽  
Nitrogen Emissions ◽  
Economic Output ◽  
High Sugar ◽  
Water Soluble Carbohydrate ◽  
Daily Gain

High-sugar perennial ryegrass cultivars (HSG) selected for higher concentrations of water-soluble carbohydrate may enhance animal production and reduce emissions of methane and nitrogen. Assessing the effects on economic output and environmental footprint is most robust when related to production per unit of land. Average daily gain (ADG) and liveweight gain per hectare (LWG/ha) of sheep grazing a high-sugar perennial ryegrass cultivar, a diploid perennial ryegrass and a tetraploid perennial ryegrass were compared during measurement periods conducted in spring (84 days duration), autumn (99 days) and late springsummer (160 days). Continuous variable stocking was used, and stocking rate adjusted to maintain a target sward surface height of 6 cm. Average daily gain was higher (P=0.003) on the HSG than on either control in late spring-summer and higher on the tetraploid control than on the HSG or the diploid control in autumn (P=0.04), but the higher ADGs did not translate to significantly higher LWG/ha. These results can inform farmers on cultivar choice and support analysis of methane and nitrogen emissions on an intensity basis for inventory and regulatory purposes. Key words: water-soluble carbohydrate, perennial ryegrasses, high-sugar ryegrass, average daily gain, liveweight gain

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