The sodium concentration in some tropical pasture species with reference to animal requirements

A survey was made of the sodium concentration in eight grass and legume pasture species in the Townsville region. The grass species could be characterized according to sodium concentration. Panicum maximum, Chloris gayana, and Cenchrus setigerus were 'high-sodium' species (>0.40 per cent Na), whereas Urochloa mosambicensis had a medium sodium concentration, and Cenchrus ciliaris, Heteropogon contortus, and the legumes Stylosanthes humilis and Phaseolus atropurpureus were `low-medium� species (<0.10 per cent Na). The sodium concentration in five species grown at five sites located within 257 kilometres of Townsville, Queensland, was also examined at one stage of growth. Since several common pasture species contained low levels of sodium (<0.05 per cent of dry matter) deficiency symptoms could occur in grazing stock under certain circumstances.

Recovery of Trichostrongylus colubriformis infective larvae from three grass species contaminated in the autumn

Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterinária ◽

10.1590/s1984-29612012000400006 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 21 (4) ◽

pp. 372-378 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Raquel Abdallah da Rocha ◽

Patrizia Ana Bricarello ◽

Gilberto Pedroso da Rocha ◽

Alessandro Francisco Talamini do Amarante

Keyword(s):

Dry Matter ◽

Cynodon Dactylon ◽

Larval Survival ◽

Grass Species ◽

Panicum Maximum ◽

Free Living ◽

Trichostrongylus Colubriformis ◽

Brachiaria Decumbens ◽

Infective Larvae ◽

Experimental Plots

This experiment aimed to assess the recovery of infective larvae (L3) of Trichostrongylus colubriformis from Brachiaria decumbens cv. Australiana, Cynodon dactylon cv. Coast-cross and Panicum maximum cv. Aruana. The experimental module comprised six plots, with two plots per herbage species. Larval survival was assessed from autumn to winter, under the effect of two herbage-paring heights (5 and 30 cm). TThe paring was carried out immediately before contamination with faces containing T. colubriformis eggs. The feces and herbage were collected at one, two, four, eight, 12 and 16 weeks after feces had been deposited in the experimental plots. In general, larvae were recovered from both herbage and feces until the 16th week. The longer persistence of these larvae in the environment was probably due to warmer temperatures. The number of L3 recovered from the pasture was not influenced by the height of plants, except for Brachiaria and Aruana herbage in the fourth week. Regarding the concentrations of larvae per kg of dry matter (L3/kg DM), recovery was higher from low pasture in all three herbage species. During the autumn, the development and survival of the T. colubriformis free-living stages were not affected by the different herbage species.

The value of faecal nitrogen and faecal crude fibre in estimating intake of four subtropical grass species

Australian Journal of Agricultural Research ◽

10.1071/ar9570359 ◽

1957 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 359 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

R Milford

Keyword(s):

Dry Matter ◽

Regression Line ◽

Mean Value ◽

The Other ◽

Dry Matter Intake ◽

Grass Species ◽

Panicum Maximum ◽

Crude Fibre ◽

Common Mean ◽

Faecal Nitrogen

For each four subtropical grasses there is a significant correlation between daily dry matter intake and total nitrogen in faeces per day. The data have been tested for homogeneity under two hypotheses. In the first a test of the difference in slope between the four regression lines showed that they were not statistically different. It was shown that for a common mean value for total faecal nitrogen, the calculated mean daily dry matter intakes of Paspalum commersonii Lam., Urochloa pullulans Stapf, and Chloris gayana Kunth were similar and the relationship for these three could be expressed by one regression line. However, the calculated mean daily dry matter intake for Panicum maximum var. trichoglume (K. Schum.) Eyles was significantly different from those for the other three grasses and P. maximum var. trichoglume cannot be included in a general regression. In the second hypothesis it was shown that all regression lines could pass through the origin. However, as in the first hypothesis, P. commersonii, U. pullulans, and C. gayana could be represented by a common regression line whllst the regression line for P. maximum differed significantly in slope from those of the other three grasses. The results indicate that species can be grouped for this relationship, and that it could be used to measure intake of the free grazing animal on monospecific swards or on mixed swards of species with similar relationships. Lancaster's technique for determining digestibility is discussed in the light of these relationships. Neither percentage faecal nitrogen nor faecal crude fibre was found to be satisfactorily correlated with dry matter digestibility.

A novel approach to planting grass - legume pastures in the mixed farming zone of southern inland Queensland, Australia

Crop and Pasture Science ◽

10.1071/cp09058 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 60 (12) ◽

pp. 1147 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

A. M. Whitbread ◽

C. A. Hall ◽

B. C. Pengelly

Keyword(s):

Native Species ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Grass Species ◽

Panicum Maximum ◽

Legume Species ◽

Botanical Composition ◽

Lablab Purpureus ◽

Plant Populations ◽

Clitoria Ternatea ◽

Novel Approach

Reliable establishment of pasture systems with a desirable composition of grasses and legumes remains a challenge in the highly variable climates of the northern grain belt of southern inland Queensland. In this paper, an alternative system is proposed whereby legumes and grasses are planted simultaneously in alternative strips. A 4-year study tested the establishment, production, and botanical composition of the tropical legume species Macroptilium bracteatum cvv. Cardaga and Juanita, Lablab purpureus cv. Endurance, and Clitoria ternatea cv. Milgarra sown as pure stands or with grass strips. The grass strips, and a grass-only treatment, both contained a mix of Panicum maximum cv. Petrie, Dichanthium aristatum cv. Floren, and Bothriochloa insculpta cv. Bisset. L. purpureus was relatively unproductive, yielding ~2000 kg/ha dry matter (DM) produced in each of the first 2 years. M. bracteatum produced 2050 and 3300 kg/ha DM in Years 1 and 2, with declining plant populations and DM in subsequent years. C. ternatea produced 960 kg/ha DM in Year 1, 2730 kg/ha DM in Year 2, and continued to persist throughout the trial, albeit at low DM production levels. The grass-only treatment was dominated by the sown grass species, while the legume-based treatments were dominated by a colonising native species, Dichanthium sericeum, in the fourth and final year. Sowing grass strips adjacent to the legume areas proved a successful strategy, with the proportion of sown grasses in the legume strips increasing to >20% of total DM by Year 4. Soil carbon changes did not differ between treatments, but total C in the top 0.15 m increased from 0.99% in Year 1 to 1.13% in Year 4, representing a net gain of 6.5 t/ha in C over 3 years.

Chemical composition and in vitro ruminal degradation of hay and silage from tropical grasses

Canadian Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.4141/cjas-2014-014 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 94 (4) ◽

pp. 705-715 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

J. I. Arroquy ◽

M. V. Cornacchione ◽

D. Colombatto ◽

C. Kunst

Keyword(s):

Chemical Composition ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Gas Production ◽

Water Soluble ◽

Grass Species ◽

Soluble Carbohydrate ◽

Panicum Maximum ◽

Tropical Grasses ◽

Ruminal Degradation

Arroquy, J. I., Cornacchione, M. V., Colombatto, D. and Kunst, Jr., C. 2014. Chemical composition and in vitro ruminal degradation of hay and silage from tropical grasses. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 94: 705–715. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of preservation type on chemical composition and in vitro ruminal degradation of warm-season grasses (WSG). Treatments consisted of two factors (6×2): the first factor was tropical grasses: Cenchrus ciliaris (cv. Biloela, and cv. Molopo), Chloris gayana (cv. Callide and cv. Finecut), Panicum maximum, and Brachiaria bryzanta; and the second factor was preservation type (hay vs. silage). Cell wall, hemicellulose, cellulose, and water-soluble carbohydrate (P<0.05) concentrations were different among WSG. In general, hay or silage altered fiber content compared with fresh. For instance, hemicellulose and cellulose contents were lower in silage than in hay and fresh grass (P<0.05). Gas production rates were higher in silage from 0 to 24 h of fermentation, except at 4 h of incubation. After 24 h, gas production (GP) rate was similar for both preservation types, whilst potential GP was similar between preservation types. However, silage had decreased lag time compared with hay (P<0.01). Silage had greater dry matter disappearance than hay (P<0.05), and gas production yield was similar for grass species and preservation type. Our results indicate that WSG conserved as silage showed beneficial changes in chemical composition and dry matter degradation compared with hay.

The utilization and excretion of sulphur in cattle fed on tropical roughages

Australian Journal of Agricultural Research ◽

10.1071/ar9741015 ◽

1974 ◽

Vol 25 (6) ◽

pp. 1015 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

PM Kennedy

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Organic Matter ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Volatile Fatty Acids ◽

Small Decrease ◽

Heteropogon Contortus ◽

Total Sulphur ◽

Stylosanthes Humilis ◽

Digestible Organic Matter ◽

Townsville Stylo

The effect of additions of sulphateh to the diet of cattle given tropical spear grass (Heteropogon contortus) and Townsville stylo (Stylosanthes humilis) was studied in three experiments. In one experiment there was a small increase in the digestibility of dry matter, but the intake of feed was not affected. The concentration of volatile fatty acids in ruminal liquor from cattle offered spear grass was increased by supplemental sulphate; there was a concurrent small decrease in the proportions of propionic and isovaleric acids. Excretion of faecal sulphur varied with the intakes of total sulphur, organic matter, and digestible organic matter, while urinary sulphur excretion varied with the sulphur and organic matter intakes. Excretion of organic sulphur and total sulphate in urine and faeces increased with sulphur intake. The ratio of nitrogen to sulphur in faeces declined when sulphate was given. The retention of nitrogen was correlated with sulphur retention. It was concluded that the intake and digestion of the hays were not limited by the intake of sulphur.

The digestibility and voluntary intake by sheep of six tropical grasses

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1071/ea9720021 ◽

1972 ◽

Vol 12 (54) ◽

pp. 21 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

DJ Minson

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Grass Species ◽

Stages Of Growth ◽

Dry Matter Digestibility ◽

Digitaria Decumbens ◽

Chloris Gayana ◽

The Mean ◽

Voluntary Intake ◽

The Difference

The digestibility and voluntary intake of Chloris gayana, Digitaria decumbens, Panicimum maximum var tricboglume, Paspalm dilatatum, Pennisetm Clanhtinum, and Setaria splendih were measured with sheep in metabolism pens. All grasses were grown under the same conditions and cut at the same time. Each grass was cut after growing for 28, 70, and 98 days in the summer and then again (except for P. dilatatum) after 42, 70, and 105 days in the following autumn. Four successive 28-day regrowths of each grass (two cuts only for P. dilatatum) were also harvested during the summer. All 55 cuts were artificially dried and fed at the same time, each cut being fed to eight sheep. Differences in dry matter and organic matter digestibility between grass species were relatively small with a maximum mean difference of six digestibility units between S. splendida and P. clandestinzrm. For the 28-day regrowths S. splendida was 5.1 digestibility units higher but with the more mature regrowths the difference was 6.8 digestibility units. The mean voluntary intake of dry matter of S. splendida and P. clandestinum was 9 and 11 per cent lower than that of D. decmbens (P<0.01) with the largest differences in voluntary intake between grasses occurring at the mature stages of growth. Large differences were found between grass species in both the slope and intercept of regressions relating voluntary intake to dry matter digestibility.

Morphoecological characteristics of grasses used to restore degraded semi-arid African rangelands

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-9909 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Kevin Mganga

Keyword(s):

Ecological Restoration ◽

Seed Production ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Perennial Grasses ◽

Grass Species ◽

Rhodes Grass ◽

Basal Cover ◽

Plant Densities ◽

Chloris Gayana ◽

Semi Arid

<p>Progressive loss of productivity and plant diversity is a major in global rangelands. In African rangelands ecosystems, this process is partly attributed to heavy and uncontrolled grazing by livestock and wildlife, leading to land degradation. Therefore, restoring such degraded rangelands is critical for enhancing ecosystem health and securing the livelihoods of millions of people. Active restoration strategies, e.g. reseeding using indigenous perennial grasses has been identified as a viable ecological solution for restoring degraded African rangelands. Grass species indigenous to African rangelands Cenchrus ciliaris L. (African foxtail grass), Eragrostis superba Peyr. (Maasai love grass), Enteropogon macrostachyus (Hochst. Ex A. Rich.) Monro ex Benth. (Bush rye grass), Chloris roxburghiana Schult. (Horsetail grass) and Chloris gayana Kunth. cv Boma (Rhodes grass) were established in a semi-arid rangeland in Africa under natural conditions to compare their morphoecological characteristics and suitability for use in ecological restoration. Biomass dry matter yields, plant densities, basal cover, seed production, tiller densities and plant height were measured. Chloris gayana cv Boma and E. superba produced significantly higher dry matter biomass yields and seed production than other species. High biomass and seed production demonstrate their suitability to support livestock production and replenish depleted soil seed banks, respectively. Enteropogon macrostachyus and C. ciliaris displayed significantly higher values for plant densities, tiller densities and basal cover, also a component of establishment and ecological restoration success. Chloris roxburghiana ranked lowest in all the measured morphoecological characteristics. This may be a strong indicator of ecological site-specific characteristic of C. roxburghiana. Successful restoration of degraded African semi-arid rangelands using indigenous grass reseeding can best be achieved through careful selection of grasses to take advantage of their specific morphoecological characteristics. This selection should primarily be informed by the intended use of the rangeland.</p>

Yield of maize grain and tropical grass species under intercropping management system using nicosulfuron herbicide in off-season cultivation

Australian Journal of Crop Science ◽

10.21475/ajcs.19.13.11.p1498 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 1756-1763

Author(s):

Armindo Neivo Kichel ◽

Luiz Carlos Ferreira de Souza ◽

Ademar Pereira Serra ◽

Roberto Giolo de Almeida

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Block Design ◽

Dry Matter Production ◽

Grass Species ◽

Panicum Maximum ◽

Forage Grasses ◽

Maize Grain Yield ◽

Matter Production ◽

Maize Grain

This research aimed to evaluate the maize grain yield and forage of grass species under intercropping system using nicosulfuron herbicide. In order to assess the parameters related to maize, a randomized block design was defined. The treatments were arranged in a (5 × 2+ 1) × 2 factorial design with four repetitions resulting in 11 treatments, where maize was cultivated under intercropping condition with different forage species (5) (Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu, Piatã, Xaraés, Brachiaria ruziziensis and Panicum maximum cv. Mombaça) and maize monoculture (1) as control treatment, with and without nicosulfuron herbicide application (2) in two growing seasons (2014 and 2015). The off-season intercropping of maize with tropical forage grasses with and without herbicide suppression decreased maize grain yield. The suppression with nicosulfuron herbicide decreased the dry matter production of forage grasses. Intercropping of P. maximum cv. Mombaça with maize showed higher decrease in maize grain yield. On the other hand, it showed higher forage grasses production for livestock feeding. B. brizantha cv. Piatã was the forage which less affected maize grain yield under intercropping, even with absence of nicosulfuron suppression. Off-season maize under intercropping with tropical forages can be used to recover degraded pastures; increasing forage dry matter production for livestock, remaining the soil covered with straws with possibility of no-till seeding for the next cultivation.

Nutritional value of Townsville stylo (Stylosanthes humilis) and of spear grass (Heteropogon contortus)-dominant pastures fed to sheep. 1. The effect of plant maturity

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1071/ea9720365 ◽

1972 ◽

Vol 12 (57) ◽

pp. 365 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

MJ Playne ◽

KP Haydock

Keyword(s):

Dry Matter ◽

Dry Matter Intake ◽

Heteropogon Contortus ◽

Dry Matter Digestibility ◽

Stylosanthes Humilis ◽

Nitrogen Intake ◽

Plant Maturity ◽

Townsville Stylo ◽

Maintenance Requirements ◽

A Site

The voluntary dry matter intake, digestibility and chemical composition of Townsville stylo and of black spear grass cut at different times of the year from a site near Townsville, Queensland, have been examined using penned sheep. Nitrogen, sulphur, and phosphorus intakes and retention in the sheep were measured. The concentrations of N, P, S, Na, and Ca in most cuts of spear grass and P and Na in Townsville stylo were less than the published requirements of animals. With spear grass, digestible dry matter intake declined rapidly from January to April and more slowly from April to October and by mid-March fell below the estimated energy requirements for maintenance of sheep. There was little change in digestible dry matter intake of Townsville stylo between February and May and the level was well above maintenance requirements. Dry matter intake and dry matter digestibility were linearly related but only about 50 per cent of variations in intake were caused by variations in digestibility. Nitrogen balance was linearly related to nitrogen intake, and sulphur balance was linearly related to sulphur intake. Phosphorus intakes were usually less than 1 g P day-l and animals were usually in negative P retention.