scholarly journals Yellow-flowered lucerne: Properties and influence on performance and reproduction of ewes

1998 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 437-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. SORMUNEN-CRISTIAN ◽  
S. TAPONEN ◽  
I. SAASTAMOINEN

Conception rates and prolificacy of Finnish Landrace ewes fed yellow-flowered lucerne (Medicago falcata L.) pasture and silage prior to and during the mating period were compared with those of control ewes fed timothy (Phleum pratense L.) - meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.) pasture and silage. Ewes grazed pasture for four weeks and received their respective silage for 10 weeks indoors. Dry matter (DM) intake of lucerne silage was higher than that of grass silage (1.77 vs. 1.40 kg DM day-1). Timothy-fescue grass and silage analysed by a new modified method did not contain detectable amounts of plant oestrogens. In fresh and preserved lucerne, the amount of coumestrol was only moderate varying from zero to 59.5 ppm DM. Ewes fed lucerne received higher amounts of plant oestrogens than those on control feeding, but no differences in conception rate or lambing performance were found between the groups. However on lucerne, ewes conceived five days earlier (P=0.03) than control animals. Prolificacy of lucerne and control fed ewes averaged 3.13 and 3.19 lambs/ewe (P=0.76), respectively. There were no ewe health problems. The results suggest that the intake of yellow-flowered lucerne is good and the level of plant oestrogens has no detrimental effects on reproductive performance of adult Finnish Landrace ewes. ;

1988 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 1121-1129 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. N. MASON ◽  
P. M. FLIPOT

Five timothy (Phleum pratense L.) cultivars, Clair, Champ, Milton, Climax and Bounty, were harvested at first flower stage during 2 consecutive years and in the regrowth for 1 yr. The forages were each offered as hay to 15 young rams to evaluate voluntary intake. Five animals were used to determine initial harvest dry matter digestibility. The cultivars varied significantly in voluntary intake at first flower stage. The highest intake (g kg−0.75 d−1) averaged for the years was obtained in the early cultivar Champ (65.9), which was 10% more than that of the medium-late cultivar Climax. The cultivars did not differ significantly in dry matter digestibility. In the regrowth, the relative intakes of the cultivars were essentially reversed from that of the initial harvest. The voluntary intake was substantially higher but the differences among forages were less marked. Climax regrowth voluntary intake was higher (P < 0.05) than all cultivars, except Bounty. A 15% range in digestible dry matter intake was present among cultivars. The ranking of the culivars for digestible dry matter was different than for dry matter yield. Key words: Timothy, Phleum pratense L., voluntary intake, dry matter digestibility


1993 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 1017-1026 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Ames ◽  
A. R. McElroy ◽  
J. Erfle

Improving the nutritive value of timothy (Phleum pratense L.) through breeding is dependent on selecting for genetic traits which directly contribute to ruminant digestibility. The identification of these traits is the goal of many forage researchers. The objectives of this research were to evaluate the leaf and stem digestibility of six timothy genotypes under different temperature conditions using two methods of estimating digestibility. Correlations between leaf and stem digestibility were not significant, suggesting that separation of these components is nessessary to clearly evaluate genotypic differences. Temperature had an important effect on digestibility, particularly for the stem fraction. Isolating leaf from stem and evaluating genotypes individually across temperatures may permit the identification of more simple genetic factors which control digestibility in timothy. Genotypic differences were observed at all temperatures. The rumen fluid digestion resulted in a much greater range within and among genotypes for both stem and leaf fractions. Genotypes tended to follow the same trends with respect to temperature using both techniques suggesting that only a portion of the dry matter digested by rumen fluid is available to the cellulases used in these experiments. Lignin content was measured for two of the most variable genotypes and the results showed that while levels increased with higher growth temperature, differences between genotypes are more pronounced at 10 °C for both leaf and stem. Key words: Digestibility, forage quality, lignin, temperature, timothy, Phleum pratense L.


1977 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 955-962 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. ST-PIERRE ◽  
G. PELLETIER

An experiment was set up to determine the effect of time and rate of nitrogen fertilization and stage of growth at first cut on yield and digestibility of dry matter and protein content of two timothy (Phleum pratense L.) cultivars, at each of two cuts, No difference in yield or chemical composition was found between cultivars. Highest yields and crude protein contents were measured at rates of nitrogen fertilizer of 112 and 224 kg/ha. Higher yield and protein content were obtained with NH4NO3 applied totally or in split applications in the spring than with urea in the fall. Dry matter digestibility (DDM) was not affected by nitrogen at rates of 56, 112 and 224 kg/ha. First cut was taken at two different stages of growth, and the second cut was taken on the same day in all the plots. At anthesis, yields were higher than at the head stage but DDM and protein content were lower. The opposite was found at the second cut. Except in 1973, total dry matter yield was not affected by the stage of growth at first cut.


Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1743
Author(s):  
Adam Radkowski ◽  
Jan Bocianowski ◽  
Kamila Nowosad ◽  
Elżbieta Piwowarczyk ◽  
Ewa Bakinowska ◽  
...  

Field trials were conducted in the years 2017–2019 at the Małopolska Plant Breeding in the Plant Breeding Stations in Polanowice, Nieznanice and Palikije. The trials were designed to determine the yield of some timothy genotypes in the context of chemical composition under different habitat conditions. The present evaluation of the strain quality shows a high potential for breeding. The analyzed genotypes produced high dry matter yields, which differed by as much as 53%. The experimental plots also differed in the crude protein content, which varied from 104.5 to 230.1 g kg−1 d.m., depending on the crop and year of harvest. For crude fiber, these values ranged from 173.9 to 274.8 g kg−1 d.m., depending on the crop and harvest year. The analysis of the mineral composition also revealed significant large variation.


1983 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 1083-1085 ◽  
Author(s):  
GWEN WALDIE ◽  
S. B. M. WRIGHT ◽  
R. D. H. COHEN

The crude protein content (CP %) and in vivo digestibilities of dry matter (DMD %) and protein (PD %) were determined on freshly cut monocultures of timothy (Phleum pratense L.) and meadow foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis L.) from 19 June to 23 Aug. at Prince George, British Columbia. CP, DMD and PD declined significantly with advancing maturity for both grasses.Key words: Meadow foxtail, timothy, protein, digestibility


1980 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 525-532 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. PAQUIN ◽  
J. C. ST-PIERRE

After 4 wk of hardening at 1.5 ± 0.5 °C, the frost resistance (LT50) of three cultivars of timothy (Phleum pratense L) reached a maximum of −19 °C which slightly decreased thereafter. There was no significant difference in the frost resistance between the three cultivars, Climax, Clair and Bounty. The increase in proline of leaves, crowns and roots of timothy as well as the increase in the dry matter were highly correlated with the LT50. The correlation is of quadratic nature. In the discussion, the frost resistance of timothy is compared to that of alfalfa and winter wheat hardened in the same conditions and reported elsewhere.


1968 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 501-509 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. G. Bonin ◽  
D. C. Tomlin

A pure stand of local commercial timothy (Phleum pratense L.) was fertilized with N at rates of 0, 56, 112 and 224 kg/ha and harvested at the vegetative, shot-blade, boot, heading, anthesis and seed-set stages for three consecutive years. Yields of dry matter (DM), digestible dry matter (DDM) and crude protein (CP) were measured.Differences in precipitation resulted in highly significant year effects. Each increase in N rate gave a significant yield increase in all years and for both first-cut and total yield of DM, DDM and CP. First-cut yield of DM increased significantly to the anthesis stage, DDM yield increased to the boot stage and CP yield increased to the shot-blade stage. Total yield of DM was maximum at the anthesis stage, DDM total yield was statistically equal at all stages, and CP total yield declined significantly after the heading stage.


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