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2016 Fresh Legume, Grass and Mixed Forage Results
By Sally Flis, Ph.D. - Feed and Crop Support Specialist
Looking back through all the writing in the last few months we have talked a lot about corn silage results and testing, but 30 to 50 % of the forage in diets is from legume or grass silages. The percentage of legume and grass in a forage varies across the country. In the Forage Lab we classify forages as Legume (>85 % legume), Mostly Mixed Legume (MML, 50 % - 85 % legume), Mostly Mixed Grass (MMG, 50 % - 85 % grass), and Grass (>85 % grass).
Crude protein, (CP, % DM) and aNDF increase as the percentage of legume in the sample decreases (Table 1). Fiber Digestibility (NDFd 30h) increases as the percentage of grass increases (Table 1).
Table 1. Historical averages for Legume, MML, MMG,
and Grass from 2000 - 2016.
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Item
|
Legume
|
MML
|
MMG
|
Grass
|
|
CP, % DM
|
22.6 ± 3.9
|
21.1 ± 37
|
17.8 ± 5.0 |
15.7 ± 6.9
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|
aNDF, % DM
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40.5 ± 6.7
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45.6 ± 7.1 |
53.8 ± 9.6
|
59.3 ± 11.2
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|
NDFd 30h,
% NDF
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54.8 ± 7.4
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55.6 ± 7.1
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62.9 ± 8.6
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67.9 ± 10.7 |
Analysis in 2016, broke out the same for CP, % DM, aNDF, % DM, and NDFd 30h, % NDF as the historical results (Table 2). The 30h NDFd for grass was higher than the historical average, but CP, %DM, aNDF, % DM, and NDFD 30h, % NDF were within the historical range for legume, MML, MMG and Grass.
A small percentage of the fresh samples that come to the Forage Lab were analyzed for ash corrected aNDF and for the three point uNDFom fiber digestibility. The ash corrected aNDFom, % DM was lower than the aNDF, % DM (Table 2). This is similar to what we have seen examining ash content and ash corrected aNDF in forages in the past. The historical ash content in fresh forages ranges from 9.0 to 10.7 % DM.
Table 2. Summary of 2016 Fresh Legume, Mixed Mostly
Legume, Mixed Mostly Grass, and Grass samples through
the Dairy One Forage Lab.
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Item
|
Legume
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MML
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MMG
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Grass
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CP, % DM
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24.9 ± 3.6
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21.8 ± 4.8 |
18.4 ± 4.7
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14.1 ± 7.6
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aNDF, % DM
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44.0 ± 11.5
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42.9 ± 7.1
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51.6 ± 9.7
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58.9 ± 12.4
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aNDFom, %DM
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35.8 ± 7.0
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39.0 ± 5.9
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47.9 ± 6.4
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49.9 ± 8.7
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NDFd 30h,
% NDF
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57.5 ± 5.1
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57.9 ± 7.2
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64.6 ± 9.8
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77.0 ± 10.4
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uNDFom 30h, % DM
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23.9 ± 4.4
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25.2 ± 5.0
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17.5 ± 6.8
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14.5 ± 5.2
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uNDFom 120h, % DM
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20.9 ± 4.1
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21.9 ± 4.2
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13.8 ± 5.4
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11.4 ± 4.3
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uNDFom 240h, % DM
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18.9 ± 4.1
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19.4 ± 3.9
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12.2 ± 5.4
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10.2 ± 4.1
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The uNDFom follows the same pattern as the NDFd, with grasses having the lowest content of uNDFom at all three time points (Table 2). Research is being conducted to use uNDFom to better describe the energy from fiber in forages and the relationship of 240h uNDF to rumen fill and dry matter intake
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"WANTED"
Sales and Technician Support Specialist for the Dairy One Forage and Soils Lab.
Click here for more information.
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Upcoming Events - Come see us!
January 16-18, 2017
Georgia Dairy Conference
Savannah, GA
www.gadairyconference.com
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Dairy One - Forage Laboratory
730 Warren Road ~ Ithaca, NY ~ 14850
Phone: 1-800-344-2697 Ext. 9962
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