Differences between grass species and varieties in rate of drying at 25 °C

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Abstract
SUMMARY: One hundred and forty different varieties of grass, from seven species, were harvested in spring, in 1, 2 or 3 years, at a D-value of 67 and dried at 25 °C. Moisture content was determined every 3 h for at least the first 48 h and less frequently thereafter until the grass was about dry enough to store as hay.Rate of drying was in the order tall fescue > Italian ryegrass = meadow fescue > timothy = cocksfoot > perennial and hybrid ryegrass. The perennial and hybrid ryegrass took twice as long to dry as did tall fescue. Tetraploid varieties of the ryegrasses took appreciably longer to dry than the diploid varieties. Apart from this there were some differences between varieties within a species in rate of drying. Differences in moisture content at cutting, in the proportion of leaf blade and in the number of leaf sheaths per ‘stem’ may have accounted for some of the differences between species and varieties in rate of drying. Further research is suggested.