Digestibility of tropical pasture mixtures using the indicator technique

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Abstract
SUMMARY: Chromic oxide was used to assess the herbage intake of three tropical pastures mixtures namely: Cynodon plectostachyum and Centrosema pubescens (E); E plus Stylosanthes gracilis; Digitaria decumbens plus Centrosema pubescens and Stylosanthes gracilis, by-White Fulani (Zebu) steers and the use of faecal nitrogen to estimate digestibility of grazed herbage.Chromic oxide recoveries in faecal organic matter ranged from 94·60% in treatment F to ca. 97·2 and 97·5% in treatments E and G respectively.Positive relationships were found to exist between faecal organic matter nitrogen and herbage organic matter digestibility. Correlation coefficients of the ‘local’ regression equations obtained were positive but of low magnitude in some instances. Estimated mean organic matter intake was comparable to, but slightly lower than, the figures for animals of corresponding live weights in temperate countries while digestible organic matter intake was much lower.The mean organic matter digestibility values were ca. 70·2 and 66·7% respectively for the two grazing seasons studied.