Potential nutritive value of a wide range of grassland species

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
SUMMARY: Fifteen grassland species were grown in a heated glasshouse in February-April 1985. The harvested herbage was separated into leaf and ‘stem’ and analysed for neutral detergent fibre, digestibility, physical breakdown when macerated, fibrosity, water soluble carbohydrate and N, P, K, Ca, Mg and Na.Lolium perenne was digestible, but rather high in neutral detergent fibre and not readily broken down by maceration. The other grasses tested, Holcus lanatus, Poa annua and Glyceria fluitans, tended to be less digestible and higher in neutral detergent fibre than L. perenne.The leaves of all 11 dicotyledonous species were much lower in neutral detergent fibre than the leaves of the grasses, and most broke down readily when macerated. The stems of Medicago saliva and of two shrub species (Lonicera periclymenum and Prunus spinosa) were the highest in neutral detergent fibre.Rumex obtusifolius, Spergula arvensis and Stellaria media were high in Mg; Plantago lanceolata, S. arvensis and S. media were high in Na; and S. arvensis was high in P.Three perennial and two annual herbaceous, dicotyledonous non-legumes were selected as being of sufficient promise and interest to be compared with Lolium perenne in feeding experiments: Plantago lanceolata, Taraxacum officinale, Rumex obtusifolius, Spergula arvensis and Stellaria media.