Plant factors influencing the nutritive value of some temperate annual pasture species

Abstract

Changes in herbage production, dry matter content, nitrogen content and in vitro digestibility of two sown species-subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) and annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) - and five common volunteer species-capeweed (Arctotheca calendula), musky crowfoot (Erodium moschatum), barley grass (Hordeum leporinum), ripgut brome grass (Bromus rigidus) and soft brome grass (Bromus mollis)-were measured throughout their growth cycle. The volunteer species compared favourably with the sown species for these measurements and should be capable of providing nutritious grazing for animals.