Nutritional values for 17 subtropical grasses

Abstract

The nutritional values of 17 subtropical grasses have been compared with the use of crude protein content, crude protein digestibility, nitrogen balance, dry matter intake, and dry matter digestibility as criteria. Under the experimental conditions at the Cooper Laboratory, differences in nutritional values were obtained between individual subtropical grasses, the main differences being in digestible C.P. contents and in dry matter intakes. When mature and frost-affected grasses were fed to sheep, Paspalum plicatulum (C.P.I. 11826) and Cenchrus ciliaris (West Australian strain) had the highest nutritional values, and were superior to Panicum maximum var. trichoglume, Cenchrus ciliaris (C.P.I. 6934), Paspalum plicatulum (C.P.I. 2741), and Urochloa pullulans. These four were, in turn, better than Chloris gayana (commercial strain) and Paspalum commersonii. All grasses tested had higher nutritional values than mature natural pasture. All grasses which were fed to sheep at a young leafy stage of growth had high nutritional values. Those with the best performances at this stage were Paspalum plicatulum (C.P.I. 11826 and C.P.I. 2741), Panicum maximum var. trichoglume, and Paspahm commersonii. Limited data are presented on the nutritional values of Paspalum notatum (four strains), Paspalum malacophyllum, Panicum minus, Panicum coloratum, and Pennisetum purpureum.