The digestibility and voluntary intake by sheep of six tropical grasses

摘要: The digestibility and voluntary intake of Chloris gayana, Digitaria decumbens, Panicimum maximum var tricboglume, Paspalm dilatatum, Pennisetm Clanhtinum, Setaria splendih were measured with sheep in metabolism pens. All grasses grown under the same conditions cut at time. Each grass was after growing for 28, 70, 98 days summer then again (except P. dilatatum) 42, 105 following autumn. Four successive 28-day regrowths each (two cuts only also harvested during summer. 55 artificially dried fed time, being to eight sheep. Differences dry matter organic between species relatively small a mean difference six units S. splendida clandestinzrm. For 5.1 higher but more mature 6.8 units. clandestinum 9 11 per cent lower than that D. decmbens (P<0.01) largest differences occurring stages growth. Large found both slope intercept regressions relating digestibility.