Ensiling Characteristics of Coastal Bermudagrass Harvested at the Prehead and Full-Head Stages of Growth
Open Access
- 1 July 1963
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Dairy Science Association in Journal of Dairy Science
- Vol. 46 (7), 727-732
- https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.s0022-0302(63)89130-4
Abstract
Four 8-by 24-ft. tower silos were rapidly filled with Coastal Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) at the (a) prehead and (b) full-head stages. In a study of the influence of growth stage at harvest on changes occurring during ensiling. Ground shelled corn was added at the rate of 100 lb per ton of forage. The younger forage contained more protein and less NFE, but the levels of crude fiber and dry matter were not materially affected by harvesting stage. Level of ammoniacal N and pH were approximately the same for silages made from the prehead and full-head Coastal Bermuda grass. The percentages of organic acids were quite low for all silages with prehead silage containing somewhat more lactic acid. On a dry matter basis total organic acids were 4.2 and 4.1% for the prehead and full-head silages. Nutrient losses by both fermentation and spoilage, as determined by the input-output method, were larger for the more mature material.Keywords
This publication has 13 references indexed in Scilit:
- Effect of Frequency of Harvesting Coastal Bermudagrass for Pellets When Fed with High and Low Concentrates to Dairy Cows1Agronomy Journal, 1963
- Chemical and Bacteriological Changes in Grass Silage during the Early Stages of Fermentation I. Chemical ChangesJournal of Dairy Science, 1962
- Nutrient Losses and Silage Quality as Affected by Rate of Filling and Soybran FlakesJournal of Dairy Science, 1962
- Sudan Grass Silage at Two Stages of Maturity versus Rye Grass and Crimson Clover with Two Filling ProceduresJournal of Dairy Science, 1961
- Effect of the Addition of Citrolas to High-Moisture Forage for Silage on Nutrient Losses and Animal ResponseJournal of Dairy Science, 1961
- Preservation and Feeding Value of Alfalfa Stored as Hay, Haylage, and Direct-Cut SilageJournal of Dairy Science, 1961
- Definitions of Silage Terms1Agronomy Journal, 1961
- Immature Forage Mixtures with Citrus Pulp versus More Mature Forage without Additive for SilageJournal of Dairy Science, 1960
- Forage Quality, Effect of Nitrogen Rate and Clipping Frequency upon Lignin Content and Digestibility of Coastal Bermuda GrassJournal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 1958
- Errors in Drying Silage and Feces for Protein and Energy Determinations. Improved ProceduresJournal of Dairy Science, 1957