Pasture quality and ruminant nutrition

Abstract

Neutral and acid detergent residues prepared from a range of grass and clover tissues have been analysed for various cell wall carbohydrates and lignin. The neutral detergent residues, in agreement with published results, consisted primarily of hemicellulose + cellulose + lignin. Contrary to published reports, acid detergent fibre is not solely cellulose + lignin, but may contain up to 50% of the plant pectin in clovers and some hemicellulose. Measurement of cellulose + lignin by this detergent process requires sequential extraction with neutral detergent followed by acid detergent. The implications of the results in animal digestion studies are discussed.