 | Abstract 146Storage and digestibility, voluntary intake and chemical components of hay of five tropical grasses.Mendez-Cruz,-AV; Corchado-Juarbe,-N; Siberio-Torres,-V Lajas Agric. Exp. Sta., Univ. Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. Journal-of-Agriculture-of-the-University-of-Puerto-Rico. 1988, 72: 4, 531-543; 20 ref. The effects of barn storage for <4, 4-8, 8-12, and >12 months on the quality of Cynodon dactylon, C. nlemfuensis, C. plectostachyus, Digitaria pentzii or Panicum maximum hay cut at 35-, 45- or 55-d intervals from May 1977 to Apr. 1984 was evaluated in digestibility trials with Holstein steers at Lajas, Puerto Rico. The mean digestibility of all hays was 60.8, 56.8 and 55.0% for 35-, 45- and 55-d cutting intervals, resp., and mean CP content decreased by 17.0, 15.4 and 15.6%, resp. Mean voluntary intake decreased by 12, 18 and 17% for 35-, 45- and 55-d cutting intervals, resp., with digested DM voluntary intake decreasing from 1.47 to 1.11, 1.31 to 0.9 and 1.5 to 0.82%, resp., averaged over all species. NDF, ADF and lignin percentages increased with increasing cutting intervals and storage time for all grass species. C. plectostachyus had the lowest digestibility and DM voluntary intake values. This abstract relates to the following species:
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