 | Abstract 129Yield and nutritive value of hay from five tropical grasses at three harvesting intervals.Mendez-Cruz,-AV; Siberio-Torres,-V; Fernandez-van-Cleve,-J; Fontanet,-E; Ramirez-Oliveras,-G Agric. Exp. Sta., Mayaguez Campus, Univ. Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. Journal-of-Agriculture-of-the-University-of-Puerto-Rico. 1988, 72: 1, 109-118; 16 ref. Cynodon dactylon, C. nlemfuensis, C. plectostachyus, Digitaria pentzii and Panicum maximum were cut for hay at (a) 35-, (b) 45- or (c) 55-d intervals in field trials on vertisols with irrigation in the Lajas Valley, Puerto Rico in 1977-82. The cut forage was used as green chop feed when haymaking was prevented in the Aug. to Oct. rains. P. maximum cut at 55-d intervals had the highest DM content. Av. total DM yield was highest at (a), (b) and (c) for P. maximum (2.07 t), P. maximum (2.90 t) and D. pentzii (3.40 t/ha per cut), resp. C. plectostachyus had the lowest DM yield at all cutting intervals. Av. CP content of hays was 15.6, 12.8 and 10.6% for (a), (b) and (c), resp. Av. digestibility by Holstein steers (D), voluntary intake (VI) and relative nutritive values (RNV) of hays were highest for all species at (a). D, VI and RNV were greatest (64.3, 2.82% body wt/d and 1.81, resp.) for C. dactylon at (a). This abstract relates to the following species:
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