Abstract 5

Costa,-JL; Gomide,-JA

EMBRAPA, Universidade Federal de Vicosa, 36570 Vicosa, MG, Brazil.

Proceedings of the XVI International Grassland Congress, 4-11 October 1989, Nice, France. 1989, 997-998; 3 ref. Versailles, France; Association Francaise pour la Production Fourragere.

In experiments on the drying rate and morphological characteristics of 5 grasses, a close positive relationship was found between drying rate and leafiness. Hyparrhenia rufa had the fastest moisture loss of all grasses. In a 2nd trial, Brachiaria decumbens was cut at 7 and 11 weeks of age with either a cutterbar or a conditioner, and field dried. On the afternoon of the 3rd day, only the 11-week old conditioner harvested hay reached a moisture content below 25%. Conditionercut forage had lower DM losses. Field drying caused no appreciable change in CP and in vitro DM digestibility (IVDMD) figures of the forage. In a 3rd trial, B. decumbens hay was baled at different moisture levels. Appreciable temp. rise was observed until the 7th day of storage in the high moisture hays. Moisture contents of the hays dropped progressively during storage. IVDMD figures dropped during storage from 54.1 to 49.3% for the high moisture hay only.