 | Abstract 53Improvement of nutritive value of tropical grasses by physical or chemical treatment. 1. Effect of steam treatment on chemical composition and dry matter digestibility.Shimojo,-M; Goto,-I Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812, Japan. Journal-of-Japanese-Society-of-Grassland-Science. 1990, 36: 2, 184-190; 14 ref. Steam treatment of Panicum maximum var. maximum, P. maximum var. trichoglume and Chloris gayana at 170 ø for 30 min or 180 ø for 10 min increased ADF, cellulose, acid detergent lignin and DM digestibility but decreased CP, ash, NDF, hemicellulose, silica and acetyl bromide lignin. Acetyl bromide lignin digestibility was reduced by 170 ø treatment (except in P. maximum var. trichoglume) but was not affected by 180 ø treatment. The 180 ø treatment gave higher DM and DDM recovery and higher in vitro DM digestibility than the 170 ø treatment. It was concluded that 180 ø treatment is more effective than 170 ø treatment for improving the nutritive value of tropical grasses. This abstract relates to the following species: |