FORAGES Gwinyai E. Chibisa, Ph.D.

Transcription

1 FORAGES Gwinyai E. Chibisa, Ph.D.

2 Summary - Grasses i. Many different species ii. Good source of nutrients Mix with legumes iii. Potential anti-quality factors E.g., Ergot alkaloids, Prussic acid, etc. 2

3 Legumes i. Alfalfa ii. iii. iv. Birdsfoot Trefoil Red Clover White Clover v. Sainfoin vi. Annual legumes e.g., beans, peas 3

4 Legumes (cont.) Fixation of atmospheric N Positives Negatives 1. High CP 1. Low fiber, high lignin 2. High Ca and Mg 2. Phytoestrogens 3. High vitamin A 3. Induce bloat 4. High yield 3 to 4 cuttings 4

5 Alfalfa Queen of Forages 5

6 Alfalfa Queen of Forages (cont.) Highly productive Idaho = 3.9 tons/acre, 4.3 M tons, $871 M (2014) Good perennial 5 to 6 year stands Drought resistant Very nutritious 6

7 Structural Components of Alfalfa Ball et al, American Farm Bureau Federation Publication

8 Alfalfa Queen of Forages (cont.) Needs well-drained soils Winterkill Heaving Low tolerance to overgrazing Low NSC relative to soluble CP Bloat problems 8

9 Bloat Accumulation of gasses Gas Bloat guard - Poloxalene 9

10 Birdsfoot Trefoil 10

11 Birdsfoot Trefoil (cont.) Tolerant to adverse soil conditions Acidic, poor drainage, low native fertility, heavy Exceptional pasture legume Withstand grazing Works well with grass e.g., brome & tall fescue Does not cause bloat (condensed tannins) E.g., Empire, Viking 11

12 Red Clover 12

13 Red Clover (cont.) Require well drained soil (ph > 5.5) Short-lived perennial Suited for hay or silage 2 or 3 hay crops Production of phytoestrogens 13

14 Phytoestrogens E.g, Isoflavones (Formononetin) Plant content varies Genetics Use of low-phytoestrogen varieties Environmental conditions E.g., fertilizer deficiency 14

15 Phytoestrogens (cont.) Mimic estradiol Estradiol Isoflavone, e.g., Formononetin Clover disease Low lambing rates, uterine prolapse, dystocia, death Temporary or permanent infertility ( defeminization ) 15

16 White Clover 16

17 White Clover (cont.) Good pasture legume Highly palatable, nutritious Commonly planted with grasses E.g., Ladino, New York (Idaho-adapted) Mix with Orchardgrass, Tall Fescue 17

18 Sainfoin E.g., Shoshone 18

19 Sainfoin (cont.) Highly palatable Highly nutritive Contain phenolics e.g., condensed tannins Improve protein utilization Non-bloating nature Anthelmintic properties (reduce parasites e.g., nematodes) Can be incorporated into alfalfa pasture 19

20 Annual Legumes E.g., Beans (Faba s), Peas Cool-season Good as silage or for grazing 20

21 Summary - Legumes i. High quality forage Opportunity to mix with grasses ii. iii. Reduce the cost of N fertilization Potential issues Bloat, Phytoestrogens 21

22 Forage Preservation 22

23 Forage Preservation Why do we preserve forages? i.? ii.? iii.? 23

24 Forage Preservation (cont.) What are the common preservation methods? i.? ii.? iii.? 24

25 Forage Preservation (cont.) What are the factors to consider? i.? ii.? iii.? 25

26 Forage Preservation (cont.) Is forage preservation a perfect process? 26

27 Dry Matter Loss Losses due to: i. Plant metabolism ii. iii. Microbial metabolism Physical processes 27

28 1. Hay What is hay? 28

29 Haymaking Objectives i. Produce a high yielding, high quality crop ii. iii. iv. Rapid curing Minimize leaf loss Minimize cell respiration v. Avoid leaching losses & molding vi. Maintain quality in storage 29