The nutritive value of Persian clover (Trifolium resupinatum) herbage grown under irrigation in northern Victoria
1993
Stockdale, C.R. (Victorian Dept. of Agriculture, Kyabram (Australia). Inst. for Sustainable Agriculture)
Digestion studies were undertaken with sheep and dairy cows, and the degradation of herbage samples in nylon bags was evaluated. Freshly harvested Persian clover herbage utilized before flowering appears to be an excellent feedstuff for ruminants, and its chemical composition remains relatively constant until late spring. In vivo organic matter digestibilities were in the range 75-85 percent, although this depended on feeding level and time of the year. When vegetative, nitrogen content ranged from 3.0 to 4.6 percent, and neutral and acid detergent fibre levels were 24-34 and 21-27 percent, respectively. Acid detergent lignin concentrations were between 2.1 and 4.5 percent of dry matter. Dry matter contents of the herbage were often very low; this could influence intake and digestion. The digestibility of the leaf fraction was often much lower than that of the petiole-stem fraction, but its nitrogen content was higher. Reasons for this, and their implications, are discussed. Protein degradability in the rumen was lower than expected (less than 70 percent); this was attributed to very fast rates of flow of digesta out of the rumen. The use of chemical characteristics to predict the digestibility of Persian clover herbage is considered and discussed.
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