Barley forages for modern global ruminant agriculture: A review
2013
Nikkhah, Akbar
Ruminants have evolved on forages that comprise major portions of most modern dairy and beef cattle diets. Cattle require minimum amount of effective fiber to maintain healthy rumen conditions. However, high fibre levels limits feed intake. Dietary fiber levels and physical properties contribute to such hypophagia. Forage bulkiness, particle size, lignification and rumen passage rate determine fiber quality. Barley forage (BF, Hordeum vulgare, L.) serves dairy diets where and when alfalfa or corn silages are less accessible. Being lower in protein, intermediate in soluble protein, and higher in starch and cellulose, barley silage (BS) is a suitable replacement for alfalfa silage. Barley forages have usually lower fiber levels among winter cereal crops. Barley forages may not reduce feed intake as much as other cereal crops, notably triticale and oats. Beef studies suggest superior or similar weight gain and feed efficiency by feeding BS versus wheat, triticale and oat silages. Growth response to BS appears comparable to corn silage. Reduced BS particle size reduces chewing activity in lactating cows, and even with adequate fiber intake has little effect on milk fat. Inoculants containing Lactobacillus buchneri, Lactobacillus plantarum, Pediococcus pentosaceus, and Propionibacterium freudenreichii along with carbohydrases can lower silage pH and improve organic acids production and silage aerobic stability. Altered barley silage chop length alters chewing activity but not necessarily rumen pH. Maturity stage affects nutritional value of BF due to altered protein and fiber contents and rumen fermentation patterns. Genetic variance among BF cultivars can affect nutrient profiles and rumen digestibility. Barley forages are cost-effective entities along with alfalfa hay and silage and corn silage for environmentalist ruminants to host optimal rumen and peripheral nutrient metabolism. Adequate effective fiber with sufficient but not very high fermentable starch, and modest degradable proteins make BF a unique ingredient for the sustainable modern ruminant production.
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