The correlation among various constituents of forage plants

Greaves, J.E.

The correlation among various constituents of forage plants

1938

Greaves, J.E.

Seventy-two samples, representing 16 species of forage plants growing on the Trout Creek winter range in Juab County, Utah, were analyzed for calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur, crude fat, crude protein, and nitrogen-free extract. The correlation existing between pairs of these constituents has been calculated with the following results: A highly significant correlation was found to exist between ash and calcium, ash and magnesium, ash and sulfur, calcium and magnesium, calcium and sulfur, phosphorus and crude protein, phosphorus and crude fat, and sulfur and crude protein. A highly significant negative correlation was found to exist between ash and phosphorus, ash and crude fat, calcium and phosphorus, calcium and nitrogen-free extract, phosphorus and crude fibre, sulfur and crude fibre, crude fibre and crude protein. These results indicate that the organic sulfur varies, and it is necessary to determine the quantity which is inorganic before one can state its nutritive value. Insofar as these plants are concerned, a total phosphorus determination is a good indication of the nutritive value of the plant because phosphorus and sulfur, phosphorus and protein, and phosphorus and crude fat vary directly, whereas the phosphorus and crude fibre and phosphorus and total ash vary inversely. The fact that the phosphorus and calcium vary inversely indicates that from the nutritional standpoint one must balance the calcium in relation to the phosphorus. This unbalanced relationship may be the reason why supplements used in connection with these forage plants give such poor results.

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