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Storage Characteristics and Nutritive Value Changes in Bermudagrass Hay as Affected by Moisture Content and Density of Rectangular Bales
Author(s) -
Coblentz W. K.,
Turner J. E.,
Scarbrough D. A.,
Lesmeister K. E.,
Johnson Z. B.,
Kellogg D. W.,
Coffey K. P.,
McBeth L. J.,
Weyers J. S.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci2000.4051375x
Subject(s) - forage , loam , hay , cynodon dactylon , cynodon , agronomy , water content , zoology , biology , moisture , bulk density , alfalfa hay , chemistry , soil water , food science , rumen , ecology , organic chemistry , geotechnical engineering , fermentation , engineering
Conserving hay at moisture concentrations >200 g kg −1 is known to cause spontaneous heating and negative effects on forage nutritive value. While these relationships have been evaluated extensively for alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L.), less research has evaluated these factors in warm‐season grasses, specifically bermudagrass [ Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.]. In this study, ‘Greenfield’ bermudagrass was grown on a Pickwick silt loam soil (fine‐silty, mixed, semiactive, thermic Typic Paleudult) and packaged in conventional rectangular bales at five concentrations of moisture (178, 208, 248, 287, and 325 g kg −1 ) and at high and medium bale densities (overall means = 208 and 186 kg m −3 , respectively). Bale density had little effect on forage nutritive value after storage. Furthermore, bale density had no effect ( P > 0.05) on indices of spontaneous heating (heating degree days >35°C, maximum temperature, and 30‐d average temperature), visual evaluation of mold, and dry matter (DM) recovery. Positive linear relationships occurred between concentrations of fibrous forage components and indices of spontaneous heating; coefficients of determination ( r 2 ) statistics were similar for each index of spontaneous heating that was used as the independent variable in these linear regressions. Concentrations of acid detergent insoluble N and neutral detergent insoluble N expressed on a DM basis were positively related to measures of spontaneous heating in close linear relationships ( r 2 ≥ 0.80). Regressions of other N fractions on measures of spontaneous heating exhibited lower coefficients of determination, but generally had significant slopes. Results of this study indicate that N in bermudagrass is very susceptible to reductions in bioavailability through heat damage during bale storage, and that this damage is increased with increases in initial bale moisture.