Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-4hhp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-09T02:02:12.960Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The nutritive value of wheat and oat silages ensiled on three cutting dates

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

P. C. Garnsworthy  and
D. T. Stokes
P. C. Garnsworthy
Affiliation:
University of Nottingham, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, Leics LE12 5RD, UK
D. T. Stokes
Affiliation:
University of Nottingham, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, Leics LE12 5RD, UK
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

The production of biomass and its partitioning into stem, leaf, ear and dead material were monitored weekly in crops of wheat and oats from 16 May 1990, which corresponded approximately to ear emergence in the wheat, until ensilage on 29 June, 7 July and 19 July 1990 using the Ag-Bag system. An enzyme/inoculant additive was used on both crops on each ensilage date, although a portion of oats was ensiled without additive on the first two cutting dates, giving a total of eight silages. Changes in rumen degradability of dry matter were assessed for both crops throughout the monitoring period using the synthetic fibre bag technique. The digestibilities of gross energy, modified acid detergent fibre, organic matter and crude protein were determined in vivo using sheep.

Over the total period of monitoring, the daily rates of increase in dry matter (DM) yield were 15·1 (± 1·6) and 16·5 (±1·9) g DM/m2 for wheat and oats respectively. From 29 June to 19 July the rates of increase were 11·3 (± 3·1) and 23·1 (±6·0) g DM/m2. The increase in weight of the ears accounted for almost all of this increase and, by the end of the monitoring period, the ears contributed approximately half of the dry matter of each crop. In both crops the portion of dead material was small until 19 July, when there was a rapid increase in the amount of dead stem. The DM content of both crops remained < 30% up to day 33 (18 June) but increased from c. 33% to c. 52% between days 53 and 65 (8–20 July). Rumen degradability of both crops decreased rapidly from c. 66% on 16 May until 16 June, when it was c. 56% for wheat and 55% for oats; it remained constant at these values thereafter.

For silages made on the three successive ensilage dates, there was an increase in DM and starch contents but decreases in digestible energy, digestible fibre and digestible crude protein contents. Digestible organic matter was similar for the first two ensilage dates but lower in silage made on the third date.

The use of an additive with the oat crop resulted in decreases in the digestible energy, digestible organic matter and digestible crude protein contents of the silages compared with untreated oats.

Maximum yield of DM from wheat (18·6 t/ha) was obtained with the third cutting date, but optimum yield of energy (170 GJ/ha) and digestible crude protein (746 kg/ha) were found at the second cutting date. For oats, maximum yield of DM (17·3 t/ha) was again found with the third cut and maximum yield of energy (159 GJ/ha, untreated; 140 GJ/ha with additive) with the second cut. Digestible crude protein yield was greatest with the second cut of oats when no additive was used (708 kg/ha) but with additive it was greatest with the first cut (661 kg/ha).

It was concluded that, under these conditions, the optimum date for ensilage of wheat or oats was 7 July and that the use of the additive was detrimental to the quality of the oat silage.

Type
Crops and Soils
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 121 , Issue 2 , October 1993 , pp. 233 - 240
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1993

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Adogla-Bessa, T., Owen, E., Tetlow, R. M. & Baker, R. D. (1991). Intake and digestibility of enzyme treated whole-crop winter wheat silage by steers. Animal Production 52, 605 [Abstract].Google Scholar
Austin, R. B., Bingham, J., Blackwell, R. D., Evans, L. T., Ford, M. A., Morgan, C. L. & Taylor, M. (1980). Genetic improvements in winter wheat yields since 1900 and associated physiological changes. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 94, 675–689.Google Scholar
Brignall, D. M., Ward, M R. & Whittington, W. J. (1988). Yield and quality of triticale cultivars at progressive stages of maturity. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 111, 75–84.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brignall, D. M., Ward, M. R. & Whittington, W. J. (1989). Relationship between growth stage and digestible organic matter in triticale. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 113, 1–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brockman, J. S. (1990). Grassland farming in the 1990s. In British Grassland Society, Occasional Symposium No. 25, 3–15.Google Scholar
Cherney, J. H. & Marten, G. C. (1982). Small grain crop forage potential: II. Interrelationships among biological, chemical, morphological, and anatomical determinants of quality. Crop Science 22, 240–245.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fisher, L. J., Lessard, J. R. & Lodge, G. A. (1974). Evaluation of whole crop oat silage as a basal forage for lactating cows. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 54, 169–175.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Folkins, L. P. & Kaufmann, M. L. (1974). Yield and morphological studies with oats for forage and grain production. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 54, 617–620.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Helrich, K. (1990). Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists, 15th edn.Arlington: Association of Official Analytical Chemists.Google Scholar
Holmes, W. (1989). Grass: its Production and Utilisation, 2nd edn, pp. 89–129. Oxford: Blackwell.Google Scholar
Kilcher, M. R. & Troelsen, J. E. (1973). Contribution and nutritive value of the major plant components of oats through progressive stages of development. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 53, 251–256.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lawes Agricultural Trust (1987). Genstat 5 Reference Manual. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1986). Output and Utilisation of Farm Produce in the UK. London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Newman, G. (1990). Future prospects for whole-crop cereals in the UK. In Whole-Crop Cereals (Eds Wilkinson, J. M. & Stark, B. A.), pp. 77–86. Marlow: Chalcombe.Google Scholar
Rae, R. C., Thomas, C., Reeve, A., Golightly, A. J., Hodson, R. G. & Baker, R. D. (1987). The potential of an all-grass diet for the late-winter calving dairy cow. Grass and Forage Science 42, 249–257.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Raymond, W. F. & Heard, A. J. (1968). The ensilage of whole crop cereals. Ceres, October 1968, 7–11.Google Scholar
Selman, M. (1975). The effect of species, variety, nitrogen rate and cutting date on yield and quality of whole crop cereals. Experimental Husbandry 28, 92–98.Google Scholar
Tetlow, R. M. (1990). A decade of research into whole-crop cereals at Hurley. In Whole-Crop Cereals (Eds Wilkinson, J. M. & Stark, B. A.), pp. 1–19. Marlow: Chalcombe.Google Scholar
Tingle, J. N. & Dawley, W. K. (1974). Yield and nutritive value of whole-plant cereals at a silage stage. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 54, 621–624.Google Scholar
Weir, A. H., Bragg, P. L., Porter, J. R. & Rayner, J. H. (1984). A winter wheat crop simulation model without water or nutrient limitations. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 102, 371–382.Google Scholar
Zadoks, J. C., Chang, T. T. & Konzak, C. F. (1974). A decimal code for the growth stages of cereals. Weed Research 14, 415–421.CrossRefGoogle Scholar