The composition of forage crops

Abstract

MANY papers dealing with the composition and digestibility of forage crops are to be found in the literature, but the analyses are usually restricted to those few groups included in the conventional methods of agricultural analysis. These rarely extend beyond the determination of ash, or mineral constituents, crude protein, crude fibre and ether-soluble material. The sum of these analyses is far below 100 % in the case of grasses, and the difference from 100, often 40-60 %, is expressed vaguely as "N-free extractives" or "soluble carbohydrates ". In the belief that more information should be obtained about the carbohydrate constituents of forage crops in general, and this ill-defined fraction in particular, detailed analyses have been undertaken using methods which have been de- veloped in the past few years. Not only is it desirable to obtain further know- ledge as to the final composition of agricultural materials used as feeding stuffs, but also to be able to follow the changes which take place during development, maturation, drying and storage. This paper records a preliminary study of the development of rye grass and its conversion into hay.