This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers on nutritive value of safflower forage and silage by in situ and in vitro methods. The safflower forage was harvested at flowering stage, chopped to 3-5 cm particles and then ensiled in the laboratory silos for 60 days. The experimental treatments included: 1. Unfertilized forage (control), 2. Phosphor...

The lignocellulose in forage crops represents a second generation of biomass feedstock for conversion into energy-related end products. Some of the most extensively studied species for cellulosic feedstock production include forages such as switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.), and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). An advantage of using forages as bioenergy ...

The low intake and digestibility of low-quality roughages such as mature forages or crop residues often results in a digestible energy intake insufficient for a desired level of production. One alternative to increase digestible energy intake is to provide supplementary concentrates of high digestibility. ‘ Associative effects on forage fibre digestion may occur when roughage and concentrate ar...

Forage plays a critical role in the milk production of dairy cows; however, the mechanisms regulating bovine milk synthesis in dairy cows fed high forage rations with different basal forage types are not well-understood. In the study, rice straw (RS, low-quality) and alfalfa hay (AH, high-quality) diets were fed to lactating cows to explore how forage quality affected the molecular mechanisms r...

In the central Great Plains, pastures and rangelands often are not economically competitive with grain crops. This has led to increases in acreages of row crops at the expense of rangelands, pastures, and hay crops on marginal lands resulting in severe erosion problems. The productivity of forages, pastures, and rangelands needs to be increased to levels that would make them economically compet...

This simulation study was to evaluate low cost feeding strategies in response to higher cost of commercial concentrates to maintain current milk sales from dual purpose cattle herds in the humid lowlands of western Venezuela. Data were from farm surveys in 1987 and 1988. Baseline net margins from milk and beef per cow per year were $132 and $99 for two farm cases with average dally milk of 10 a...

1Animal Sciences Department, NDSU 2Carrington Research Extension Center, NDSU 3Hettinger Research Extension Center, NDSU 4Department of Animal Science, South Dakota State University The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of feeding different levels of forage during the finishing phase of beef production. Three different finishing diets of 20, 30 and 40 percent forage were fed to...