OBJECTIVE To measure pH, volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations, and lactate concentrations in stomach contents and determine number and severity of gastric lesions in horses fed bromegrass hay and alfalfa hay-grain diets. ANIMALS Six 7-year-old horses. PROCEDURE A gastric cannula was inserted in each horse. Horses were fed each diet, using a randomized crossover design. Stomach contents ...

A cold-responsive chitinase gene, BiCHT1, was isolated from bromegrass (Bromus inermis) 'Manchar' suspension cells. BiCHT1 messenger RNA was detected at low levels in nonstressed bromegrass cells, whereas its accumulation was induced by incubation at 10 degrees C and 4 degrees C as detected by northern- and western-blot analyses. BiCHT1 was highly homologous to rye CHT9, known to encode an anti...

Four ruminally cannulated, nonlactating Holstein cows (593 kg) were fed bromegrass hay diets within a 4 X 4 Latin square. Treatments were arranged factorially and consisted of bromegrass fertilized with 0 or 89 kg N/ha and harvested in the late-boot or full-head stage of maturity. Total tract digestibility of DM (57.6 vs 51.1%), NDF (68.8 vs 63.0%), ADF (51.1 vs 46.0%) and cellulose (63.4 vs 53...

relation is undesirable, as is the case with NDF and forage yield. The consequences, resolution, and/or amelioSelection for reduced neutral detergent fiber (NDF) concentration ration of these various factors in agricultural crops are has been used as a mechanism of improving intake potential of perendramatically different. nial grasses by ruminant livestock. However, reduced NDF concentration i...

The ability of grazing animals to enhance quality of diet by selection is important in production. The study determined the effects of selection on dietary quality of cattle grazing monocultures of smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss; SB), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.; SG), and big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman; BB) as influenced by plant maturity. Three ruminally-fistulated stee...

take potential (Van Soest, 1994). The concentration of NDF is heritable in several forage species, and rates of gain Voluntary intake is generally considered to be the single most from selection for reduced NDF concentration of herbimportant factor limiting animal performance on high-forage diets. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) is the laboratory variable most closely age are reported to be as hi...