This study was undertaken to evaluate natural mulches for weed control in organic onion (Allium cepa) production where current practices rely on hand-weeding or plastic mulch. Three experiments were conducted over 2 years, with two experiments conducted on-farm in different years and one experiment conducted on-station. Treatments consisted of hand-weeding or mulches of wheat (Triticum aestivum...

We used DNA probes to study dietary effects on the prokaryotic population in the rumen. Procedures used to isolate and quantify prokaryotic 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) from the rumen using universal and species-specific DNA probes were evaluated. In this experiment, three ruminally fistulated steers were fed orchard-grass hay, and ruminal digesta were collected at 0, 3, and 9 h after offering hay ...

Net release of degraded N as NH3 and total AA plus microbial protein synthesis, quantified from incorporation of 15NH3 into microbial protein, was used to estimate the rate and extent of in vitro degradation of protein fractions isolated from alfalfa hay and silage. Seven proteins (casein, alfalfa hay, alfalfa silage, extracts from alfalfa hay and silage, and residues from alfalfa hay and silag...

This review focuses on the introduction and investigation of pangola grass as a tropical forage species especially in Thailand. Pangola grass (Digitaria eriantha Steud., synonym D. decumbens) is one of recent examples of grasses that have been successfully introduced to Southeast Asia and is often considered as one of the highest quality tropical grasses popularly grown as pasture. Pangola gras...

M crested wheatgrass stands in western North Dakota were established 15 to 20 years ago. These fields are still used for hay and pasture, and many are still in excellent condition. One field at the Dickinson Experiment Station, seeded in 1938, has produced an average of 1,262 pounds of forage per acre (dry weight) over the past 12 years. However, there is good evidence that the productivity of ...

Corn stover has great potential as a biomass feedstock, but harvest and storage of this material is challenged by weather conditions at harvest; material moisture; and equipment shortcomings. Field drying characteristics, harvest efficiency and rate, product bulk density, and storage characteristics were quantified for stover harvested and stored in wet or dry form. Only in one case did stover ...

BACKGROUND This study was aim to observe the effects of feeding mixed local hay (MH) consisted of 55% orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata L.), 35% tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) and 10% red clover (Trifolium pratense) to Hanwoo steers on performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality (longissimus thoracis) compared with feeding imported timothy hay (TH) and local rice straw (RS). RESU...

A major challenge faced by alfalfa growers during the past 30 years has been the increased emphasis on forage quality. The need to produce high-quality hay affects marketing and price, as well as yield and stand life. Demands for high-quality alfalfa by the marketplace have been relentless. Although crop yield is still the primary economic factor determining forage crop value per unit of land a...

Andropogon gayanus is an important grass due to its high biomass production, drought tolerance and favorable growth on low fertility acidic soils. Currently, there is little research on the impact of growth stage on the nutritional quality or the degree of CH4 production that may arise from this forage during ruminal fermentation. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of re...

Cereal crops are used throughout the world for livestock feed. When they are managed properly they provide excellent grazing and high-quality silage or hay. It is important to remember that grazing should occur during the vegetative stage and silage or hay harvest should occur during flowering to early seed fill. Corn is one of the few annual crops that will provide quality forage after seed ma...