Kenneth A. Albrecht

Sodium sulphite effects on recovery and composition of detergent fibre and lignin from forage legumes varying in levels of proanthocyanidins

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L), red clover (Trifolium pratense L), birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L), sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop), crownvetch (Coronilla varia L), cicer milkvetch (Astragrlus cicer L), sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata (Dum-Cours) G Don) and kura clover (Trifolium ambiguum M Bieb) were subjected to sequential detergent fibre analysis to investigate the effects that the addition of sodium sulphite to neutral detergent has on the recovery and composition of fibre and lignin from forage legumes that vary in levels of proanthocyanidin (PA). Soluble, insoluble and neutral detergent insoluble PA (NDIPA) concentrations were highest in sericea, moderate in crownvetch, sainfoin and birdsfoot trefoil and absent in alfalfa, cicer milkvetch, red clover and kura clover. Addition of sodium sulphite reduced levels of neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL), neutral detergent insoluble nitrogen (NDIN) and acid detergent insoluble nitrogen (ADIN) recovered from most forages tested. The addition of sodium sulphite effectively eliminated NDIPA from NDF. The difference between fibre fractions prepared without and with the addition of sodium sulphite during the neutral detergent procedure was related to PA concentration. Neutral detergent fibre difference was positively correlated with soluble PA (r = 0.730, p = 0.0001), insoluble PA (r = 0.905, p = 0.0001) and NDIPA (r = 0.913, p = 0.0001). Acid detergent fibre difference was positively correlated with soluble PA (r = 0.796, p = 0.0001), insoluble PA (r = 0.976, p = 0.0001) and NDIPA (r = 0.974, p = 0.0001). Acid detergent lignin difference was positively correlated with soluble PA (r = 0.846, p = 0.0001), insoluble PA (r = 0.992, p = 0.0001) and NDIPA (r = 0.972, p = 0.0001). Neutral detergent insoluble nitrogen difference was positively correlated with soluble PA (r = 0.475, p = 0.0255), insoluble PA (r = 0.579, p = 0.0047) and NDIPA (r = 0.570, p = 0.0056). Acid detergent insoluble nitrogen difference was positively correlated with soluble PA (r = 0.798, p = 0.0001), insoluble PA (r = 0.969, p = 0.0001) and NDIPA (r = 0.979, p = 0.0001). Sodium sulphite has large effects on fibre values of PA-containing species. Our results suggest that the difference between fibre fractions prepared with and without the addition of sulphite to neutral detergent may be used to determine the effects of PA on protein solubility in detergents. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry

Intercropping winter cereals with Caucasian clover for forage in northern Europe

Intercropping cereal crops with perennial legumes for forage has been demonstrated as a means to improve nutritive value compared to cereal crops alone. Our objective was to determine whether sowing winter rye (Secale cereale L.) or winter triticale (x Triticosecale Wittmack) into living Caucasian clover (Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb.) improves yield or nutritive value compared to monoculture cereal crop forage in northern Europe. The experiments were conducted near Mochełek and Falęcin, Poland. In autumn 2010 and 2011, winter rye was sown into existing Caucasian clover or in monoculture at Mochełek, and winter triticale was sown into Caucasian clover or in monoculture at Falęcin, with monoculture clover as a third crop treatment at both locations. The following spring, first harvest of forage from the three crop treatments was taken at two maturities: when monoculture cereals reached heading (BBCH 51) or grain milk stage (BBCH 71), and two additional harvests were taken from mixture plots and monoculture clover before autumn. First harvest forage yields of mixtures were similar to monoculture cereal at Falęcin, less than monoculture cereal at Mochełek, and greater than monoculture clover at both locations. Full season forage yields of mixtures were greater than both monoculture cereal and clover crops at both locations. The proportion of clover in mixtures was 20–31% in the first harvest, resulting in slightly lower neutral detergent fiber concentrations than in monoculture cereal crop at Falęcin, but no improvement in nutritive value at Mochełek. By spring 2012, most Caucasian clover had died from Sclerotinia trifoliorum infection at both locations, so forage was not harvested in the second year of the experiment. Although total season forage yields were greater for mixtures than for either monoculture cereal or Caucasian clover, this system cannot be recommended for northern Europe because of failure for Caucasian clover to persist.

Intercropping Tropical Vine Legumes and Maize for Silage in Temperate Climates

ABSTRACT Maize silage is used extensively in American dairy rations. Increasing protein content would enhance maize silage quality. This study examined nine forage legume species (Austrian winter pea, common bean, cowpea, lablab, scarlet runner bean, sesbania, sunn hemp, tropical kudzu, and velvet bean) grown in mixture with maize plants in Wisconsin, in the U.S. Plants were evaluated for growth throughout the growing season, harvest forage dry matter content, total dry matter yield, and forage mixture components. Of the forage legumes tested, common bean, lablab, scarlet runner bean, sunn hemp, and velvet bean were most successfully intercropped with maize. The common bean entry was the most aggressive forage legume, comprising 23% on a dry-matter basis of the final harvested forage mixture. The lablab entry, despite a slow start, became more productive during the late growing season and comprised 7.4% on a dry-matter basis of the final harvested forage mixture. Harvested forage moisture ranged from 299 g kg−1 to 364 g kg−1 of dry matter. Except for the common bean mixture, which had a lower forage dry-matter yield, the mixtures did not differ from one another or the pure maize control for dry-matter accumulation per unit area. Similar to forage dry-matter yields, stover forage mixture fractions were not significantly different among entries, except for the common bean-maize mixture. Grain yields were inversely proportional to the amount of legume present.

Performance of Kura clover compared to that of perennial forage legumes traditionally cultivated in central Europe

ABSTRACT Kura clover (Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb.) is a rhizomatous perennial legume that is native to Caucasia, is extremely persistent in North America, but its performance has not been adequately evaluated in Europe. The objective of this research was to compare forage yield and nutritive value of Kura clover to lucerne (Medicago sativa L.), red clover (Trifolium pretense L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.) at two locations in Poland. All clover stands thinned markedly by spring of the second production year because of infection by Sclerotinia crown and stem rot, but lucerne stands remained dense and this legume produced the highest total yield over 3 or 4 production years. Kura clover yields of 7.2–8.3 Mg ha−1 were second to lucerne by the third production year but long-term performance was diminished by stand thinning. Kura clover and white clover had lower fiber concentrations and greater protein concentrations and forage digestibility than red clover and lucerne. Kura clover can be a source of high-quality forage in Europe, but cannot be recommended for use in areas with known Sclerotinia trifoliorum presence until resistance to this pathogen is developed.