• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.1265-1272
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• 2016

The present study evaluated the effects of different cutting height on nutritive value, fermentation quality, in vitro and in vivo digestibility of whole crop barley silage. Whole crop barley forage (Yuyeon hybrid) was harvested at height of 5, 10, and 15 cm from the ground level. Each cutting height was rolled to make round bale and ensiled for 100 days. After 100 days of ensiling, pH of silage was lower (p<0.05) in 5 cm, but no difference between 10 and 15 cm of cutting height. The content of lactate and lactate to acetate ratio were increased (p<0.05) in 5 cm of cutting height, whereas the acetate content was higher (p<0.05) in 10 and 15 cm than that of 5 cm cutting height. Aerobic stability was greater (p<0.05) in silages of 10 and 15 cm of cutting height. Three total mixed rations (TMR) were formulated with silages from the three different cutting heights (TMR5, TMR10, and TMR15) incorporated as forage at 70:30 ratio with concentrate (dry matter [DM] basis). In vitro dry matter digestibility was higher (p<0.05) in the TMR5 and TMR10 than that in TMR15, whereas in vitro neutral detergent fiber digestibility was higher (p<0.05) in the TMR10 and TMR15 than that in TMR5. Concentration of $NH_3-N$ was highest (p<0.05) in the TMR10 followed by TMR15 and TMR5. Total volatile fatty acid was decreased (p<0.05) with increased cutting height. The digestibility of DM and neutral detergent fiber were highest (p<0.05) in TMR15, than those in TMR5 and TMR10, whereas acid detergent fiber digestibility was higher (p<0.05) in TMR5 than that in TMR10. The results showed that increasing cutting height, at least up to 10 to 15 cm, of whole crop barley forage at harvest (Yuyeon) may be beneficial for making silage for TMR formulation and increasing digestibility of DM and NDF.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2012

This study was carried out in 2010 to investigate the utilization and forage quality of native grasses, such as $Phragmites$ $communis$ which might reduce the cost of feeding domestic cattle. The regions surveyed were the Haenam ranch in Haenam, Pyeongchang, Wonju, and Yeonggwang. In Haenam, yearly silage production harvested from 300 ha was 2,000 MT (7 MT/ha). All of those round bale silages were self-consumed in that region, and marketing price was 50,000~55,000 won per roll (110 won/kg). $Phragmites$ $communis$ of 150 cm in length contained 8.4% crude protein (CP) with relative feed value (RFV) 71.9 and 60.1% in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), which was somewhat more favorable than forage quality of rice straw. The silage quality of $Phragmites$ $communis$ varied greatly by the time of harvest (CP 4.7~6.4%, RFV 62.2~78.9, and IVDMD 41.9~53.9%), even with the same district and of the same original forage materials. Generally, the quality of $Phragmites$ $communis$ silage of was poorer than that of sorghum ${\times}$ sudangrass hybrid. In Pyeongchang, forage quality of $Phragmites$ $communis$ was decreased from 13.9% to 7.6% in CP, 90.7 to 76.1 in RFV, and 72.9% to 54.7% in IVDMD, as plant was getting mature, from 79 cm to 117 cm, 121 cm or to 142 cm in length. In Wonju, the quality values of $Phragmites$ $communis$ of 130 cm in length were 8.5% CP, 82.3 RFV and 70.2% IVDMD, while those of matured grasses of 220 cm in length were lower (10.2% CP, 65.1 RFV and 48.9% IVDMD), but this was a little more favorable than quality of rice straw. In Yeonggwang, feeding $Phragmites$ $communis$ was tried in a Hanwoo feed, but stopped due to low profitability. In conclusion, the overall quality of most native grasses including $Phragmites$ $communis$ in this survey was poor. Therefore, we recommend that $Phragmites$ $communis$ and native grasses should be harvested on June or July to obtain richer forage quality in forage values than rice straw.