Effects of Fescue Type and Sampling Date on the Ruminal Disappearance Kinetics of Autumn-Stockpiled Tall Fescue

Effects of sample size on neutral detergent fiber digestibility of triticale forages using the Ankom DaisyII Incubator system

Accurate and precise determinations of fiber digestibility are essential for proper diet formulation for dairy cows. Our objectives were 3-fold: (1) regress in vitro neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD) values from 48 triticale forages determined at multiple endpoints ranging from 12 to 240 h with Ankom Daisy^II Incubator system (Ankom Technology Corp., Macedon, NY) methods using 0.25- or 0.50-g sample sizes on concentrations of fiber-related analytes or growth stage; (2) directly compare NDFD values determined with 0.25- or 0.50-g sample sizes by Ankom methods after 12-, 24-, 30-, 48-, 144-, or 240-h incubations; and (3) compare NDFD values determined by Ankom methods after 30 and 48 h of incubation with those determined by traditional sealed-tube procedures obtained from a commercial laboratory. Generally, plant growth stage, which was quantified with a linear model suitable for serving as an independent regression variable, proved to be a better predictor variable for NDFD than neutral detergent fiber or acid detergent lignin. For direct comparisons of 0.25- and 0.50-g sample sizes using Ankom methods, the regression relationship for a 30-h incubation was explained by a linear model [Y = 1.206x - 1.1; coefficient of determination (R²) = 0.933], in which the slope differed from unity, but the intercept did not differ from 0. After a 48-h incubation, a linear model (Y = 1.014x + 7.1; R² = 0.964) indicated that the slope did not differ from unity, but the intercept was >0. A linear regression (Y = 1.040x - 1.8; R² = 0.861) of the 30-h incubation results obtained by Ankom methods using the 0.25-g sample size on those from the commercial laboratory indicated the slope and intercept did not differ from unity or 0, respectively. A similar relationship was obtained from the 48-h incubation (Y = 1.021x - 3.4; R² = 0.866). Relationships were poorer when the 0.50-g sample size was used by Ankom methods, particularly for the 30-h incubation, where the slope (0.824) was less than unity. Generally, NDFD values were greater for the 0.25-g sample size by Ankom methods, especially with 24-, 30-, and 48-h incubation times, and agreement with traditional sealed-tube methods was improved with the smaller sample size. Synchronization of results between Ankom and traditional methods needs to be further verified across a wider range of forages and harvest/preservation methods before definitive recommendations can be made.

Effects of growth stage and growing degree day accumulations on triticale forages: 2. In vitro disappearance of neutral detergent fiber

The use of winter triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack) in dairy-cropping systems has expanded greatly in recent years, partly because of its value as a forage crop but also to improve land stewardship by providing winter ground cover. Our objectives were to use 2-pool and 3-pool nonlinear models to characterize in vitro disappearance of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and then describe the relationship between estimated parameters from those models with plant growth stage or growing degree days (GDD) >5°C for winter triticale forages harvested during 2016 and 2017 in Marshfield, Wisconsin. Forages were harvested from replicated field plots each year at growth stages ranging from stem elongation to soft dough. All NDF analyses included use of sodium sulfite and heat-stable α-amylase with residual fiber corrected for contaminant ash (asNDFom). Nonlinear 3-pool models for in vitro disappearance of asNDFom that included fast (Bfast) and slow (Bslow) disappearance pools as well as an associated disappearance rate for each (K_dfast and K_dslow, respectively) were easily fitted provided that a single discrete lag time was applied to both Bfast and Bslow pools to reduce the number of parameters to be estimated. An unresolved issue related to fitting 3-pool decay models was the incomplete recovery of asNDFom from immature triticale forages at 0 h, which was partially resolved with 2 approaches that produced similar estimates of K_dfast and K_dslow. Most parameters obtained from 2- and 3-pool decay models for asNDFom could be related to growth stage or GDD using polynomial regression techniques, often with high coefficients of determination (R²). For 3-pool models of asNDFom disappearance, Bslow increased with plant maturity, but the associated K_dslow ranged narrowly from 0.011 to 0.015/h and could not be related to growth stage or GDD by quartic, cubic, quadratic, or linear regression models. Despite different cultivars coupled with substantial differences in precipitation across years, single endpoint estimates of in vitro disappearance of asNDFom after 24, 30, or 48 h of incubation were closely related (R² ≥ 0.906) to growth stage and GDD by linear or quadratic regression models that were generally similar across production years. Typical recommendations for harvesting triticale at boot stage to facilitate the planting of a double crop are strongly supported by the extensive 30-h in vitro disappearance of asNDFom at that growth stage, which was 63.1 and 64.8% of asNDFom during 2016 and 2017, respectively.

Effect of fescue toxicosis on whole body energy and nitrogen balance, in situ degradation and ruminal passage rates in Holstein steers

This study was designed to examine alteration of ruminal kinetics, as well as N and energy balance during fescue toxicosis. Six ruminally cannulated Holstein steers (bodyweight (BW) = 217 ± 7 kg) were weight matched into pairs and pair fed throughout a crossover design experiment with a 2×2 factorial treatment structure. Factors were endophyte (infected, E+ vs. uninfected, E−) and feeding level (1100 (L) or 1800 (H) kJ/kG BW.75). During each period, after 8 days of feeding level adaptation, animals were ruminally dosed twice daily with ground fescue seed for the remainder of the period. One steer per pair was dosed with ground endophyte infected fescue seed (E+), the other with ground endophyte free fescue seed. In situ degradation of ground alfalfa was determined on Days 13–16. Total faecal and urinary collections were performed on Days 17–21, with animals placed into indirect calorimetry head-boxes during Days 20 and 21. Heat production (HP) was calculated using the Brower equation. Retained energy (RE) was calculated as intakeE – (faecalE + urinaryE + gaseousE + HP). Liquid and particulate passage rates were evaluated using Cr:EDTA and iADF respectively on Days 22 and 23. There was no difference (P > 0.9) in dry matter intake (DMI)/kg.75 between endophyte treatments, and DMI/kg.75 was different (P < 0.01) between H and L intake by design. Animals on H feeding had higher (P < 0.01) water, N and energy intakes. Energy and N excretion, as well as retained DE, ME, RE, and HP were higher (P < 0.03) for H versus L. There was no difference in retained N, DE, ME, or HP (P > 0.15) between endophyte treatments. Neither rate nor extent of in situ degradation was altered by intake level or endophyte treatment (P > 0.3). DM percentage and DM weight of rumen contents were increased (P < 0.01) by E+ dosing. Particulate passage increased (P = 0.0002) during H intake and decreased (P = 0.02) with E+ dosing. Ruminal liquid passage decreased (P < 0.03) with H feeding, while liquid flow rate tended to be reduced (P < 0.14) with E+ dosing. Total VFA concentration increased with both H feeding (P < 0.01) and E+ dosing (P < 0.0001). Despite these differences, the N and energy balance data indicate that the reductions in weight gain and productivity seen during fescue toxicosis are primarily due to reduced intake.

Effects of spontaneous heating on fiber composition, fiber digestibility, and in situ disappearance kinetics of neutral detergent fiber for alfalfa-orchardgrass hays

During 2006 and 2007, forages from 3 individual hay harvests were utilized to assess the effects of spontaneous heating on concentrations of fiber components, 48-h neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility (NDFD), and in situ disappearance kinetics of NDF for large-round bales of mixed alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.). Over the 3 harvests, 96 large-round bales were made at preset bale diameters of 0.9, 1.2, or 1.5 m, and at moisture concentrations ranging from 9.3 to 46.6%. Internal bale temperatures were monitored daily during an outdoor storage period, reaching maxima (MAX) of 77.2 degrees C and 1,997 heating degree days >30 degrees C (HDD) for one specific combination of bale moisture, bale diameter, and harvest. Concentrations of all fiber components (NDF, acid detergent fiber, hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin) increased in response to spontaneous heating during storage. Changes in concentrations of NDF during storage (poststorage - prestorage; DeltaNDF) were regressed on HDD using a nonlinear regression model (R(2) = 0.848) that became asymptotic after DeltaNDF increased by 8.6 percentage units. Although the specific regression model varied, changes (poststorage - prestorage) in concentrations of acid detergent fiber, cellulose, and lignin also increased in nonlinear relationships with HDD that exhibited relatively high coefficients of determination (R(2) = 0.710 to 0.885). Fiber digestibility, as determined by NDFD, was largely unaffected by heating characteristics except within bales incurring the most extreme levels of HDD or MAX. In situ assessment of ruminal NDF disappearance kinetics indicated that disappearance rate (K(d)) declined by about 40% within the range of heating incurred over these hay harvests. The change in K(d) during storage (DeltaK(d)) was related closely to both HDD and MAX by nonlinear models exhibiting high R(2) statistics (0.907 and 0.883, respectively). However, there was no regression relationship between changes (poststorage - prestorage) in effective ruminal disappearance of NDF and spontaneous heating, regardless of which heating measure was used as the independent variable. The close regression relationship between DeltaK(d) and measures of spontaneous heating indicates clearly that ruminal NDF disappearance was altered negatively by some direct or indirect aspect of spontaneous heating. However, it was equally apparent that these effects were offset by an expanding pool of dry matter recovered as potentially degradable NDF.

Urea metabolism in beef steers fed tall fescue, orchardgrass, or gamagrass hays

Two experiments were conducted to assess effects of endophyte treatments (Exp. 1), forage species (Exp. 2), and supplementation (Exp. 2) on urea production, excretion, and recycling in beef steers. Infusion of (15,15)N-urea and enrichment of urea in urine samples were used to calculate urea-N entry and recycling to the gut. Acceptably stable enrichment of (15)N-urea in urine was obtained after 50 h of intrajugular infusion of (15,15)N-urea, indicating that valid data on urea metabolism can be obtained from steers fed forages twice daily. After adjustment by covariance for differences in N intake among treatments in Exp. 1, steers fed endophyte-infected tall fescue had less (P<0.10) urea-N entry, recycling to the gut, and return of recycled urea-N to the ornithine cycle than those fed endophyte-free or novel endophyte-infected tall fescue. However, urea-N urinary excretion or return to the gut was similar among endophyte treatments when expressed as a proportion of urea-N entry. Urea-N entry and return to the gut in Exp. 2 was similar in steers fed gamagrass or orchardgrass hay after adjustment by covariance for differences in N intake. Less (P<0.01) urinary excretion, expressed as grams per day or as a proportion of urea-N entry, with gamagrass than with orchardgrass was associated with faster in vitro NDF-N digestion with gamagrass. Supplementation of gamagrass or orchardgrass with 1.76 kg/d of readily fermentable fiber and starch decreased urea entry (P<0.06) and urinary excretion of urea (P<0.01). Interactions between hay source and supplement reflected a greater response to supplementation for steers fed orchardgrass than for those fed gamagrass. After adjustment for differences among treatments in N supply, results of both experiments support the concept of improved N use in response to increased carbohydrate fermentability in the rumen, due either to inherent differences in forage fiber or to supplementation with readily fermentable carbohydrate (starch or fiber). Closer coordination of ruminal fermentation of carbohydrate and N sources provided greater and more efficient capture of dietary N as tissue protein in forage-fed steers.

Effects of fescue type and sampling date on the nitrogen disappearance kinetics of autumn-stockpiled tall fescue

Two tall fescue [Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbysh] forages, one an experimental host plant/endophyte association containing a novel endophyte that produces low or nil concentrations of ergot alkaloids (HM4) and the other a typical association of Kentucky 31 tall fescue and the wild-type endophyte (Neotyphodium coenophialum; E+), were autumn-stockpiled following late-summer clipping and fertilization with 56 kg/ha of N to assess N partitioning and ruminal disappearance kinetics of N for these autumn-stockpiled tall fescue forages. Beginning on December 4, 2003, sixteen 361 +/- 56.4-kg replacement dairy heifers were stratified by weight and breeding, and assigned to one of four 1.6-ha pastures (2 each of E+ and HM4) that were strip-grazed throughout the winter. Pastures were sampled before grazing was initiated (December 4), each time heifers were allowed access to a fresh pasture strip (December 26, January 15, and February 4), and when the study was terminated (February 26). Generally, fescue type and the fescue type x sampling date interaction exhibited only minor effects on total forage N, or partitioning of N within the cell solubles or the cell wall. For pregrazed forages, concentrations of N and N partitioned within the cell solubles both declined in a strongly linear relationship with sampling dates. In contrast, concentrations of cell-wall-associated N changed in erratic and often higher-ordered relationships with time, but the magnitude of these responses generally was limited. Unlike the partitioning of N within cell-wall and cell-soluble fractions, kinetic characteristics of ruminal N disappearance frequently exhibited interactions of fescue type and sampling date. For pregrazed forages, these included interactions for all response variables, and for postgrazed forages, fractions B and C, as well as rumen degradable protein. Ruminal disappearance rate for pregrazed E+ and HM4 exhibited quadratic (range = 0.057 to 0.082/h) and cubic (range = 0.057 to 0.075/h) relationships with time, respectively. For postgrazed E+ and HM4 forages, ruminal disappearance rate was unaffected (mean = 0.066/h) or only tended to be affected by sampling date (mean = 0.065/h), respectively. Concentrations of rumen degradable protein exhibited various curvilinear relationships with sampling dates, but disappearance was consistently extensive, and the overall range was relatively narrow (71.3 to 78.9% of N). These findings suggest that ruminal disappearance of N for autumn-stockpiled tall fescue forages remains extensive throughout the winter months and is only affected minimally by fescue type, sampling date, and grazing status.