Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T23:04:28.688Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effect of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) cultivars on the milk yield of grazing dairy cows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 October 2012

C. M. Wims ,
M. McEvoy ,
L. Delaby ,
T. M. Boland  and
M. O'Donovan
C. M. Wims
Affiliation:
Department of Grassland Science, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
M. McEvoy
Affiliation:
Department of Grassland Science, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland
L. Delaby
Affiliation:
Institut National de Recherche Agronomique, Agrocampus Ouest, UMR 1348, Physiologie, Environement et Génétique Pour l'Animal et les Systémes d'Elevage, F-35590 Saint Gilles, France
T. M. Boland
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
M. O'Donovan*
Affiliation:
Department of Grassland Science, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland
*
† E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effect of four perennial ryegrass cultivars: Bealey, Astonenergy, Spelga and AberMagic on the milk yield and milk composition of grazing dairy cows. Two 4 × 4 latin square experiments were completed, one during the reproductive and the other during the vegetative growth phase of the cultivars. Thirty-two Holstein–Friesian dairy cows were divided into four groups, with each group assigned 17 days on each cultivar during both experiments. Within each observation period, milk yield and milk composition, sward morphology and pasture chemical composition were measured. During the reproductive growth phase, organic matter digestibility (OMD) was greater for Bealey and Astonenergy (P < 0.001; +1.6%). AberMagic contained a higher stem proportion (P < 0.01; +0.06) and a longer sheath height (P < 0.001; +1.9 cm). Consequently, cows grazing AberMagic recorded a lower milk yield (P < 0.001; −1.5 kg/day) and a lower milk solids yield (P < 0.001; −0.13 kg/day). During the vegetative growth phase, OMD was greater (P < 0.001; +1.1%) for Bealey, whereas the differences between the cultivars in terms of sward structure were smaller and did not appear to influence animal performance. As a result, cows grazing Bealey recorded a higher milk yield (P < 0.001; +0.9 kg/day) and a higher milk solids yield (P < 0.01; +0.08 kg/day). It was concluded that grass cultivar did influence milk yield due to variations in sward structure and chemical composition.

Keywords

perennial ryegrasscultivarsward structuredairy cowgrazing
Type
Breeding and genetics
Information
animal , Volume 7 , Issue 3 , March 2013 , pp. 410 - 421
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) 1990. Offical methods of Analysis, First supplememt to the 15th edition, Method 990.03.Google Scholar
Chacon, E, Stobbs, T 1976. Influence of progressive defoliation of a grass sward on the eating behaviour of cattle. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 27, 709–727.Google Scholar
Dillon, P, Roche, JR, Shalloo, L, Horan, B 2005. Optimising financial return from grazing in temperate pastures. In Utilisation of grazed grass in temperate animal systems (ed. JJ Murphy), pp. 131–147. Wageningen Academic Publishers, World Grassland Satellite Meeting Corr.Google Scholar
EC 2002. Statutory Instrument No.566. of 2002. European Communities (Amendment of Cruelty to Animals Act 1876) Regulations 2002.Google Scholar
Flores-Lesama, M, Hazard, L, Betin, M, Emile, JC 2006. Differences in sward structure of ryegrass cultivars and impact on milk production of grazing dairy cows. Animal Research 55, 25–36.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gately, TF 1984. Early versus late perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) for milk production. Irish Journal of Agricultural Research 23, 1–9.Google Scholar
Gilliland, TJ, Barrett, PD, Mann, RL, Agnew, RE, Fearon, AM 2002. Canopy morphology and nutritional quality traits as potential grazing value indicators for Lolium perenne varieties. The Journal of Agricultural Science 139, 257–273.Google Scholar
Gowen, N, O'Donovan, M, Casey, I, Rath, M, Delaby, L, Stakelum, G 2003. The effect of grass cultivars differing in heading date and ploidy on the performance and dry matter intake of spring calving dairy cows at pasture. Animal Research 52, 321–336.Google Scholar
Hacker, J, Minson, D 1981. The digestibility of plant parts. Herbage Abstracts 51, 459–482.Google Scholar
Hageman, I, Lantiga, WEA, Schlerpers, H, Neuteboom, JH 1993. Herbage intake, digestibility characteristics and milk production of a diploid and two tetraploid cultivars of perennial ryegrass. Proceedings of 17th International Grassland Congress, pp. 459–460.Google Scholar
Hodgson, J 1985. The control of herbage intake in the grazing ruminant. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 44, 339–346.Google Scholar
Kennedy, E, O'Donovan, M, Murphy, JP, Delaby, L, O'Mara, FP 2007. Effect of spring grazing date and stocking rate on sward characteristics and dairy cow production during midlactation. Journal of Dairy Science 90, 2035–2046.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Laredo, MA, Minson, DJ 1975. The voluntary intake and digestibility by sheep of leaf and stem fractions of Lolium perenne. Journal of British Grassland Society 30, 73–77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee, MRF, Harris, LJ, Moorby, JM, Humphreys, MO, Theodorou, MK, MacRae, JC, Scollan, ND 2002. Rumen metabolism and nitrogen flow to the small intestine in steers offered Lolium perenne containing different levels of water-soluble carbohydrate. Animal Science – Glasgow 74, 587–596.Google Scholar
McDonald, P, Edwards, RA, Greenhalgh, JFD, Morgan, CA 2002. Animal nutrition, 6th edition. Pearson Prentice Hall, London.Google Scholar
Miller, LA, Moorby, JM, Davies, DR, Humphreys, MO, Scollan, ND, MacRae, JC, Theodorou, MK 2001. Increased concentration of water-soluble carbohydrate in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.): milk production from late-lactation dairy cows. Grass and Forage Science 56, 383–394.Google Scholar
Morgan, DJ, Stakelum, G, Dwyer, J 1989. Modified neutral detergent cellulase digestibility procedure for use with the ‘Fibertec’ System. Irish Journal of Agricultural Research 28, 91–92.Google Scholar
O'Donovan, M, Delaby, L 2005. A comparison of perennial ryegrass cultivars differing in heading date and grass ploidy with spring calving dairy cows grazed at two different stocking rates. Animal Research 54, 337–350.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O'Donovan, M, Delaby, L, Peyraud, JL 2004. Effect of time of initial grazing date and subsequent stocking rate on pasture production and dairy cow performance. Animal Research 53, 489–502.Google Scholar
O'Donovan, M, Kennedy, E, Hennessy, D 2011. Turing grass into money. Irish Dairying Planning for 2015, 29 June 2011, Teagasc, Moorepark pp. 22–25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O'Donovan, M, Lewis, E, Boland, T, O'Kiely, P 2010. Requirements of future grass based rumninant production systems in Ireland. In Grasses for the future. Perennial ryegrass: current and future genetic potential (ed. M O'Donovan and D Hennessy), pp. 11–41. Teagasc, Ireland.Google Scholar
O'Riordan, EG, O'Kiely, P, Keane, MG 1998. Efficient beef production from grazed pasture. Teagasc, Ireland.Google Scholar
Parga, J, Peyraud, JL, Delagarde, R 2000. Effect of sward structure and herbage allownace on herbage intake and digestion by strip-grazing dairy cows. In Grazing management (ed. AJ Rook and PD Penning), pp. 61–66. British Grassland Society, British Grassland Conference, Harrogate, UK.Google Scholar
Robson, MJ, Ryle, GJA, Woledge, J 1988. The grass plant – its form and function. In The grass crop – the physiological basis of productio (ed. MB Jones and A Lazenby), pp. 25–83. Chapman and Hall Ltd, London, New York.Google Scholar
SAS 2005. SAS user's guide statistics. SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA.Google Scholar
Smit, HJ, Tas, BM, Taweel, HZ, Elgersma, A 2005a. Sward characteristics important for intake in six Lolium perenne varieties. Grass and Forage Science 60, 128–135.Google Scholar
Smit, HJ, Tas, BM, Taweel, HZ, Tamminga, S, Elgersma, A 2005b. Effects of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) cultivars on herbage production, nutritional quality and herbage intake of grazing dairy cows. Grass and Forage Science 60, 297–309.Google Scholar
Smit, HJ, Tamminga, S, Elgersma, A 2006. Dairy cattle grazing preference among six cultivars of perennial ryegrass. Agronomy Journal 98, 1213–1220.Google Scholar
Stakelum, G, Dillon, P 1990. Influence of sward structure and digestibility on the intake and performance of lactating and growing cattle. In Management issues for dairying in the 1990's (ed. CS Mayne), pp. 30–42. British Grassland Society, Occasional Symposium no. 25, Malvern, UK.Google Scholar
Stakelum, G, O'Donovan, M 1998. Grazing severity, sward digestibility and intake, and farm cover targets for profitable summer milk production. In The production of high quality milk from grass and other feeds (ed. JJ Murphy), pp. 1–16. Occasional Publication, Teagasc, Moorepark, Ireland.Google Scholar
Stockdale, CR, Cohen, DC, Doyle, PT 2001. Nutritive characteristics of irrigated perennial pastures in northern Victoria and the selection of nutrients by grazing dairy cows. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 41, 601–610.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tas, BM, Taweel, HZ, Smit, HJ, Elgersma, A, Dijkstra, J, Tamminga, S 2005. Effects of perennial ryegrass cultivars on intake, digestibility, and milk yield in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 88, 3240–3248.Google Scholar
Taweel, HZ, Tas, BM, Smit, HJ, Elgersma, A, Dijkstra, J, Tamminga, S 2005. Effects of feeding perennial ryegrass with an elevated concentration of water-soluble carbohydrates on intake, rumen function and performance of dairy cows. Animal Feed Science and Technology 121, 243–256.Google Scholar
Terry, RA, Tilley, JMA 1964. The digestibility of the leaves and stems of perennial ryegrass, cocksfoot, timothy, tall fescue, lucerne and sainfoin, as measured by an in vitro procedure. Grass and Forage Science 19, 363–372.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thomas, A 1977. An automated procedure for the determination of soluble carbohydrates in herbage. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 28, 639–642.Google Scholar
Van Soest, PJ, Robertson, JB, Lewis, BA 1991. Methods for dietary fibre, and non-starch polysaccharides in relation to animal nutrition. Journal of Dairy Science 74, 3583–3597.Google Scholar
Wade, MH 1991. Factors affecting the availability of vegetative Lolium perenneto grazing dairy cows with special reference to sward characteristics stocking rate and grazing method. PhD thesis, Universite de Rennes, France.Google Scholar
Wilkins, PW, Humphreys, MO 2003. Progress in breeding perennial forage grasses for temperate agriculture. The Journal of Agricultural Science 140, 129–150.Google Scholar