To evaluate the rice cultivar "Sprice" as a forage rice for double cutting cultivation in Kyushu district, we carried out field trials at two paddy fields over two years. The agronomic characteristics were compared with those of cultivars of different plant types. The dry matter yield of "Sprice" achieved 1,500gm^<-2> on the N- rich field. Damages from disease, insects and lodging were not observed. "Sprice" indicated stronger lodging and shattering resistances than cv. "Moretsu" and cv. "Te-tep". These results indicate that "Sprice" has good agronomical traits as forage rice for a ratoon cropping use. Plant height was a more important characteristic for higher yielding than the tiller number.

View full abstract

To clarify cultivation conditions that maximize the dry matter yield of forage rice cultivar 'Sprice' in double cutting cultivation, we investigated the effects of fertilizer application rate, planting density, and cutting time on the yield. The following conditions maximized the total dry matter yield and improved the yield balance between the first and second crops: (a) total nitrogen application rate was over 1.8 times of that in the conventional cultivation for grain rice; (b) planting density was 55m^<-2>; (c) the first and second harvesting times were a few days after heading and the yellow ripening stage, respectively. Under these conditions, the risk of lodging became lower and the dry matter yield was higher than those under single cutting.

View full abstract

This study evaluated a neckband bite counter (BC) attached to a collar on sheep, to count biting jaw movements. This device was constructed for detecting biting jaw movements in cattle. A GPS (global positioning system) was also fitted for tracking sheep movement. The mean biting rate of sheep was 58.2 bites per 10 minutes which was 5 times greater than for cattle. Based on 26 observations of actual biting rate, the relationship between bite number estimated by BC and number of actual biting jaw movements from direct observation showed significantly high correlation (R^2=0.804, P<0.001), indicating that the true value of biting jaw movements may be predicted by using this relationship. Both 2 and 3-year old sheep had similar liveweight gains with and without fitted measurement devices, however, 4-year old sheep with the devices grew more slowly than 4-year olds without (P<0.05). The combination of BC and GPS technologies can be used to estimate the spatial patterns of grazing pressure at a farm scale and, moreover, can be used to examine the relationships between local landscape features and local grazing pressure patterns.

View full abstract

Contents of digestible carbohydrate in three forages and four concentrates was estimated as an available energy in feeds by two methods, the National Research Council (NRC) method and an enzymatic analysis method. The NRC method was based on a model using contents of neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, lignin, crude protein, crude fat, acid detergent insoluble crude protein and neutral detergent insoluble crude protein. The enzyme analysis method was based on contents mainly of organic cell wall, Oa and Ob fraction in cell wall and non-structural carbohydrate fraction (NCWFE). Digestible carbohydrate is ketogenic, glucogenic and aminogenic precursors in the tissues of lactating cows and contributes to milk production. From ten feeding experiments using lactating cows, it was observed that 1 kg of digestible carbohydrate produced 0.12±0.01kg of lactose. This value (0.12) may be used as nutritional guideline of digestible carbohydrate. Lactose yield can be calculated as 0.12×digestible carbohydrate intake (kg). And also, milk yield was accurately predicted from lactose yield using the following equation obtained dairy farmers lactating data. Milk yield (kg/day)=0.019×Lactose (g/day)+5.2 (r=0.96, P<0.01). Using this prediction methods, digestible carbohydrate contents and milk yield were estimated for 46 imported grass hays used in Japanese dairy farms (i.e. timothy hay, sudangrass hay, oat hay, bermudagrass hay). It was shown that there are considerable variations in the feed values among the hays.

View full abstract

Fermentation quality and palatability of floating rice plant (Oryza sativa L.), phasey bean (Macroptilium lathyroides (L.) Urb.), and mixed silages were investigated for ensiling in laboratory silos and bag silos. In Experiment 1, floating rice plant (strain Gour Kajol (FRC8) or Rayada (FRC14)) and phasey bean were ensiled in laboratory silos (1-litre polyethylene silo, about 700g) with varying compositions of the materials (0, 12.5, 25, 50 and 100% phasey bean on a fresh weight basis). After storing for 47 days, the silos were opened and silage samples were analyzed for fermentation quality and V-SCORE calculation. Floating rice plant materials showed high mono- and oligo-saccharide content, and the resulting silages showed high fermentation quality. Mixing phasey bean into the floating rice plants improved the crude protein content and fermentation quality of silage, as indicated by higher lactic acid production. In Experiment 2, FRC8 and phasey bean were ensiled in bag silos (about 10kg) with varying compositions of the materials (0, 50 and 100% phasey bean on a fresh weight basis). Silages were fed to Holstein cows and were tested for palatability by the cafeteria method. Floating rice plant silage, phasey bean silage and mixed silages showed high fermentation quality. The dry matter intake was highest for phasey bean silage>mixed silage of phasey bean into floating rice plant>floating rice plant silage.

View full abstract

The flail-type roll baler for harvesting fodder rice could also be used for harvesting grass and forage crops. In our first experiment, we harvested two forage grasses by a flail-type roll baler and prepared them as wilted or unwilted silages. We then compared the fermentation qualities of the two types of silages. The fermentation quality of Italian ryegrass silage prepared by a flail-type roll baler was improved by wilting. This tendency, however, was not recognized in fodder barley silage. In the second experiment, we ensiled forage grasses (4 species, 6 varieties) harvested with either a flail-type roll baler or a conventional system (mower, tedder and cutting roll baler), and compared their fermentation qualities. Silages prepared by a flail-type roll baler generally showed higher V-score values than those by the conventional system, with higher lactic acid contents and lower values of pH and [volatile basic nitrogen]/[total nitrogen] ratio. The fermentation quality of forage grass silages harvested by the flail-type roll baler was better than that of silages from grasses harvested by the conventional system.

View full abstract

Round bale silages of rice straw were prepared with or without addition of a selected strain of lactic acid bacteria, Lactobacillus plantarum Chikuso-1, to compare fermentation quality, dry matter intake and nutritive value. After 8 months of fermentation, silage treated with strain Chikuso-1 was better preserved than the control silage, showing a lower pH and higher lactic acid content. The mold-generating portion in the treated and control silages were 0 and 30% on a fresh matter basis, respectively. The voluntary feed intake by sheep was higher in the treated silage than in the control. The treated silage also showed a tendency for higher contents of total digestible nutrient (43.2 vs. 41.7%) and digestible energy (7.98 vs. 7.71 MJ/kg DM) than the control silage. The results show that addition of strain Chikuso-1 improves fermentation quality, dry matter intake and nutritive value of round bale silage of rice straw.

View full abstract

By using three Japanese Black cows as test animals, the digestion trial was carried out to examine the nutritive value of treatments of amino acid by-product (AABP) addition and germination in unhulled rice (cv. Haenuki). Experimental rice crop was harvested at a full-ripe stage and compounded to basal diet at 30% on a dry matter basis. Loss of dry matter and energy by germination treatment was as low as about 1% until 3 days after germination. The crude protein digestibility in treatments of AABP and germination was higher and the digestibilities of nitrogen free extract, crude fiber, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber tended to be higher in germination treatment than in no treatment. As a result, total digestible nutrients, digestible crude protein and digestible energy in germination treatment tended to be higher than in no treatment. The excretion rate of unhulled rice and the accumulation of nitrogen tended to be improved by AABP and germinated treatments. It was suggested that unhulled rice digestibility in cattle would be higher by treatments of AABP addition and germination. It seemed in particular that a digestion improvement effect strongly appeared by germination treatment.

View full abstract

Three festulolium (×Festulolium braunii) cultivars, Felina (fescue type), Paulita (ryegrass type), and Evergreen (ryegrass type; already marketed), were compared in yield and feeding characteristics with advancing growth of the first crop in Morioka (northeastern Japan) for 4 years from 2001 to 2004. The dry matter yields of the first crop were similarly high in Paulita and Evergreen for 4 years while those of Felina tended to be lower than the other cultivars. Fiber contents appearing in organic cell wall (OCW) and low-digestible cell wall (Ob) fractions increased with advancing growth in every variety. The increases in the fiber contents of OCW and Ob with advancing growth were higher in Felina than in the other 2 varieties. From these results, Felina is suitable for the fiberous herbage production, and for regions where the processing season of the first crop usually suffers unstable weather. On the other hand, Paulita is suitable to the high-nutritious herbage production for dairy cows. In conclusion, farmers should select the most suitable cultivars of festulolium for their necessity in feeding characteristics.

View full abstract

Thirty-seven ecotypes of Z. matrella and Z. tenuifolia collected from Southwest Islands of Japan were investigated for 6 morphological characteristics and covering gain. Based on morphological characteristics and covering gain, cluster analysis showed that 37 ecotypes and 4 cultivars could be classified into 3 major groups. These groups are Z. matrella except Oujima 1 and Miyakojima (Cluster I group), Z. tenuifolia except Minatogawa 2 (Cluster II group) and Tanegashima 2 (Cluster III group). Due to high correlations between leaf width and other morphological characteristics, zoysiagrass ecotypes could be classified into two species. Moreover, covering gain showed high correlations with leaf width, plant height and runner length. The zoysiagrass ecotypes that have high covering gain can be selected easily by using fractal analysis system.

View full abstract

Differences in food plant species and rumen digestion status of wild sika deer between spring (April-May) and autumn (October-November) in the western part of Yamaguchi prefecture, Japan, were studied. Ingested plant species were enumerated by the point-frame method (n=41), and rumen digestion status was evaluated by the rumen particle pool analysis (n=24) using rumen samples obtained from captured adult sika deer. A range of plant species was observed in the rumen digesta; and food habits differed between spring and autumn. Sika deer consumed forbs and browse leaves in spring, while they ate browse leaves and acorns markedly in autumn. Weight of rumen digesta and mean rumen particle size were greater (P<0.05) in autumn than those in spring. Degradability of dry matter and neutral detergent fiber seemed to be greater in spring than those in autumn. It was noticeable that the substantial part of lignin of ingested acorns and fallen foliage was degraded ruminally in autumn. The ruminal protein degradation was not depressed by the tanniniferous food consumption; and the protein degradability seemed to be almost similar between the seasons. It was suggested that the seasonal differences in ruminal digestion and digesta outflow of wild sika deer might be due to the changes in quantity and quality of food plants available to sika deer through the year in the area studied.

View full abstract

To investigate the effect of moisture content on the silage fermentation of tropical grasses, guineagrass (Panicum maximum Jacq.) wilted for 6 hours was ensiled into laboratory bag silos. The silos were kept in the room temperature, and then were opened on 2, 7, 15, 30 and 90 days after ensiling. The moisture contents were ca. 70% in wilted silage and ca. 80% in non-wilting (control) silage. In the initial stages of ensiling, pH of the wilted silage was slightly lower than the control silage, but at the end there was no difference. Lactic acid content of the wilted silage was significantly higher than control silage throughout ensiling. On the other hand, wilted silage was significantly lower than control silage in acetic acid, butyric acid and volatile basic nitrogen (VBN) contents. These results indicated that the light-wilting increased lactic acid and decreased acetic acid, butyric acid and VBN. Therefore, high moisture content may be one of the reasons why the acetic acid silage is produced from tropical grasses.

View full abstract