To investigate the effect of moisture content on the silage fermentation and intake by cattle, guineagrass and rhodesgrass were wilted to be 70, 60, 50 and 40% moisture contents and were ensiled into round bales. "Acetic acid silage" with high pH and low lactic acid content was made from high moisture materials. With the advance of wilting, lactic acid content increased up to 50% moisture content and then decreased. VFA and VBN content decreased with decreasing moisture content. The fermentation quality of silage was improved with decreasing moisture content. There were no significant differences in the dry matter intake of silages under various moisture levels. Breeding Japanese Black cattle ingested more dry matter from each silage than the maintenance level.

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Even though grazing on abandoned cultivated land is becoming popular, the exact area and productivity have not yet been estimated. It is necessary to evaluate the potential self-sufficiency rate of animal feed by estimating these values. Therefore, we estimated the grids of abandoned cultivated land by analyzing changes in land use, which significantly correlated with statistical data. The grids of abandoned cultivated land were analyzed by multiple regression analysis using the explanatory variables of vertical drop, maximum angle of inclination, density of valleys, and number of adjoining cultivation grids. The results show that the number of adjoining cultivation grids is most effective on estimating abandoned cultivated land. Other geological factors are also effective, but are not common among all prefectures. It was estimated that pastures with herbage plants have dry matter production of 2.29 million ton on abandoned cultivated land in Japan, and pastures with Zoysia japonica have dry matter production of 54% of pasture with herbage plants.

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The effect of 3 levels of nitrogen fertilization (90, 180 and 240 kgN/ha/year) on the sugar composition of the perennial ryegrass meadow and the fermentation quality of the silages made from it was investigated. The meadow was cut 3 times per year and the silage was made from each cut at each level of N application. The sugar composition of a perennial ryegrass sward (cut 9 times per year, every time when sward height reached 20 cm to simulate grazing) was also investigated. In general, the meadow contained more fructan than the simulated grazing sward. Water soluble carbohydrates (WSC) content of the meadow decreased as the rate of N application increased, mainly because of a decrease in fructan content. All the treatments, except one, gave silage of good fermentation quality. However, the meadow from the 2nd cutting at 240 kgN/ha gave poor quality silage because the WSC content was not sufficient for silage fermentation. Fermentation quality of silage was closely associated with WSC and fructan contents of materials. It is concluded that high rates of fertilizer N application (i.e., 240 kgN/ha/year) to ryegrass meadow reduced the WSC content, and especially fructan affected the silage fermentation quality of the meadow.

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This experiment aimed to clarify the chemical composition, characteristics of silage fermentation and nutritive value of the potato pulp silages which were ensiled with lactic acid bacteria inoculants or without those additives. The potato pulp was ensiled with Lactbacillus plantarum inoculants (treatment LPS) or without additives (treatment PPS) in steel silos (200 L). Despite a high moisture of the potato pulp, its silage showed good fermentative quality with low pH and low concentration of ammonia-N regardless of the use of additives. Crude protein contents of PPS and LPS were 43 and 44g/kg DM, respectively, and ADF contents were about 3 times of those of grains (flaked corn and flaked wheat). TDN contents of PPS and LPS were 76.2 and 77.6%, respectively. The potato pulp silages, both with or without additives, were degradated more rapidly in the rumen than grains. The results showed that ensiled potato pulp silages can be preserved in good condition if the silo is satisfactory sealed preventing exposure to air. Considering the high nutritive value of potato pulp silages, the silages can be utilized as self-supplied feed for dairy cow in Hokkaido.

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A four-year study was conducted to investigate the dry matter yield and nitrogen budget of ratoon-cropped forage rice on farm fields receiving 300kg/a manure, under various combinations of planting densities (18-80 plants/m^2) and chemical fertilizer rates (conventional=1.7 kg N/a, 1.1 or 1.3 kg P_2O_5/a, 1.1 or 1.3kg K_2O/a ; high =2.6 kg N/a, 1.3kg P_2O_5/a, 1.3kg K_2O/a). Rice plants were transplanted using a conventional rice planter (18-27 plants/m^2), a zigzag planter (40 plants/m^2) or a zigzag planter plus manual planting (80 plants/m^2). The annual dry matter yield over two harvests was the highest at a density of 40 plants/m^2, and increased as the chemical fertilizer rate increased, exceeding 200kg/ a when climatic conditions during the cultivation period favored plant growth. This high yield (200kg/a) was achieved by allowing plants to absorb more than 2.4kg N/a, which required application of chemical fertilizer N equivalent to more than 2.9 times that used in conventional cultivation for grain rice, in addition to 300kg/a manure.

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Chinese wild rye (Aneurolepidium chinense (Trin.) Kitag.) is widely distributed in Inner Mongolia of China, and is highly tolerant to salt. Therefore, this grass seems to be very useful for the recovery of saline desert. This study was conducted to clarify whether osmotic adjustment in this grass results in the salt tolerance, by comparing with perennial ryegrass (moderately salt tolerant) and meadow fescue (salt sensitive). Osmotic pressure in the roots of the three grasses increased twice in a similar manner by treatment with NaCl. The increase in the osmotic pressure of the three grasses was mainly due to increases in Na and Cl. On the other hand, K concentration decreased approximately by 30 and 60% by the treatment in Chinese wild rye and other two grasses, respectively. Osmotic pressure in the shoot of Chinese wild rye did not change by the treatment, while those of other two grasses increased by 30-50%. The results obtained suggest that osmotic pressure is not associated with the salt tolerance of Chinese wild rye. It was also shown that K decreases to a small extent in Chinese wild rye by the salt.

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Compatible ability of galega (Galega orientalis Lam.) with timothy (Phleum pratense L.) varieties was estimated with the dry matter yields and the ratio of legume in the mixture grasslands for 6 years after seeding. Growth of galega was not so vigorous as compared with that of timothy, and the establishment of timothy succeeded in their mixture grassland. The ratio of legume for galega was about 30% in average at 6th year. Mixture with galega kept vegetation which timothy was main species in the grassland, and it performed about 10% or 4% higher yield than that of mixture with alfalfa or red clover respectively. The competitive ability of galega was higher to a middle heading variety than early one of timothy. Results of this study indicate that galega has compatible characteristics with timothy in the mixture grassland.

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