In order to establish the labor-saving grazing management of Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.) mixed sward in Hokkaido, animal performance in a fixed grazing system was compared with that under put-and-take grazing by Holstein steers (mean initial age; 6 months, body weight; 214kg). To reduce surplus herbage in fixed grazing, grazing was started at the plant length elongated to 5cm and the annual fertilization rate was decreased to one-third. As a result, grazing capacity of 504 cow-day/ha and 769kg body weight gain/ha were obtained under fixed grazing, and these were equivalent to about 80% under put-and-take grazing. Furthermore, body weight gain/head in the grazing season was comparable to that under put-and-take grazing (0.89kg/head). Therefore, a Kentucky bluegrass and white clover mixed sward may be of practical use under fixed grazing in Hokkaido.

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The root activity of Zoysia japonica Steud. seedlings that were transplanted on dung pats was measured using the α-naftil amine acid method. The root activity increased during 0-14 days after transplantation and decreased on day 28; however, the activity recovered after day 56. Further, at the completion of the experiment, the dry weight of the aboveground part of the seedlings, which were transplanted on dung pats, was obviously greater than that of the seedlings that were not transplanted on dung pats. These results show that although the nutrient contained in the dung temporarily depressed the root activity of the seedlings, its use led to an increase in the dry matter of the aboveground part of the seedlings.

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The objective of this study was, by in situ technique, to assess the effect of cultivar and processing method of rice grain on ruminal dry matter, starch and crude protein disappearances, digestion characteristics were measured in 9 cultivars (11 samples), and oat, wheat, flaked-corn as cultivar comparison, and in ground, steam-flaked, crushed, sprouted and brown rice as processing method comparison. The effective degradability of starch in rice grain was higher than that in corn, and lower than that in oat and wheat. The ruminal disappearance characteristics differed depending on the cultivar of rice, the disappearance rate and effective degradability of dry matter, starch and crude protein were highest in Momiroman. And the processing method affected the ruminal disappearance characteristics, the disappearance rate and effective degradability of starch were highest in steam-flaked rice among the processed rice grains. These results indicate that Momiroman is a type of rice with high degradability, and the steam-flaked treatment is the most effective method to digest starch in the rumen for rice grain.

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Wild boars cause grazing damage on temperate grasslands shortly after the grasslands are renovated. However, there is no available information regarding grazing damage in grasslands that are not renovated. We investigated the relationship between grazing damage and grassland renovation. We counted fecal groups of free-living wild boars and measured the aboveground plant biomass inside and outside protective cages in 3 grasslands during the winters. Grassland use, estimated by the number of fecal groups, was spatially concentrated in the grassland in the year it was renovated, whereas no concentration was found in the years the grasslands were not renovated. The standing biomass was lower outside the cages than that inside because of the grazing behavior of the wild boars only in the renovated grasslands, whereas there were significant differences in all the 3 grasslands when no renovation was carried out. The highest average proportion of consumption was 75.8% of the total biomass inside the cages in the year when the grasslands were not renovated. These results indicate that serious grazing damage by wild boar occurs even in temperate grasslands that are not renovated. Therefore, grazing damages should be assessed using protective cages, and countermeasures should be applied to reduce these damages.

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Round baled silage was processed with a dwarf variety of late-heading type (DL) napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach) to examine the fermentative quality, palatability, and total digestible nutrients (TDN) concentration. Persistence and year-round production of DL napiergrass was also examined, judging by the temporal change in the yield and winter survival rate in four years after establishment. The fermentative quality of DL napiergrass silage processed at the matured stage was better than that at the juvenile stage. The palatability of DL napiergrass silage by Japanese Black breeding cattle was higher than that of sorghum or sudangrass silage, although the fermentative quality of DL napiergrass silage was estimated to be lower than that of other species. The TDN concentrations in DL napiergrass silage determined through two digestion trials by Japanese Black breeding cattle were 55.2% and 59.3%, which correspond to an estimate of grain-typed sorghum silage at the dough stage. The DL napiergrass maintained a satisfactory winter survival rate at greater than 90% and showed stable dry matter productivity in four years after establishment. These results suggest that DL napiergrass is useful as a perennial herbaceous plant without reestablishment, and can be processed as round bale silage with superior palatability, compared with the examined sorghum and sudangrass in northern Kyushu.

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The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of replacing alfalfa hay cubes (AC) with pellets consisted of 50% moso-bamboo trunks and leaves, 40% soybean curd residue and 10% soy sauce cake on a DM basis (BSSP). The crude protein of BSSP was similar to AC, but the ether extract of BSSP was higher than that of AC. In order to clarify the digestibility and nutritive value of BSSP, three goats were fed diets consisting of 35% BSSP and 65% AC on a DM basis or AC only. The estimated total digestible nutrient of BSSP was 59.7% on a DM basis. In a palatability test using 21 dairy cows, BSSP showed superior palatability to the pellets consisted of moso-bamboo only (P<0.05). In feeding trial using four lactating dairy cows, no significant difference was observed in DM intake, milk production and plasma metabolites between the diets containing 10% BSSP or AC. These results indicate that BSSP can replace AC as 10% of the diet of lactating dairy cows.

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Microorganism composition of high moisture Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) and its fermentation characteristics of silage inoculated with lactic acid bacteria was studied. Three Italian ryegrass cultivars of Akiaoba, Nagahahikari and Tachiwase with the moisture more than 80% were harvested at the boot stage. Silages were prepared by using a small-scale system of silage fermentation and treated with control, a selected bacteriosin-producing strain RO50 (Lactococcus lactis) or a commercial inoculant Chikuso-1 (Lactobacillus plantarum). The water-soluble carbohydrate content in these cultivars were 8.3-11.5% on a dry matter basis. Overall, the counts of microorganisms were 10^5-10^6 aerobic bacteria (counts are CFU/g fresh forage), 10^3 or few mold and 10^5-10^6 coliform bacteria in these cultivars. The count of lactic acid bacteria in Akiaoba and Tachiwase was 10^3-10^4CFU/g, but in Nagahahikari could not be detected. Clostridia were detected as 10^1CFU/g in Tachiwase. All control silages were not well preserved with relatively high pH value and butyric acid content, but low lactic acid content. While silages inoculated with Chikuso-1 had higher lactic acid contents (p<0.01) and lower pH compared to the control and strain RO50 inoculated silage.

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In Japan, the use of abandoned cultivated land for cattle grazing has been increasing. To establish a simple method for estimating the grazing capacity of abandoned cultivated land, we first examined several methods for the estimation of herbage mass based on plant cover, community height, and a combination of both. The following equation was used for the estimation of the herbage mass, i.e., B (g DM m^<-2>), based on community height, i.e., H (cm), B=0.0233H^2+0.672H+92.3. The accuracy of the herbage mass estimation was higher when community height was used as the key parameter rather than plant cover (%); the product of plant cover and community height and its multiple regression analysis. After classifying the data for 2 main dominant species, we determined that the residuals did not depend on the differences between dominant species based on the results of residual analysis to estimate herbage mass from community height. There was no significant correlation between the proportion of monocotyledons in the total herbage mass, as an indicator of the species composition, and the residuals. Therefore, it was suggested that the accuracy of the estimation was not affected by the differences in dominant species or species composition. On the basis of these results, we propose that herbage mass should be estimated using community height.

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The ability of Pleurotus cornucopiae var. citrinopileatus Pc82-1 (P. cornucopiae 82-1) to improve in vitro degradability of wheat straw was evaluated. P. cornucopiae Pc82-1 was incubated on wheat straw substrate with or without rice bran (10, 30, and 50% on dry matter basis) for 15-90 days. The acid detergent fiber, acid detergent lignin and dry matter degradability by cellulase were determined. The dry matter content, acid detergent lignin and hemicellulose in the wheat straw substrate decreased remarkably by incubation with P. cornucopiae Pc82-1. The dry matter degradability by cellulase of the wheat straw substrate increased to 55% and the degradable dry matter increased to 189% of its initial weight after 45-day incubation with P. cornucopiae Pc82-1. However, addition of rice bran did not improve the substrate degradability.

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We developed a prototype of a round bale handling assister for whole crop rice silage. The prototype consists of: (a) main lifting belts, (b) bottom rope, (c) side belt, and (d) bottom rope holder. The main lifting belts bear the load of the round bale. The side belt restrains the round bale so that it does not fall off the assister. The bottom rope maintains the position of the main lifting belts at the bottom of the round bale. The prototype, which weighs 1.86kg, can be attached to and detached from the round bale by a single person independently. The prototype and surfaces of the round bales are not damaged during handling. We expect that this assister will enable stable handling of the round bales by commonly used forklifts and contribute to the long-distance distribution of bales.

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