Seasonal changes of herbage quality within a New Zealand beef cattle finishing pasture

摘要

Abstract To estimate seasonal variation in herbage quality from a Friesian bull beef production system, 50 hand‐plucked herbage samples were taken approximately every 2 weeks from paddocks about to be grazed at the Tuapaka bull beef unit, Massey University, between December 1998 and February 2002. The pastures were perennial ryegrass and white clover. Herbage mass (kg DM ha–1) was estimated using a calibrated rising plate meter. Herbage samples were assessed for crude protein (protein), lipid, ash, acid detergent fibre (ADF), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), non‐structural carbohydrates (NSC), organic matter digestibility (OMD) and metabolisable energy content (ME) by near infra‐red spectroscopy. A correlation analysis between variables was performed and an analysis of variance was carried out by month and season using year as a block. Additionally, a Bayesian smoothing analysis was applied to the complete data set of ME and protein. Fibre variables (NDF and ADF) had the strongest relationship between thems...