Investigation on change of forage quality at harvesting, during hay making and storage of hay harvested at different growth stages in the Adamawa plateau of Cameroon

摘要

Anexperimentwascarriedouttoassessthedrymatterandnutrientlossduringhaymakingandstorageofhayfromnative(dominatedbyHyparrheniaspecies)andcultivated(BrachiariaruziziensisGermainandEvrard)pastureattheWakwaResearchCentreofCamerooninthesubtropicalAfrica.Thedrymatterandqualitylosseswereassessedforthreestagesofthepastureregrowth(8,0and12weeks)atharvesting,atbalingandatstorageofthehayfordifferentlengthofweeks(0,12and20weeks).nbsp;Thereweresignificantdifferencesinyieldandqualitybetweenharvestedpastureanddriedhay,whichwereaffectedalsobypasturetypeandregrowthlength.TheDMyieldwasdecreasedduringthehaymakingprocessby12%,whichindicatesthegoodconditionsforhaymakinginthisregionofCameroonduringtheexperimentalperiod.Storageofhayinasheddidnotremarkablechangethequalityexcepttheproteincontent.ThequalityofBrachiariawashigherthanthenativepasturethroughouttheexperimentalperiodofstorage,howeverthequalitylossofBrachiariaathaycuttingcomparedtoatharvestingwashigh.Thelossofqualityevaluatedbyinvitroandinsitumethods(Nylonbagdegradabilityandenzymecellulasedegradability)showedinconsistentresults.