Abstract
Abstract Energy‐to‐protein ratios have been suggested as a potential forage attribute related to nitrogen (N) use efficiency in dairy cows but how these ratios vary with the cutting management of alfalfa‐based mixtures is poorly known. Our objective was to determine the effect of cutting schedules of alfalfa‐based mixtures and their species composition on two forage energy‐to‐protein ratios from a large number of samples from four field experiments with previously published results on forage dry matter yield and nutritive value. The two energy‐to‐protein ratios were (1) nonfiber carbohydrates (NFC) to crude protein (CP), NFC/CP, and (2) NFC to the sum of nonprotein N (NPN) and rapidly degradable protein fraction (PB1), NFC/(NPN + PB1). Cutting alfalfa‐based mixtures at the early bloom stage rather than at the early bud stage of alfalfa and taking a fall harvest increased mostly the NFC/CP ratio. Including at least one grass species with alfalfa had variable effects on the two ratios. Although several grass species were tested, we cannot conclude on the best grass species to use. Observed increases in the energy‐to‐protein ratios, however, were relatively small (<8%) and not always consistent in different experiments. Because the relative changes in the energy (NFC) and protein (CP or NPN + PB1) components of the ratios often varied in the same direction when induced by cutting schedules or the presence of grasses with alfalfa, opportunities to improve energy‐to‐protein ratios with those practices remain limited.
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Claims 5
Claim · model-written summary
Cutting alfalfa-based mixtures at early bloom rather than early bud stage of alfalfa increased mostly the NFC/CP ratio.
- Taxon
- alfalfa
Medicago sativae1 - Treatment
- Cutting alfalfa‐based mixtures at the early bloom stagee1
- Outcome
- NFC/CP ratioe1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Comparator
- the early bud stage of alfalfae1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Cutting alfalfa‐based mixtures at the early bloom stage rather than at the early bud stage of alfalfa and taking a fall harvest increased mostly the NFC/CP ratio”
Claim · model-written summary
Taking a fall harvest increased mostly the NFC/CP ratio of alfalfa-based mixtures.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae1
- Treatment
- taking a fall harveste1
- Outcome
- NFC/CP ratioe1
- Direction
- increasede1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Cutting alfalfa‐based mixtures at the early bloom stage rather than at the early bud stage of alfalfa and taking a fall harvest increased mostly the NFC/CP ratio”
Claim · model-written summary
Including at least one grass species with alfalfa had variable effects on the two energy-to-protein ratios.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae1
- Treatment
- Including at least one grass species with alfalfae1
- Outcome
- the two ratiose1
- Direction
- variable effectse1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Including at least one grass species with alfalfa had variable effects on the two ratios”
Claim · model-written summary
Observed increases in the energy-to-protein ratios were relatively small, below 8%.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Outcome
- increases in the energy‐to‐protein ratiose1
- Value
- <8%e1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Observed increases in the energy‐to‐protein ratios, however, were relatively small (<8%)”
t0“alfalfa”
Claim · model-written summary
Opportunities to improve energy-to-protein ratios through cutting schedules or grass inclusion remain limited.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Outcome
- opportunities to improve energy‐to‐protein ratios with those practices remain limitede1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“opportunities to improve energy‐to‐protein ratios with those practices remain limited”
t0“alfalfa”
The same questions in other papers
pruning · quality: sugar starch · Medicago sativa (alfalfa)Positive and negative results
2 papers in the same direction as this paper · 6 in the opposite direction
- negative
- negative
- no effect
5 papers more in this group
See all 9 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.