Leaf tensile strength, "in vitro" digestibility, and fiber component relationships in tall fescue

In a forage breeding program it is necessary to identify germplasms with high forage quality, able to positively influence animal performance. The interrelationships between leaf tensile strength (LTS) and chemical composition parameters may provide a useful criterion for screening tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) for herbage quality in a breeding program. Seventy-one genetically diverse genotypes of tall fescue were randomly selected from a broad-based population to evaluate LTS (leaf tensile strength), in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), cellulose (CELL), lignin (ADL), hemicellulose (HEMI), ADL/ADF and ASH, to determine the associations among these traits with LTS, and the importance of LTS as a technique for screening tall fescue for herbage quality. Significant genetic variation was found in this gene pool for LTS. The majority of the correlations of LTS with IVDMD and with fiber components were not significantly different from zero while correlations of IVDMD with fiber components were highly significant and negative. As expected, character correlation repeatabilities between years were usually low. Path coefficient analysis showed that CELL and ADL were two important components with large direct effects on LTS and on IVDMD.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sleper, David A., Belyea, Ronald L., Matches, Arthur G.
Format: Digital revista
Language:eng
Published: Pesquisa Agropecuaria Brasileira 2014
Online Access:https://seer.sct.embrapa.br/index.php/pab/article/view/16331
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!