Nutritive value of hays from different growth stages of perennial soybean (Glycine javanica)

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to determine the nutritive value of perennial soja hay, cut in three different stages of plant growth; vegetative, start of blooming and full bloom. Hay from the first two stages had higher crude protein than alfafa with the same crude fiber content. No significant difference (p<0,05) was detected among the digestibility coefficients of crude protein of hay from the three stages studied. The TDN was highest for the full bloom stage. The highest digestible crude protein content and the narrowest nutritive ratio were observed in hay cut in the vegetative stage. Hay from perennial soja cut at all three stages of growth produced weight gain in all animals.