Progress 07/01/02 to 06/30/06
Outputs
All experiments and laboratory work for this project have been completed. A MS student on the projecrt completed her thesis in June and is now preparing manuscripts for publication.In general, this study showed that forage kochia can provide and important nutritional compliment to dry, mature range forage that would be comsumed under winter grazing conditions. Its digestibility is around 50% in mixed diets with dry grass and it has the ability to increase overall intake of the diet. It is highly palatable to cattle in either pure or mixed diets. The 50:50 grass:kochia diet of our trials met or exceeded nutritional requirements for both protein and energy for mature, gestating, free-grazing cows under winter range conditions. It provided 3.7 g/kg metabolic body weight of metabolizable protein with respect to a requirement of 3.8 g and a positive nitrogen balance of 34.6 g N per day. It also provided 16.5 Mcal of metabolizable energy per day with respect to a requirement
of about 8.5 Mcal. While it is unlikely that free-grazing range cows would consume diets containing as much as 50% forage kochia, this plant's ability to supply both protein and energy and its tendency to increase intake of low-quality mature range grass argues strongly for including any amount of this plant in the forage mix for wintering cows. This would be done by including it in seeding mixes for re-seeding rangelands. Other research has shown the plant to be highly drought tolerant and easy to establish from seed.
Impacts
Forage Kochia has potential to save Intermountain area ranchers thousands of dollars annually in winter feed bills. It can provide a source of nutritious, grazable winter forage when used in combination with native or introduced grasses, thereby alleviating the need for feeding hay and protein supplements. Our initial results indicate that savings of $0.50 per head per day can be expected under range conditions where Forage Kochia makes up about half of the forage consumed and dry grass makes up the balance. This would amount to savings of about $75 per cow over a typical 150-day winter season when hay would otherwise be fed.
Publications
- Wall, Alicia R. 2006. Nutrient utilization by steers on forage Kochia and low quality forage diets and simultaneous use of Yb and Dy to measure digesta kinectics of two forages. M.S. Thesis, Utah State University. 123.
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Progress 01/01/05 to 12/31/05
Outputs
Digestion/metabolism trials were completed in December, 2004, and laboratory analyses of feed, feces, rumen and urine samples have been recently completed. The MS student assigned to this project is now analyzing the data, and preparation of her thesis will begin in spring. Comprehensive publications on this project will be prepared in summer and fall of 2006.
Impacts
Forage Kochia has potential to save Intermountain area ranchers thousands of dollars annually in winter feed bills. It can provide a source of nutritious, grazable winter forage when used in combination with native or introduced grasses, thereby alleviating the need for feeding hay and protein supplements. Our initial results indicate that savings of $0.50 per head per day can be expected under range conditions where Forage Kochia makes up about half of the forage consumed and dry grass makes up the balance. This would amount to savings of about $75 per cow over a typical 150-day winter season when hay would otherwise be fed.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04
Outputs
Two metabolism trials, designed to determine the digestibility and metabolic availability of nutrients in Forage Kochia fed in mixed diets, have been completed. One was done in summer of 2003 and the second in fall of 2004. Laboratory analyses of forage, fecal, and urinary samples are now in progress. Preliminary analysis of 2003 data indicate that dry matter digestibility differed little among diets containing 25%, 50% or 75% kochia and, overall, averaged 52%. However, the total amount of food consumed increased substantially with each additional increment of Kochia in the diet, ranging from 0.97% of body weight at 0% dietary kochia to 2.5% of body weight at 75% dietary Kochia. Grazing trials conducted to test the relative preference of 25 breeder lines of Forage Kochia have also been completed. Cattle preference was greatest for the standard 'Immigrant' line and one new accession. Data analyses are on-going and will relate preference to the plants' forage quality
attributes and morphological characteristics.
Impacts
Forage Kochia has potential to save Intermountain area ranchers thousands of dollars annually in winter feed bills. It can provide a source of nutritious, grazable winter forage when used in combination with native or introduced grasses, thereby alleviating the need for feeding hay and protein supplements. Our initial results indicate that savings of $0.50 per head per day can be expected under range conditions where Forage Kochia makes up about half of the forage consumed and dry grass makes up the balance. This would amount to savings of about $75 per cow over a typical 150-day winter season when hay would otherwise be fed.
Publications
- Stonecipher, C.A., K.C. Olson, J.C. Malechek and D.D. Carter. 2004. Intake and digestibility response to forage kochia (Kochia prostrata) in a low quality forage diet. Proc. Western Section, Amer. Soc. Animal Sci Corvallis, OR, 55. July.
- Davenport, B.W. 2004. Cattle Preference for Forage Kochia (Kochia prostrata) and its Relation to Forage Quality and Morphological Characteristics. M.S. Thesis, Utah State University, Logan, UT, Dec.
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Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03
Outputs
Digestion/metabolism trials on Forage Kochia diets were tested over the summer, using ruminally-cannulated steers confined to metabolism stalls. The following diets were fed in a 4x4 Latin Square design: 100% tall wheatgrass hay (W)(the control); 25% Kochia (K) & 75%W; 50%K & 50%W; and 75%K & 25%W. Intake, digestible dry matter, energy, and nitrogen were measured, as were rate-of-passage (by Ytterbium marker) and rate of digestion (by use of in situ nylon bag approach in a time series design). Samples from these trials are now undergoing lab analysis. The trials will be repeated beginning in May, 2004.
Impacts
The diets tested simulate those eaten by range cattle wintering on pastures where Forage Kochia has been planted. Results from these trials will allow predictions about animal performance when wintering on Kochia pastures.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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