Cell wall content and fermentation parameters of two common grass species at three growth stages from pasture of western region of Iran

Abstract

Abstract :The type of plant species present in any range depends on their adaptation for survival. The effect of different growth stages on cell wall content and kinetics of fermentation from Festuca ovina and Aegilops spp (as the main annual grass) was determined. With increasing growth stage, NDF and ADF increased and potential gas production (A) in both grasses (p<0.05) but only the rate of fermentation (c) of Aegilops spp at three stages of growth was significantly different (p<0.05). It was concluded that although advance in stage of maturity was associated with an increase in cell wall content and a decrease in total gas production but change in the rate at which the gas was produced with maturity was different in the two grasses.