Forage Quality and Grazing Performance of Beef Cattle Grazing Brown Midrib Grain Sorghum Residue

Authors

Jacob R. Geiss, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Andrea K. Watson, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Galen E. Erickson, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Terry J. Klopfenstein, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Josh R. Benton, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
William A. Griffin, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Robert B. Mitchell, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Jeffrey F. Pedersen, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

ORCID IDs

Andrea K. Watson

Date of this Version

2010

Comments

Published in 2009 Nebraska Beef Cattle Report (Lincoln, NE: December, 2008). Copyright © 2008 The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska.

Abstract

Two hybrids of grain sorghum, the AWheatland x RTx430 hybrid (CON) and its near isogenic brown midrib counterpart (BMR), were used in a 65-day residue grazing experiment. Grain sorghum was planted in 4 replications for each treatment within the same field, and grazed with 6 steers/replication. Samples of the sorghum residue were collected on days 1, 31, and 60 for neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and in vitro NDF digestibility analysis. Steers grazing the BMR treatment gained 1.55 lb/day while the steers grazing the CON treatment gained 1.32 lb/day (P = 0.14). The BMR and CON were similar in NDF (73.5%), but in vitro NDF digestibility increased by 9.9 percentage units in the leaf portion.