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POTASSIUM IN RANGE SUPPLEMENTS.
Abstract
Winter grazing, a practice of deferring a portion of the seasons pasture forage growth to be utilized as winter feed is widely practiced throughout the western United States and other grazing areas of the world. Mature grasses are known to be of poor quality due to their low digestibility and because they contain inadequate levels of carotene, phosphorous and protein for most grazing animals. Limited investigations also indicate that mature range forage does not contain adequate potassium for growing calves. However, the potassium requirement of cattle making moderate gains on low quality rations has not been well defined. The reason for a lack of information in this area is presumably because ruminants usually consume a diet containing large quantities of forage. Generally forage is utilized during an actively growing phase of its life cycle when it contains substantial amounts of potassium. However, as grasses mature, potassium is rapidly translocated out of the maturing tissue. Native grasses during the growing season contain relatively low potassium levels compared to cultivated forages, hence, as they mature, potassium levels may become quite low.
Subject Area
Animal sciences
Recommended Citation
KARN, JAMES FREDERICK, "POTASSIUM IN RANGE SUPPLEMENTS." (1976). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI7625874.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI7625874