Grass Age in Weeks

Chemical

Analysis

3

6

9

12

15

18

21

24

27

Overall

Mean

SEM

LSD

DM%

80.88^c

82.75^c

91.49^cc

90.77^d

9525^b

95.09^b

91.17^d

93.93^c

96.60^a

89.77

1.22

^**

Ash%

13.15

11.91

11.06

11.63

9.17

12.23

10.72

12.19

13.03

11.73

0.99

NS

OM%

86.85

88.09

88.64

87.38

89.29

87.78

89.29

87.81

86.67

88.42

0.68

NS

CP%

5.05^d

5.05^d

7.72^c

8.09^b

9.58^a

7.28^c

5.08^d

3.75^d

4.49^d

6.21

0.48

^*

CF%

22.26^d

24.00^d

24.23^d

31.26^c

44.03^a

24.25^d

41.46^b

33.73^c

23.70^d

29.88

1.14

^***

EE%

5.30^c

6..03^b

7.20^a

4.38^d

5.88^c

3.79^d

6.66^c

3.61^d

2.80^c

4.96

0.38

^*

NFEE%

37.26^c

34.18^d

34.35^d

37.70^c

48.25^a

38.26^b

38.80^b

37.80^c

49.83^a

39.60

1.07

^**

NDF%

36.23^c

59.80^b

54.68^c

45.38^d

47.50^d

64.79^a

61.25^b

63.38^a

64.05^a

54.67

1.02

^***

Hemi-Cellulose%

4.48^f

21.09^b

8.27^f

6.99^f

8.99^f

19.12^c

11.90^c

15.22^d

30.11^a

14.00

1.42

^***

ADF%

31.75^d

38.72^b

46.36^a

38.39^b

35.81^c

46.67^a

49.35^a

45.66^a

33.94^c

40.74

1.48

^**

Cellulose%

14.05^d

12.98^d

29.55^a

23.37^b

14.50^d

30.44^a

24.21^b

24.99^b

20.09^c

21.47

2.32

^**

Lignin%

9.70^e

12.49^c

16.81^d

15.02^d

21.34^c

22.24^c

25.14^b

31.56^a

33.86^a

19.24

1.44

^**

ME MJ/kg/DM

12.85^b

12.06^b

12.40^b

11.37^c

13.66^a

9.39^d

11.86^c

9.65^d

9.80^d

11.44

0.41

^*