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Forage accumulation and nutritive value of reduced lignin and reference alfalfa cultivars

A. Grev,M. Wells,D. Samac,K. Martinson,C. Sheaffer

Published 2017 in Agronomy Journal

ABSTRACT

2749 A lfalfa is widely used as forage for livestock due to its high nutrient content (Marita et al., 2003; Yu et al., 2003). However, the digestibility and utilization of alfalfa by these animals is hampered by its lignin content (Sewalt et al., 1997; Casler et al., 2002). Lignin is a complex structural polymer that is the second most abundant component of secondary plant cells walls (Li et al., 2015b), providing the strength and rigidity necessary for the plant to stand upright (Inoue et al., 1998; Guo et al., 2001a). As a plant matures, lignin concentration increases, fi lling the space between cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin molecules and forming cross-linkages with hemicellulose (Albrecht et al., 1987; Jung et al., 1997b; Inoue et al., 1998; Casler and Vogel, 1999). While it is essential for normal plant growth, the deposition of lignin into plant cell walls can reduce the feeding value of alfalfa by negatively aff ecting rumen microbial degradation and the digestion of feed by intestinal enzymes (Buxton and Hornstein, 1986; Liu and Yu, 2011). Lignifi cation has been reported to be the major factor limiting both the in vitro digestibility of plant cell-wall polysaccharides (Morrison, 1979; Albrecht et al., 1987; Jung et al., 2012) and the in vitro dry matter digestibility (DMD) of whole plant forage (Casler, 1986, 1987; Reddy et al., 2005). Th ese negative eff ects have primarily been associated with lignin concentration, as numerous studies have found strong negative correlations between lignin concentrations and forage digestibility (Albrecht et al., 1987; Casler, 1987; Jung et al., 1997a, 1997b; Reddy et al., 2005). With such a strong infl uence on forage digestibility, small decreases in the lignin concentration of forages can be expected to improve the fi ber digestibility at any plant maturity stage (Casler, 1987; Undersander et al., 2009). Predictions by Casler (1987) estimated that a single unit decrease (g kg–1) in the concentration of ADL of smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis L.) would result in a 7.0 unit increase in in vitro DMD. Feeding and grazing studies have shown that small changes in forage digestibility can signifi cantly impact animal performance. For Forage Accumulation and Nutritive Value of Reduced Lignin and Reference Alfalfa Cultivars

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