The digestibility of diets containing processed dried lucerne by sheep and cows

A series of trials was conducted to compare the digestibility of organic matter in castrated male sheep and non-lactating and lactating cows given diets containing lucerne cobs. Similar digestibility coefficients were determined when sheep and non-lactating cows were given hay and lucerne cobs, but lactating cows digested diets of hay, lucerne cobs and concentrates less well than sheep. It is concluded that if sheep are used in digestibility trials with diets containing processed lucerne and concentrates intended for milking cows, appreciable errors of prediction of digestibility of organic matter may arise.     

Dalapon resistance at an early seedling stage in Lolium perenne

The inhibitory effect of the herbicide dalapon on germination and shoot elongation was evaluated in two perennial ryegrass cultivars, Melino RvP and Cropper. These cultivars had been shown to be dalapon resistant and susceptible, respectively, in a previous comparison of 14-week-old plants. Dalapon (10^-2 and 10^-3 m) significantly reduced rates of germination and shoot elongation to the same extent in both cultivars. It is suggested that the effects of dalapon on germination and shoot elongation during the first 9 days of development are not indicative of levels of resistance in more mature plants.