Variation in potential feeding value of triticale forage among plant fraction, maturity stage, growing season and genotype

Anneleen De Zutter; Sofie Landschoot; Pieter Vermeir; Chris Van Waes; Hilde Muylle; Isabel Roldán-Ruiz; Laid Douidah; Johan De Boever; Geert Haesaert

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12760

Variation in potential feeding value of triticale forage among plant fraction, maturity stage, growing season and genotype

Heliyon. 2022 Dec 30;9(1):e12760. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12760. eCollection 2023 Jan.

Authors

Anneleen De Zutter¹, Sofie Landschoot¹, Pieter Vermeir², Chris Van Waes³, Hilde Muylle³, Isabel Roldán-Ruiz^{3

4}, Laid Douidah⁵, Johan De Boever⁵, Geert Haesaert¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Diepestraat 1, 9820 Bottelare, Belgium.
² Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Valentin Vaerwyckweg 1, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
³ Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), Plant Sciences Unit, Caritasstraat 39, 9090 Melle, Belgium.
⁴ Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, Technologiepark Zwijnaarde 71, 9052 Zwijnaarde, Belgium.
⁵ Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), Animal Sciences Unit, Scheldeweg 68, 9090 Melle, Belgium.

Abstract

Cereal forages, such as triticale forage, progressively gain interest as alternative crop for maize. The main study objective was to investigate the variation in potential feeding value of triticale forage among maturity stage, growing season and genotype, using total plant and stem fractions. Therefore, near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was evaluated as fast screening tool. The prediction ability was good (ratio of prediction to deviation, RPD ≥3.0) for total plant residual moisture, starch, sugars and for stem crude ash (CAsh) and neutral detergent fibre (aNDFom); suitable for screening (2.0 ≤ RPD <3.0) for total plant CAsh, acid detergent fibre (ADFom), in vitro digestibility of organic matter (IVOMD), in vitro digestibility of neutral detergent fibre (IVNDFD) and for stem total lignin (TL) and IVNDFD; poor (1.5 ≤ RPD <2.0) for total plant crude protein, crude fat, aNDFom, lignin (sa) and for stem Klason lignin (KL); unreliable (RPD <1.5) for stem residual moisture and acid soluble lignin (ASL). The evolution in potential feeding value of 36 genotypes harvested at the medium and late milk to the early, soft and hard dough stage was followed. The most important changes occurred between the late milk and early dough stage, with little variation in quality after the soft dough stage. During 2 growing seasons, variation in feeding value of 120 genotypes harvested at the soft dough stage was demonstrated. Interestingly, variation in stem IVNDFD is almost twice as high as for the total plant (CV 12.4% versus 6.6%). Furthermore, Spearman correlations show no link between dry matter yield and digestibility of genotypes harvested at the soft dough stage. Based on linear regression models ADFom appears as main predictor of both plant IVOMD and plant IVNDFD. Stem IVNDFD is particularly determined by KL.

Keywords: 1-VR, determination coefficient of cross-validation; ADFom, acid detergent fibre expressed exclusive of residual ash; CAsh, crude ash; CELL, cellulose; CFat, crude fat; CP, crude protein; CV, coefficient of variation; DM, dry matter; DMY, dry matter yield; DOMY, digestible organic matter yield; Digestibility; Feeding value; Forage; GDD, growing degree days; HCELL, hemicellulose; IVNDFD, in vitro digestibilty of neutral detergent fibre; IVOMD, in vitro digestibility of organic matter; KL, Klason lignin; Lignin (sa), lignin determined by solubilisation of cellulose with sulphuric acid; MS, maturity stage; MSE, mean squared error; NIRS; NIRS, near infrared spectroscopy; RPD, ratio of prediction to deviation; SECV, standard error of cross-validation; STA, starch; SUG, sugars; Stem; TL, total lignin; Triticale; aNDFom, neutral detergent fibre assayed with a heat stable amylase and expressed exclusive of residual ash.