Carbohydrate and Protein Fractions of Fresh and Dried Common Vetch at Three Maturity Stages

• Published in: Agronomy journal 2001-09, Vol.93 (5), p.1006-1013
• Main Authors: Caballero, Rafael, Alzueta, Carmen, Ortiz, Luis T., Rodríguez, Maria Luisa, Barro, Carmen, Rebolé, Almudena
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; Chemical constitution; Economic plant physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
• ISSN: 0002-1962; 1435-0645
• DOI: 10.2134/agronj2001.9351006x

Mixed cereal and sheep (Ovis aries) production systems in the Mediterranean area and the Middle East region rely on annual forage legumes as a source of complementary forage. Fractionation of carbohydrates (CHO) and crude protein (CP) into chemical entities of refined biological significance may improve the forage utilization of these feed resources. Fresh and dried (field‐cured) common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) samples were collected during two growing seasons (1996–1997 and 1997–1998) at La Poveda Field Station in central Spain with the objective of determining chemical CHO and CP fractions required for application of new feed models (Cornell System). Fresh and dried samples were harvested at three maturity stages—flowering (>50% of plants with flowers), seed filling phase 1 (280 g DM kg−1 seed), and seed filling phase 2 (380 g DM kg−1 seed)—and the treatments were arranged in a completely randomized design. Nonfiber carbohydrates (NFC) and neutral‐detergent fiber (NDF), corrected for neutral‐detergent insoluble protein (NDIP), were evenly distributed in fresh and dried samples, and were not affected by maturity. The B1 and B2 CHO fractions were the most abundant with mean values of 342 and 303 g kg−1 of total carbohydrates (TC), respectively, across maturities, harvest forms, and years. Fraction CP B2 was the most abundant CP fraction with mean value of 408 g kg−1 of total CP. Fraction CP B3 was