A STUDY OF THE LIONIN, PROTEIN, AND FAT CONTENTS SEVERAL COMMON PASTURE MIXTURES AND THEIR EFFECT ON BEfcE PRODUCTION A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Purdue University by Louis Neal Wise In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy June, 1950 PURDUE UNIVERSITY THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT THE THESIS PREPARED UNDER MY SUPERVISION BY EN ~X'd.'.L-fcm rl ■—> I. ■ . a_. a. . _ I . . t * J ^ . I . COMPLIES WITH THE UNIVERSITY REGULATIONS ON GRADUATION THESES AND IS APPROVED BY ME AS FULFILLING THIS PART OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF ^ f ( ^ .A* L-' PHorK sson in C h aroe o f T hehis / . l/ . IIf-ad or School or D epahtmbnt TO THE LIBRARIAN:----- IS THIS THESIS IS NOT TO BE REGARD ED AS CONFIDENTIAL. C. rBoraaioB nr ohaiob GRAD. SCHOOL FORM •—3.«C — 1M ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author wishes to express his appreciation and to acknowledge his indebtedness to Dr. G. 0. Mott for his sincere interest, assistance, and encouragement during his entire graduate work. He is likewise in­ debted to Dr. W. M. Beeson, Dr. G. A.. Gries, Dr. A. Olhrogge, and Professor 3. R. Miles. The author extends grateful thanks to T. A. Dykes, J. Martin, and others who assisted in many ways* TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT .................................................... i INTRODUCTION ............................................... 1 SURVEY OF LITERATURE ..................................... 5 PROCEDURE.................................................. 33 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ................................... 45 Results of the Chemical Analysis of Ladino Clever, Bromegrass, end Ladino Clover - Bromegrass Mixture at Two-Week Intervals ...... 47 Ladino Clover ................................... 1+7 Bromegrass .................................. 51 Ladino Clever - Bromegrass Mixture ....... 54 Results of the Chemical Analysis of Alfalfa, Timothy, and Alfalfa - Timothy Mixture at Two-Week Intervals .......................... 59 Alfalfa....................................... 59 Timothy ...................................... 62 Alfalfa - Timothy Mixture .................. 61+ Results of the Chemical Analysis of Birdsfoot Trefoil, Kentucky Bluegrass, and BIrdsfcot Trefoil - Kentucky BluegrassM ixture ........ 63 Birdsfoot Trefoil .......................... 68 Kentucky Bluegrass ........................ 71 Birdsfoot Trefoil - Kentucky Bluegrass Mixture .................................... 73 Results of the Chemical Analysis of Birdsfoot Trefoil, Alta Fescue, and Birdsfoot - Alta Fescue Mixture ........................ 77 Birdsfoot Trefoil ......................... 77 Alta Fescue ................................ 79 Birdsfoot Trefoil - Alta FescueM ixture 82 TABLE OF CONTENTS - Continued Page RESULTS AND DISCUSSION - Continued Results of the Chemical Analysis of Forage from a Permanent Bluegrass Pasture Receiving 60 Pounds PgOfJ* 30 Pounds K2O, and 60 Pounds of Nitrogen Annually.........................»• 87 Permanent Bluegrass Mixture ............... 67 Results of the Chemical Analysis of Forage from a Permanent Bluegrass Pasture Receiving 60 Pounds P2O5 and 30 Pounds KgO Annually ••••••• 91 Permanent Bluegrass Mixture .............. 91 The Relationships Existing Between the Various Chemical Components and Between Certain of these Constituents and the T.D.N. Produced Per Pasture for the Mixtures Studied •..•••••• 96 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS............................... 118 BIBLIOGRAPHY.......................... 122 APPENDIX............................................... 131 LISTS OF TABLLS AMD FIGURES List of Tables Table Page 1. Seeding Rates and Annual Fertilization of Rotationally Grazed Pastures at the Miller-Purdue F a r m ........................ 35 2. Comparative C lima to logical Date in Indiana •• l\2 3» Species Found at the Miller-Purdue Farm I4.3 if* Chemical Composition of Ladino Clover at Two-Week Intervals Throughout the Grazing Season ..................................... * I4.S 5# Chemical Composition of Bromegrass at Two- Week Intervals Throughout the Grazing Season • 52 6. Chemical Composition Throughout the Grazing Season of Forage from Ladino Clover - Bromegrass Pasture and the Total Di­ gestible Nutrients Produced Per Pasture • • 55 7. Chemical Composition of Ladino Clover, Bromegrass, and Ladino Clover - Brome­ grass Mixture----Average of Three Two- Week Periods ......................... . 8* Chemical Composition of Alfalfa at Two-Week Intervals Throughout the Grazing Season *• 60 9« Chemical Composition of Timothy at Two-Week Intervals Throughout the Grazing Season • • 63 10* Chemical Composition Throughout the Grazing Season of Forage from Alfalfa - Timothy Pasture and the Total Digestible Nutrients Produced Per Pasture .............. 65 11. Chemical Composition of Alfalfa, Timothy, and Alfalfa - Timothy Mixture----Average of Three Two-Week Periods *•••.•..••.••••* 6? 12* Chemical Composition of Birdsfoot Trefoil at Two-Week Intervals Througnout the Grazing Season ......................... List of Tables - Continued Table Page 13• Chemical Composition of Kentucky Bluegrass at Two-Week Intervals Throughout the Grazing Season ..... 72 l4» Chemical Composition Throughout the Grazing Season of Forage from Birdsfoot Trefoil - Kentucky Bluegrass Pasture and the Total Digestible Nutrients Produced Per Pasture • 74 15. Chemical Composition of Birdsfoot Trefoil, Kentucky Bluegrass, and Birdsfoot Trefoil - Kentucky Bluegrass Mixture----Average of Three Two-Week Periods ............... 76 16. Chemical Composition of Birdsfoot Trefoil at Two-Week Intervals Throughout the Grazing Season ................................ 78 17. Chemical Composition of Alta Fescue at Two- 7/eek Intervals Throughout the Grazing Season .................................... 80 18* Chemical Composition Throughout the Grazing Season of Forage from Birdsfoot Trefoil - Alta Fescue Pasture and the Total Digest­ ible Nutrients Produced Per Pasture ••••••• 63 19* Chemical Composition of Birdsfoot Trefoil, Alta Fescue, and Birdsfoot Trefoil - Alta Fescue Mixture— --Average of Three Two- Week Periods ...................... 86 20. Chemical Composition of Forage from Permanent Bluegrass Pasture Receiving 60 Pounds P2O5# 30 Pounds KpO, and 60 Pounds of Nitrogen Annually ana the Total Digestible Nutrients Produced Per Pasture ................. 88 21. Chemical Composition of Forage from Permanent Bluegrass Pasture Receiving 60 Pounds P2°5 and 30 Pounds KoO Annually and the Total Digestible Nutrients Produced Per Pasture • 92 22. Chemical Composition of Permanent Bluegrass- NPK Average of Three Two-Week Periods •• 95 23. Chemical Composition of Permanent Bluegrass- PK----Average of Three Two-Week Periods ••• 95 List of Tables - Continued Table Page 2lj.* The Relationships Existing Between the Various Components Determined for Ladino Clover •••••••••••••••••................. 96 25* The Relationships Existing Between the Various Components Determined for Bromegrass • •................ 99 26. The Relationships Existing Between the Various Components Determined for Ladino Clover - Bromegrass Mixture 100 27 • The Relationships Existing Between the Various Components Determined for Alfalfa •1 01 28. The Relationships Existing Between the Various Components Determined for Timothy • 102 29. The Relationships Existing Between the Various Components Determined for Alfalfa - Timothy Mixture .... . 103 30* The Relationships Existing Between the Various Components Determined for Birdsfoot Trefoil ..................... IOI4. 31* The Relationships Existing Between the Various Components Determined for Kentucky Bluegrass *••»............ 105 32. The Relationships Existing Between the Various Components Determined for Birdsfoot Trefoil - Kentucky Bluegrass Mixture ....•• 106 33. The Relationships Existing Between the Various Components Determined for Birdsfoot Trefoil *••••••.••....*•••••............... 107 34* The Relationships Existing Between the Various Components Determined for Alta Fescue ........................... 10 8 35* The Relationships Existing Between the Various Components Determined for Birdsfoot Trefoil - Alta Fescue Mixture ........ 109 36. The Relationships Existing Between the Various Components Determined for Permanent Bluegrass Mixture - NPK . ............... * 110 List of Tables - Continued Table Page 37. The Relationships Existing Between the Various Components Determined for Permanent Bluegrass Mixture - PK ................... 111 38. Compilation of All Correlation Coefficients Found in Tables 1-1if ............. 113 Appendix Tables 1. Detailed Data on the Chemical Composition of Ladino Clover - Percent ........•••• 131 2. Detailed Data on the Chemical Composition of Bromegrass - Percent ..................... 132 3. Detailed Data on the Chemical Composition of Ladino Clover - Bromegrass Mixture - Per­ cent 133 if. Detailed Data on the Chemical Composition of Alfalfa - Percent ........................... 134- 5* Detailed Data on the Chemical Composition of Timothy ...................................... 135 6. Detailed Data on the Chemical Composition of Alfalfa - Timothy Mixture - Percent ....... 13& 7. Detailed Data on the Chemical Composition of Birdsfoot Trefoil • ••••................. 137 8. Detailed Data on the Chemical Composition of Kentucky Bluegrass - Percent............... 13$ 9. Detailed Data on the Chemical Composition of Birdsfoot Trefoil - Kentucky Bluegrass Mixture - Percent ....................... 139 10. Detailed Data on the Chemical Composition of Birdsfoot Trefoil - Percent ............ lifO 11. Detailed Data on the Chemical Composition of Alta Fescue - Percent....................... 1^1 List of Tables - Continued Appendix Table Page 12* Detailed Data on the Chemical Composition of Birdsfoot Trefoil - Alta Fescue Mixture - Percent .......... llp2 13« Detailed Data on the Chemical Composition of Permanent Bluegrass N-P-K ........ 143 14. Detailed Data on the Chemical Composition of Permanent Bluegrass P-K ....... 145 List of Figures Figure Page 1* Arrangement of Pasture Plots Miller-Purdue Farm ....................... 30