The relationship between yield and digestibility in spring varieties of barley, oats and wheat after ear emergence

Abstract

SUMMARY The pattern of dry matter (D.M.) yield, digestibility and nitrogen (N) content of two contrasted grain:straw (G/S) ratio varieties each of barley, oats and wheat grown at three levels of nitrogen was measured over the 30 days after ear emergence, D.M. yield rose with time, while digestibilityand N content declined. Although the D.M. yield was highest in the oat variety, Maelor, one barley variety, Deba Abed, had the highest digestibility and a similar yield of digestible dry matter. Wheat was lowest yielding. The low G/S varieties of wheat and oats had higher yields of digestible D.M., but the high G/S variety, Deba Abed, was the higher yielding barley. Yield of digestible D.M. increased with increasing N fertilizer, due to the increased D.M. yield.