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FORAGES

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

^a Finca Experimental La Poveda, CCMA, CSIC. Ctra. de Campo Real km 1.300, 28500 Arganda del Rey, Madrid, Spain
^b Dep. de Producción Animal. Fac. De Veterinaria, Univ. Complutense, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040 Madrid, Spain

* Corresponding author (rcaballero{at}iai.csic.es)

Received for publication September 22, 2000. 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 <100 g kg^-1 of total CP and increased with maturity. Harvesting common vetch within the seed filling phase would increase ruminal escape protein in vetch.

Abbreviations: ADC, acid-detergent cellulose • ADF, acid-detergent fiber • ADIP, acid-detergent insoluble protein • ADL, acid-detergent lignin • CHO, carbohydrates • CNCPS, Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System • CP, crude protein • DM, dry matter • EAA, essential amino acids • NDF, neutral-detergent fiber • NDIP, neutral-detergent insoluble protein • NEAA, nonessential amino acids • NFC, nonfiber carbohydrates • SC, structural carbohydrates • SEAA, semiessential amino acids • TC, total carbohydrates