Forage mass is required to estimate important
attributes in grazing studies, e.g., total amount of
available nutrients, effect of management practices
on the pastures, crop growth rate, and forage
production, utilization, and degradation. Dry matter
intake and digestibility represent the most important
and useful estimates of the forage nutritive value.
Unfortunately, in trials under grazing conditions,
forage mass is difficult to measure because the crop
cannot be harvested without affecting both animal and
pasture performance. Likewise, the actual feed intake
and nutritive value of the...