PSI-3 Effects of Mowing on Forage Availability and Quality During the Summer

Abstract

Abstract The objective was to determine how mowing date affected forage availability and quality. Cool season grass plots were randomly assigned to 4 treatments (n=2): mowed on day 1 (M1), mowed on day 15 (M15), mowed on day 29 (M29), and not mowed (NM). During the 56-day experiment, forage heights were measured using a rising plate meter to determine forage availability and samples were clipped for proximate analysis. The MIXED procedure of SAS was used to analyze data. On day 14, CP in M1 was 37.5% greater (P = 0.05) than the composite of M15, M29, and NM. However, the composite of M15, M29, and NM had greater (P = 0.02) forage availability than M1 on day 14. On day 28, M15 had greater (P = 0.02) ADF than M1, while the composite of M29 and NM was intermediate and not different than other treatments. There was also a treatment effect (P < 0.01) on forage availability on day 28; the composite of M29 and NM was greatest followed by M1 and M15, respectively. On day 42, the NDF of M29 was greater (P = 0.01) than M1, M15, and NM. Decreased CP was observed (P = 0.05) for NM compared with M1, M15, and M29 on day 42. Forage availability was different (P < 0.01) for all treatments on day 42 with NM being the greatest followed by M1, M15, M29, respectively. On day 56, NM tended (P = 0.08) to have the greatest DM, but there was no difference (P ≥ 0.31) in NDF, ADF, and CP. Forage availability was different (P < 0.01) for all treatments on day 56 with NM being the greatest followed by M1, M15, M29, respectively. In conclusion, mowing reduced forage availability as expected, but it also increased CP on day 14 and 42.