Tannin Content and Digestibility of Sorghum Grain as Influenced by Bagging1

Abstract

AbstractThe relationship was studied between tannin content and in vitro dry matter digestibility (DMD) of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] grain of various colors grown in the Georgia uniform grain sorghum variety trials at Experiment and Blairsville, Ga., in 1968. Bagging panicles before or immediately following anthesis significantly (P < .05) reduced the tannin content brown‐seeded hybrids permitting the evaluation of the effect of tannin content at two levels in the same genetic background and growing conditions on DMD percentages. Regardless of whether panicles were bagged or not, highly significant (P < .01) negative correlation coefficients were obtained between tannin and DMD percentages. This finding substantiates the hypothesis that high levels of tannin in sorghumg rain reduces the feeding efficiency. Genetic reduction of the brown color and tannin content of the grain, as in the case of one tan‐seeded hybrid, demonstrates that the feeding quality of bird and weather resistant varieties may be improved through breeding.