Chemical Composition of Three Legume and Four Grass Herbages Harvested at Early Flower during Three Years1

Abstract Three legume and four grass species were grown in pure‐row stands under the same soil conditions, but without N fertilization, and were harvested when each species reached first flower during 3 years. Knowledge of the compositional differences among grasses and legumes is needed to provide additional information for recommending forage species to livestock producers. The dry herbages were analyzed for concentration of in vitro digestible dry matter (IVDDM), total nonstructural carbohydrates (TNC), crude protein, ether extract, crude fiber, ash, K, Ca, Mg, Na, S, Al, Fe, Sr, B, Cu, Zn, and Mn. Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) was significantly higher than either alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) or sainfoin (Onobrychis sativa Lam.) in concentration of IVDDM, ether extract, Mg, and Cu. Alfalfa was higher than the other legumes in crude fiber and Na; sainfoin was highest in P. Reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) was significantly higher than bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.), timothy (Phleum pratense L.), and orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) in concentration of crude protein, was higher than all but orchardgrass in ash and P, and was higher than bromegrass in IVDDM. Orchardgrass was higher than the other grasses in Mn; bromegrass was highest in Cu. There was no significant difference among species for TNC percentage. An average of the analyses showed that the legumes were higher than the grasses in all constituents except crude fiber, ash, K, and Mn.