THE COMPOSITION OF FIRST-CUT GRASS FOR ENSILAGE IN ENGLAND AND WALES FROM 1988 TO 1991

A total of 2225 samples of herbage, typical of that taken for first-cu t silage on commercial farms in England and Wales, was taken between 1 988 and 1991. Samples were analysed for dry matter (DM), water soluble carbohydrate (WSC), crude protein (CP) and metabolizable energy calcu lated from modified acid detergent fibre. The results were used to inv estigate the effect of weather conditions upon herbage quality for ens ilage. In general, in areas of high rainfall, i.e. western areas, herb age DM and WSC were significantly lower than in eastern areas, whilst the reverse situation occurred with CP. Italian ryegrass (IRG) had a s ignificantly higher WSC and lower CP than other grasses, whilst sample s from permanent pasture (PP) had significantly lower DM and WSC, and significantly higher CP than other grasses. It was calculated that to produce a WSC concentration in the fresh grass of 37 g kg(-1), to prod uce well-fermented silage without additive use, IRG grown in the east would require a DM of 160 g kg(-1). In contrast PP grown in the west w ould require a DM content of 250 g kg(-1).