A hypothetic equation from which growth analysis equations of forages and ruminants are derived as special cases

This study was conducted to suggest a hypothetic equation from which absolu te growth rate [AGR] and relative growth rate [RGR] of forages and those of ruminants were derived as special cases. The following equation was sugges ted: H-0 = (1/alpha.d beta/dt).(alpha/gamma).(dW/d beta), where alpha, beta and gamma are parameters related to AGR of forages [AGR(r )], AGR of ruminants [AGR(r)], RGR of forages [RGR(f)] or RGR of ruminants [RGR(r)], W denotes dry weight per giant or body weight per animal. Substituting an appropriate term from the four terms (1, A, F and W) for ea ch of alpha, beta and gamma gave the following six equations: AGR=dW/dt, RGR=(1/W).(dW/dt), AGR(t)={(1/A).(dW/dt)}.(A), RGR(f)={(1/A).(dW /dt)}.(A/W), AGR(r)=(dF/dt).(dW/dF), RGR(r)={(1/W).(dF/dt)}.(dW/dF). where A=leaf area, (1/A).(dW/dt)=net assimilation rate, A/W=leaf area ratio , F=cumulative feed intake, dF/dt=feed ingestion rate, dW/dF=feed efficienc y, (1/W).(dF/dt)=fed ingestion rate per unit W. In this study a hypothetic equation was suggested to the derivation of grow th analysis equations of forages and ruminants as special cases.