EFFECT OF STAGE OF MATURITY ON NUTRITIVE VALUE OF SUGAR CANE

Determinations were made of nutritive value according to the method of Van Soest on sugar cane harvested at 8 and 16 months of age. The range of Brix in the juice was 11.4 to 17 for the 8 months cane and 15.2 to 18.0 for 16 months cane. All indices of energetic value were higher in 16 months than in 8 months cane, the respective values for in vitro digestibility being 70.5 and 57.5%. There were negative relationships between in vitro digestibility and most cell wall fractions. The only analyses in favour of the younger cane were nitrogen and ether extract. The results suggest that, contrary to the situation with most grasses, the nutritive value of sugar cane increases with maturity.