Forage Quality Evaluation

The challenge for the research in crop and animal husbandry is how to determine the quality of a speci¬fied crop as a forage for ruminants by the chemical analysis of only a small amount of sample". Since more than hundred years scientists try to give an answer to that question. The most applied is the Weende and Van Soest system, together with the digestibility in vitro technique developed by Tilley and Terry. During the last decennia also non destructive methods, like the Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy NIRS, are used more frequently. Forages contain a lot of quality parameters (protein, fat, sugars, structural carbohydrates, vitamins, … but some of them contain also anti quality components (alkaloids, nitrates, …). The diet of domestic ruminants exists of more than only 1 component. Other diet components may interfere and mostly result in a synergism. The combination of a protein rich forage (legumes) with starch riches ones results in better animal productions than given as sole diet component. Fast and reliable non destructive methods are more attractive and acceptable than laborious, polluting and animal unfriendly ones.