Forage Quality, Yield and Palatability of Quackgrass (\u3ci\u3eElytrigia repens\u3c/i\u3e (L.) Nevski)

Quackgrass (Elytrigia repens (L.) Nevski) is a competitive perennial invader of pastures and hay meadows which is frequently harvested as forage in mixtures with desired forage species. Field experiments were conducted to compare quackgrass with cool-season perennial grasses grown under the same soil and climatic conditions, in terms of forage quality, productivity, and palatability. The forage quality of the hays was influenced by the grass species. Quackgrass showed forage crude protein (CP) concentration that was equal to those of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne), reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis), and greater than orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata). The neutral detergent fiber (NDF) acid detergent fiber (ADF) concentration of the quackgrass was intermediate between those of perennial ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass. Yields of quackgrass was equal to reed canarygrass, and greater than those of Kentucky bluegrass, orchardgrass and perennial ryegrass. The different hays did not affect the response of animals by feed intake. Quackgrass hay had higher phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) concentration, and lower calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) concentrations. Quackgrass was not to be inferior to other cool-season perennial grasses under frequent utilization