Season Progression, Ontogenesis, and Environment Affect Lespedeza cuneata Herbage Condensed Tannin, Fiber, and Crude Protein Concentrations

Sericea lespedeza [Lespedeza cuneata (Dumont de Courset) G. Don. , SL] is a perennial, warm-season forage legume with wide adaptation, freeze tolerance, establishment ease, and persistence under grazing. It has high condensed tannin (CT) concentrations (g kg−1), which could be useful for methane mitigation and rumen bypass protein, as well as insect pest and gastro-intestinal nematode suppression. However, CT concentration is variable. our objective was to test CT, crude protein (Cp), and fiber concentrations at five locations (Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, Louisiana, and Texas) during a growing season. Established ‘AU Grazer’ SL regrowth and accumulated herbage in separate trials was sampled starting late April 2010 every 35 d for four dates. regrowth Cp concentration ranged (P £ 0.05) from 127 g kg−1 in North Carolina on date 3 up to 221 g kg−1 in Alabama on date 1. Sericea lespedeza regrowth in the warmest latitude (Louisiana) consistently contained among the greatest (P £ 0.05) acid detergent fiber. In regrowth herbage, we recorded a wide (P £ 0.05) total CT range, from 133.5 mg kg−1 in Texas on date 3 to 46.1 mg kg−1 in Louisiana on date 1, reflecting variability in fiber-bound, protein-bound, and especially extractible CT. results from accumulated herbage reflected (P £ 0.05) herbage ontogenesis with less Cp and greater fiber concentration with maturity but showed the same lack of CT concentration pattern as the regrowth herbage. These results indicate that SL herbage nutritive value and CT concentration is variable, so that any hay or pellets sold commercially for CT content should be assayed by environment and crop maturity. J.P. Muir, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Stephenville TX 76401; T.H. Terrill, Fort Valley State Univ., Fort Valley, GA 31030; J.A. Mosjidis, Auburn Univ., Auburn, AL 36849; J.-M. Luginbuhl, North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC 27695; J.E. Miller, Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge, LA 70803; J.M. Burke, USDA–ARS Dale Bumpers Small Farm Research Center, 6883 South State Highway 23 Booneville, AR 72927; S.W. Coleman, USDA–ARS Grazinglands Research Laboratory, El Reno, OK 73036. Mention of trade names or commercial products in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the USDA. The USDA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Received 15 July 2016. Accepted 4 Nov. 2016. *Corresponding author ( j-muir@tamu.edu). Assigned to Associate Editor Joao Vendramini. Abbreviations: ADF, acid detergent fiber; CP, crude protein; CT, condensed tannin; ECT, extractable condensed tannin; FBCT, fiber-bound condensed tannin; NDF, neutral detergent fiber; PBCT, protein-bound condensed tannin; SL, sericea lespedeza; TCT, total condensed tannin. Published in Crop Sci. 57:515–524 (2017). doi: 10.2135/cropsci2016.07. 0605 © Crop Science Society of America | 5585 Guilford Rd., Madison, WI 53711 USA This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Published December 22, 2016