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Comparative Degradation of Coastal Bermudagrass, Coastcross-1 Bermudagrass, and Pensacola Bahiagrass by Rumen Microorganisms Revealed by Scanning Electron Microscopy¹

Leaves of the cultivars Coastal bermudagrass and Coastcross-1 bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pets.) and Pensacola bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum var. saurae Parodi) were investigated to delineate the relationship between microanatomy and rumen microbial degradation. Leaf sections of each forage were incubated in vitro with rumen microorganisms for 6, 12, and 72 hours and examined for the ease and extent of tissue degradation using a scanning electron microscope. Tissues of Coastcross-1 bermudagrass were degraded faster than comparable tissues of Coastal bermudagrass. The extent of degradation after 72 hours appeared to be equal in the bermudagrasses. The rate of total tissue degradation in bahiagrass appeared to be between that of the bermudagrass cultivars. Results indicated that microanatomy effected differences in rumen microbial degradation between the two forage species. However, the rate of degradation between the cultivars of bermudagrass appeared to be due to inherent differences in the cell wall organization or composition of degradable tissues. Improvement in the digestibility of these forages may be possible by plant breeding to reduce microanatomical obstructions to digestibility or by breeding or processing techniques to modify structural limitations to digestibility in the cell walls.

Key Words: Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. • Paspalum notatum var. saurae Parodi • In vitro digestibility • Forages

² Microbiologist, Research Chemist, and Research Animal Physiologist, Field Crops Utilization and Marketing Research Laboratory, Richard B. Russell Agricultural Research Center, ARS, USDA, Athens, Georgia.

Received for publication November 26, 1973.