Intake is more important than digestibility as a criterion for animal performance. Digestibility, however, has a controlling influence on intake. High digestibility of feed goes with high intake so that voluntary intake of a feed is an index of its nutritive worth. Intake is critically influenced by the amount of feed available and both intake and digestibility of forage are influenced by other management factors such as species and the stage of maturity. Digestibility is negatively correlated with ageing, but ageing is positively correlated with yield so that the most economical growth period before harvest for the farmer is a compromise between digestibility and yield.
Journal articles from the Grassland Society of Southern Africa (GSSA) African Journal of Range and Forage Science as well as related articles and reports from throughout the southern African region.