Cenchrus ciliaris (cv. Molopo) was cut at 3, 5 and 7 week intervals and fertilized with 50, 160 and 270 kg N/ha respectively. The treatments provided hay of nine different qualities with a range of ash (8,5 to 10,6%), N (0,9 to 2,5%) crude fibre (38,5 to 45,4%), in vitro digestibility (53,8 to 70,5%) and voluntary intake (57,1 to 70,3 g/kg W0,75). Unfertilized C. ciliaris and C. ciliaris fertilized with 50 and 100 kg N/ha and cut at eight weeks provided three qualities of hay with a range of ash (8,5 to 10,1%), N (0,6 to 0,9%) and fibre (42,9 to 44,7%). The hay of the 0, 50 and 100 kg N/ha treatments varied in in vitro digestibility (61,2, 63,5 and 59,0%), in vivo digestibility (49,3, 57,9 and 59,3%), voluntary intake (50,1, 67,5 and 65,1 g/kg W0,75) and mean daily livemass gain/ sheep (?4,5, 57,3 and 52,8 g), respectively. It is concluded that voluntary intake provides one of the best measures for determining the nutritive value of C. ciliaris.
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.