Fatty Acids Decrease in Pearl Millet Forage from Relative Increases of Pseudostem. Issue 1 (1st July 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Goossen, C. P.; Kraft, J.; Bosworth, S. C.
• Is Part Of: Agricultural & environmental letters. Volume 3:Issue 1(2018)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2018-07-01
• Subjects: Agriculture -- Periodicals; Agriculture -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Agriculture; Agriculture -- Environmental aspects; Periodicals; 630
• DOI: 10.2134/ael2018.03.0016
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2471-9625

Abstract

Abstract : Core Ideas: Fatty acid content and composition of lamina and pseudostem are markedly different. Whole plant fatty acid analysis is a non‐ideal presentation for warm‐season annuals. Lamina mass ratio is an important correlate of fatty acids in warm‐season annuals. Managing for greater lamina intake may greatly influence animal fatty acid supply. Forage fatty acids (FA) are linked with consumer‐desired FA composition of ruminant meat and dairy products. Maturing forage grasses decrease in α‐linolenic acid (ALA) and ΣFA content, and this is exacerbated in tall summer annuals. We compared ALA and ΣFA content within pearl millet [ Cenchrus americanus (L.) Morrone] fractions to determine if decreases are attributable to advancing maturity within fractions or simply to the change in proportion of the fractions. Samples were collected six times, from early vegetative to late boot stage. Lamina and pseudostem fractions were separated, and whole plant FA composition was calculated from the weighted average of the fractions. As pearl millet matured, ALA and ΣFA content decreased by 55 to 56% within pseudostems and on a whole‐plant basis, although only by 10% in laminae. The ALA proportion of ΣFA decreased by 14% on a whole plant basis, despite not changing within constituent fractions.