Estimation of diet composition and herbage intake of grazing sheep at different stocking rates in Inner Mongolia typical steppe by using n-alkanes technique

Abstract

Abstract: In order to probe into the application of n-alkanes as markers for estimating diet composition and herbage intake of free grazing herbivores in rangeland, a rotational grazing experiment was conducted from 20th June to 20th September at 2004, at the Inner Mongolia Grassland Ecosystem Research Station of Chinese Academy of Sciences. Sixty 2-year-old wethers (Inner Mongolia fine wool sheep × Inner Mongolia sheep) were selected and allocated to the 5 stocking rates (1.33, 2.67, 4.00, 5.33 and 6.67 sheep/ha) without significant difference (P>0.05) in body weight (36.9±2.6) kg to evaluate the effect of stocking rates and grazing seasons on dietary composition and intake of grazing sheep, at the same time, total feces of each sheep were collected using bag attached to body and 10 cages (1.2 m×1.2 m) were arranged randomly within each paddock to assess approximately how many species ingested by grazing sheep based on the difference between aboveground biomass of each species inside and outside cages after grazing. Only the stocking rates of 1.33, 4.00 and 6.67 sheep/ha were dosed with one Artificial QSM Alkane Controlled Released Capsules (Made in New Zealand Captec Company) at the beginning of the experiment each time. The samples of herbage and feces were collected daily for 7 days and dried for n-alkane concentration analysis using gas chromatography to estimate the feces output, diet composition, and herbage intake of sheep. The results show that there was a difference in concentration of n-alkanes among each plant species, and there were no significant difference (P>0.05) between estimated feces output using n-alkane technique and the actual values by sheep. 7-9 species forages were ingested by sheep, and plant species and its proportion were eaten by sheep were different at different stocking rates and grazing season, but their intake did not differ significantly (P>0.05). In conclusion, n-alkanes technique can estimate accurately and easily dietary composition and intake of grazing sheep when used in combination with the cage technique in natural temperate grasslands.

CLC Number:

S812.8
S826

LIU Gui-he, ZHANG Ying-jun, WANG Shi-ping, HAN Jian-guo. Estimation of diet composition and herbage intake of grazing sheep at different stocking rates in Inner Mongolia typical steppe by using n-alkanes technique[J]. Acta Prataculturae Sinica, 2013, 22(2): 71-79.

References

[1] Mannetje L T, Jones R M. Filed and Laboratory Methods for Grassland and Animal Production Research[M]. London: Centre Agriculture Bioscience International (CABI) Publishing, 2000: 327-352.
[2] 杨博, 吴建平, 杨联, 等. 中国北方草原草畜代谢能平衡分析与对策研究[J]. 草业学报, 2012, 21(2): 187-195.
[3] 汪诗平. 几种草食动物日粮植物组成研究技术和方法的比较[J]. 草业学报, 1995, 4(3): 8-16.
[4] 肖金玉, 侯扶江, 于应文, 等. 链烷技术估测放牧动物牧草采食量与消化率[J]. 草业学报, 2005, 14(4): 125-130.
[5] Mayes R W, Duncan A, Sibbald A M, et al. The use of plant n-alkanes for determining the composition of the diet of grazing herbivores[J]. Journal of Agricultural Science Cambridge, 1995, 121: 381-406.
[6] Malossini F, Piasentier E, Bovolenta S. N-alkane content of some forages[J]. Journal of Science Food Agricultural, 1990, 53: 405-409.
[7] Dove H, Mayes R W. The use of plant wax alkanes as marker substances in studies of the nutrition herbivores: a review[J]. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research, 1991, 42: 913-952.
[8] Mayes R W, Lamb C S, Colgrove M. The use of dosed and herbage n-alkanes as markers for the determination of herbage intake[J]. Journal of Agricultural Science Cambridge, 1986, 107: 161-170.
[9] Dove H. Using the n-alkanes of plant cuticular wax to estimate the species composition of herbage mixtures[J]. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research, 1992, 43: 1711-1724.
[10] Mayes R W, Dove H. Measurement of dietary nutrient intake in free-ranging mammalian herbivores[J]. Nutrition Research Reviews, 2000, 13: 107-138.
[11] 刘贵河, 林立军, 张英俊, 等. 饱和链烷技术测定绵羊食性食量精确性研究[J]. 中国农业科学, 2006, 39(7): 1472-1479.
[12] Russell E, Sandberg D C, Asams T J, et al. N-alkane as an internal marker for predicting digestibility of forages[J]. Journal of Range Management, 2000, 53: 159-163.
[13] Lippke H. Estimation of forage intake by ruminants on pasture[J]. Crop Science, 2002, 42: 869-872.
[14] Nielsen B, Thamsborg S M, Andersen H R, et al. Effect of winter feeding level and season on herbage intake in dairy breed steers on perennial ryegrass/white clover pasture[J]. Animal Science, 2003, 76: 341-352.
[15] 刘贵河, 汪诗平, 张英俊, 等. 链烷技术估测典型草原放牧牛食性食量方法研究[J]. 草地学报, 2009, 17(6): 693-698.
[16] 李永宏, 陈佐忠, 汪诗平, 等. 草原放牧系统持续管理试验研究: 试验设计及放牧率对草-畜系统影响分析[J]. 草地学报, 1999, 7(3): 173-182.
[17] 汪诗平, 李永宏, 陈佐忠. 内蒙古典型草原草畜系统适宜放牧率的研究Ⅰ.以绵羊增重及经济效益为管理目标[J]. 草地学报, 1999, 7(3): 183-191.
[18] 陈佐忠, 汪诗平. 中国典型草原生态系统[M]. 北京: 科学出版社, 2000: 125-169.
[19] 汪诗平, 王艳芬, 陈佐忠. 放牧生态系统管理[M]. 北京: 科学出版社, 2003: 150-290.
[20] 林立军, 张英俊. 温带常见牧草中饱和烷烃浓度模式研究[J]. 草业学报, 2006, 15(4): 115-121.
[21] Dove H, Mayes R W, Freer M. Effects of species, plant part, and plant age on the concentrations in the cuticular wax of pasture plants[J]. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research, 1996, 47: 1333-1347.
[22] Kelman W, Bugalho M, Dove H. Cuticular wax alkanes and alcohols used as markers to estimate diet composition of sheep[J]. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology, 2003, 31: 919-927.
[23] 孙海霞, 周道玮, 刘春龙. 松嫩平原农牧交错区绵羊放牧系统粗饲料的链烷特征[J]. 草业学报, 2009, 18(1): 188-191.
[24] Brosh A, Henkin Z, Rothman S J, et al. Effects of fecal n-alkane recovery in estimates of diet composition[J]. Journal of Agricultural Science, 2003, 140: 93-100.
[25] 刘贵河, 张英俊, 汪诗平, 等. 影响内蒙古典型草原3种牧草饱和链烷回收率的因素研究[J]. 草业学报, 2006, 15(4): 109-114.
[26] 任继周. 草业科学研究方法[M]. 北京: 中国农业出版社, 1998: 160-188.
[27] Newman J A, Cribari N, Jensen M J. The sensitivity of n-alkane analysis to measurement error: implications for use in the study of diet composition[J]. Journal of Agricultural Science Cambridge, 1998, 131: 465-476.
[28] Olivan M, Osoro K. Effect of temperature on alkane extraction from faeces and herbage[J]. Journal of Agricultural Science Cambridge, 1999, 132: 305-312.
[29] Dove H, Freer M, Foot J Z. The nutrition of grazing ewes during pregnancy and lactation: a comparison of alkane based and chromium in vitro-based estimates of herbage intake[J]. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research, 2000, 51: 765-777.
[30] Garcia F, Carrerre P, Soussana J F, et al. The ability of sheep at different stocking rates to maintain the quality and quantity of their diet during the grazing season[J]. Journal of Agricultural Science, 2003, 140: 113-124.
[31] Berry N R, Scheeder M R, Sutter F, et al. The accuracy of intake estimation based on the use of alkane controlled-release capsules and faeces grab sampling in cows[J]. Annales De Zootechnie, 2000, 49: 3-13.
[32] 冯昕炜, 张力, 郑中朝, 等. 青海海南不同季节牧场放牧绵羊采食量与消化率的研究[J]. 中国草食动物, 2005, 25(5): 18-20.
[33] Bugalho M N, Dove H, Kelman W, et al. Plant wax alkanes and alcohols as herbivore diet composition markers[J]. Journal of Range Management, 2004, 57: 259-268.
[34] Laredo M A, Simpson G D, Minson D J, et al. The potential for using n-lkanes in tropical forages as a marker for the determination of dry matter intake by grazing ruminants[J]. Journal of Agricultural Science Cambridge, 1991, 117: 355-361.
[35] Martins H, Elston D A, Mayes R W, et al. Assessment of the use of n-alkanes as markers to describe the complex diets of herbivores[J]. Journal of Agricultural Science, 2002, 138: 425-434.
[36] Valiente O L, Delgado P, Vega A D, et al. Validation of the n-alkane technique to estimate intake, digestibility, and diet composition in sheep consuming mixed grain: roughage diets[J]. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research, 2003, 54: 693-702.
[37] 姜超, 张英俊, 罗海玲, 等. 内蒙古荒漠草原区分采食成分的最佳蜡层指示剂组合[J]. 草地学报, 2012, 20(3): 576-582.
[38] Gordon I J. Animal based techniques for grazing ecology research[J]. Small Ruminant Research, 1995, 16: 203-214.
[39] Bugalho M N, Mayes R W, Milne J A. The effect of feeding selectivity on the estimation of diet composition using the n-alkane technique[J]. Grass and Forage Science, 2002, 57: 224-231.
[40] 韩国栋, 李勤奋, 卫智军, 等. 家庭牧场尺度上放牧制度对绵羊摄食和体重的影响[J]. 中国农业科学, 2004, 37(5): 744-750.
[41] 汪诗平. 不同放牧季节绵羊的食性及食物多样性与草地植物多样性间的关系[J]. 生态学报, 2000, 20(6): 951-957.
[42] Boo R M, Lindstrom L, Elia O R, et al. Botanical composition and seasonal trends of cattle diets in central Argentina[J]. Journal of Range Management, 1993, 46: 479-482.
[43] 汪诗平, 李永宏, 王艳芬, 等. 不同放牧率对内蒙古冷蒿草原植物多样性的影响[J]. 植物学报, 2001, 43(1): 89-96.
[44] 汪诗平. 内蒙古典型草原放牧绵羊体增重与放牧率之间的关系[J]. 草业学报, 2000, 9(2): 10-16.
[45] 方楷, 宋乃平, 魏乐, 等. 不同放牧制度对荒漠草原地上生物量及种间关系的影响[J]. 草业学报, 2012, 21(5): 12-22.
[46] 王典, 李发弟, 张养东, 等. 马铃薯淀粉渣-玉米秸秆混合青贮料对肉羊生产性能、瘤胃内环境和血液生化指标的影响[J]. 草业学报, 2012, 21(5): 47-54.