Studies with Sudangrass. II. Nutritive Evaluation by In Vivo and In Vitro Methods1

Digestibility and intake data were determined on chopped, green sudangrass fed at various stages of maturity to sheep. Feeding value, as expressed by a calculated Nutritive Value Index, was found to decrease markedly with growth stage; higher levels of nitrogen fertilization had little effect on intake or dry matter digestibility, but increased protein digestibility. In vitro indices of cellulose digestibility and gas production were found to be highly correlated with the animal criteria of digestibility, intake, and N.V.