Comparison of 'Grasslands Puna' chicory and orchardgrass for multiple harvests at different management levels

The objective was to compare the nutrient composition of 'Grasslands Puna' chicory (Puna) (Cichorium intybus L.) and 'Pennlate' orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) at different levels of harvesting management. The two herbages were harvested multiple times at three different management levels, intense, moderate, and lenient, corresponding to chicory canopy management levels of 25, 37, and 50 cm, and clipped to a 5-cm stubble height. The experimental design was a 2 x 3 (species x management) factorial with five replications. Nitrogen was applied after each harvest except the last harvest of the season. Herbages were freeze-dried and ground prior to analyses for organic matter (OM), acid-detergent fiber (ADF), neutral-detergent fiber (NDF), nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC), crude protein (CP), degradable protein (DP), and soluble protein (SP). Organic matter, ADF, and NDF concentrations were lower (P < 0.05) in chicory than in orchardgrass in both years. Chicory herbage contained less than 5 g kg^-1 hemicellulose. Orchardgrass had less (P < 0.05) DP than chicory in 1992 but not in 1993. Increasing intensity of management (lenient, moderate, or intense) resulted in increased CP, SP, and DP during both 1992 and 1993. Overall, Puna chicory was a high-quality forage, equal to or better than orchardgrass in quality under these harvest conditions.