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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 March 2009
Eleven forages of known digestible energy/kg dry matter (Naga & el-Shazly, 1963) were used in in vitro fermentation experiments. Direct determinations of digestible energy (D.E./kg D.M.) using the bomb calorimeter were also included, and the values were corrected for gas losses.
In vitro fermentations were interrupted every 12, 8 and 6 h, the medium was renewed and volatile fatty acid (VFA) production and cellulose digestion were estimated. Volatile fatty acid production from legumes was high early in the fermentation periods and became lower in later periods. Non-legumes behaved in an opposite manner.
Significant negative correlation coefficients between VFA production and D.E./kg D.M. were found for legumes at later intervals of fermentation, while correlation coefficients for non-legumes lost their significance at later periods of fermentation.
Digestible energy/kg dry matter could best be predicted for legumes from the volatile fatty acids produced in the second 12 h fermentation period or from the sum of the VFA produced in second, third and fourth 6 h periods of fermentation.