Analyses of Accumulation of Crude Protein and Decrease in its Content in the Growth of Chloris gayana Kunth and Desmodium intortum (Mill.) Urb

This study was conducted to analyze the accumulation of crude protein using equation (A) and to analyze the decrease in crude protein content using equation (B) in the growth of Rhodes grass (Rg) and Greenleaf desmodium (Gd). ARCP = 1/W · d (CP)/dt, (A) where W = dry weight of forage (g/m²) (W₁ ≠ W₂), CP = amount of crude protein in forage (mg/m²), ARCP = accumulation rate of CP per unit W. DCPC = 1/1000 · (CP₁/W₁ - CP₂/W₂) = (1 - W₁/W₂) · {1/1000 · (CP₁/W₁ - ARCP/RGR_w)}, (B) where DCPC = the decrease in CP content, (1 - W₁/W₂) = forage growth index [FG index], RGR_w = mean relative growth rate of forage, ARCP = mean ARCP, (CP₁/W₁ - ARCP/RGR_w)/1000 = index for the decrease in the ratio of CP to W [DRCP index]. Each attribute was given a bar on it to show mean value over the interval of 28 days of regrowth. The following results were obtained: 1. ARCP over 28 day-growth for Rg was lower than that for Gd. 2. Larger DCPC in Rg compared with Gd was caused by higher FG index in Rg. It was suggested that the present method gave a macro analysis of the accumulation of crude protein and the decrease in its content in the growth of tropical forages.