Introducing viewpoints of mechanics into basic growth analysis - (VIII) applying basic growth mechanics to ruminants, forages and related problems -

This study was conducted to investigate the way of calculation in the application of basic growth mechanics to the ruminant animal, the forage plant, indigestibility increase with forage growth and net assimilation rate of the forage plant. The results obtained were as follows. (1) The mean value over the given interval for absolute growth rate of weight (AGRw) was described using the product of mean weight (W) and mean growth acceleration of W (GAw). (2) The mean value over the given interval for AGRi (AGR of indigestible matter (I)) was described using the product of mean value of / and that of GAi (GA of I). (3) The indigestibility increase with forage growth, which was given by two different descriptions, was described using mean value over the given interval for I, that for GAI, that for W and that for GAw. (4) The mean value over the given interval for net assimilation rate (NAR) of the forage plant was described using mean leaf area (A), mean W and mean GAw. It was suggested that applying basic growth mechanics gave a unified viewpoint to concepts of analyzing the ruminant animal growth, the forage plant growth, indigestibility increase with forage growth and net assimilation rate of the forage plant.