Unique interrelationships between fiber composition,water-soluble carbohydrates,and in vitro gas production for fall-grown oat forages

Sixty samples of ‘ForagePlus’ oat were selected from a previous plot study for analysis of in vitro gas production (IVGP) on the basis of 2 factors: (1) high (n = 29) or low (n = 31) neutral detergent fiber (NDF; 62.7 ± 2.61 and 45.1 ± 3.91%, respectively); and (2) the range of water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) within the high- and low-NDF groups. For the WSC selection factor, concentrations ranged from 4.7 to 13.4% (mean = 7.9 ± 2.06%) and from 3.5 to 19.4% (mean = 9.7 ± 4.57%) within high- and low-NDF forages, respectively. Our objectives were to assess the relationships between IVGP and various agronomic or nutritional characteristics for high- and low-NDF fall-oat forages. Cumulative IVGP was fitted to a single-pool nonlinear regression model: Y = MAX × (1 – e ^{[–K× (t – lag)]}), where Y = cumulative gas produced (mL), MAX = maximum cumulative gas produced with infinite incubation time (mL), K = rate constant, t = incubation time (h), and lag = discrete lag time (h). Generally, cumulative IVGP after 12, 24, 36, or 48 h within high-NDF fall-oat forages was negatively correlated with NDF, hemicellulose, lignin, and ash, but positively correlated with WSC, nonfiber carbohydrate (NFC), and total digestible nutrients (TDN). For low-NDF fall-grown oat forages, IVGP was positively correlated with growth stage, canopy height, WSC, NFC, and TDN; negative correlations were observed with ash and crude protein (CP) but not generally with fiber components. These responses were also reflected in multiple regression analysis for high- and low-NDF forages. After 12, 24, or 36 h of incubation, cumulative IVGP within high-NDF fall-oat forages was explained by complex regression equations utilizing (lignin:NDF)², lignin:NDF, hemicellulose, lignin, and TDN² as independent variables (R² ≥ 0.43). Within low-NDF fall-grown oat forages, cumulative IVGP at these incubation intervals was explained by positive linear relationships with NFC that also exhibited high coefficients of determination (R² ≥ 0.75). Gas production was accelerated at early incubation times within low-NDF forages, specifically in response to large pools of WSC that were most likely to be present as forages approached boot stage by late-fall.