Abstract:
The quality and quantity of components in two ungrazed wheat stubbles were assessed at Walpeup for six months post-harvest between December 1999 and May 2000. The quantity of stem and leaf material in the stubble in paddock B and the stem material in paddock A declined by 2.6 kg DM/ha/day (P<0.01). The quantity of leaf material in paddock A did not significantly change over time (P>0.05). The ME, DMD and CP of leaf was higher (P<0.001) than that of stem, and the ME and DMD of leaf declined at a faster (P<0.001) rate. The crude protein content did not significantly change over time. Between January and May the quantity of green material was higher than 200 kg DM/ha. It was concluded that without supplementation, both leaf and stem components of cereal stubbles would be nutritionally inadequate to maintain adult sheep, and would generally contribute little to sheep production in most years compared to the large quantities of green weed material present.
