Prospects for improving the nutritive value of temperate, perennial pasture grasses

Abstract

In this review, the impact of chemical, physical, and morphological characteristics of pasture grasses that affect their nutritive value either through voluntary food intake (palatability, leaf/ stem ratio, plant habit, dimensions of stems and leaves) and/or feed utilisation (cellular and cell wall constituents, anatomy and morphology, leaf and stem strength, anti-nutrients, and toxins) are summarised and the potential for improvement by selection or other means is discussed. © 1994 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.