Physical, fermentative, and nutritional quality of silages made from three Sorghum bicolor varieties as affected by ensiling duration in South-west Nigeria.

Despite large-scale sorghum production in Nigeria, its utilization as livestock feed is limited to the stover following grain harvest. Therefore, we evaluated the physical, fermentative, and nutritive quality of whole-crop silages from three Sorghum bicolor varieties at different ensiling durations. The experiment was 3×5 factorial comprising three varieties (Samsorg14, Samsorg17, and Samsorg41) and five ensiling durations (0, 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks).

Overgrazing-induced legacy effects may permit to cope with herbivory.

There is growing evidence that herbivory-induced legacy effects permit plants to cope with herbivory. However, herbivory-induced defense strategies in plants against grazing mammals have received little attention. To further understand the grazing-induced legacy effects on plants, we conducted a greenhouse experiment with experiencing different grazing histories.

Different responses of plant N and P resorption to overgrazing in three dominant species in a typical steppe of Inner Mongolia, China.

Nutrient resorption from senesced leaves is an important mechanism for nutrient conservation in plants. However, little is known about the effect of grazing on plant nutrient resorption from senesced leaves, especially in semiarid ecosystems. Here, we evaluated the effects of grazing on N and P resorption in the three most dominant grass species in a typical steppe in northern China.

Stoichiometric ratios support plant adaption to grazing moderated by soil nutrients and root enzymes.

Background: Vegetation succession is one of the major driving processes of grassland degradation. Stoichiometry significantly contributes to vegetation dynamics. However, a knowledge gap exists in how soil nutrients and root enzymes influence the stoichiometric ratio to affect vegetation dynamics.