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Effect of N Supplementation on In Vitro Digestibility of Corn, Sorghum, and Alfalfa1

The effect of adding urea as a supplemental nitrogen source for rumen microorganisms in a two-stage in vitro digestion technique was determined with shelled corn Zea mays L., corn fodder, sorghum fodder Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench and alfalfa Medicago sativa L. as substrates. Digestibility in vitro of shelled corn and corn fodder was greatly increased by urea supplementation. Urea slightly increased digestion of sorghum fodder but had no effect on digestion of alfalfa. Some inhibition of sorghum digestion resulted with the highest level of urea supplementation (15 mg urea per 0.25 g substrate dry matter). The optimum amount of urea supplementation, an amount at which highest digestibility was obtained without inhibiting the digestion of any one crop, was 10 mg urea per 0.25 g substrate dry matter. The need for N supplementation to obtain maximum digestion in vitro of substrates containing large amounts of readily-available carbohydrates was clearly demonstrated.

Key Words: in vitro digestibility • urea supplementation • artificial rumen • Zea mays L. • Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench. • Medicao sativa L.

² Associate Professor, Research Agronomist, and Research Assistant, Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota, St. Paul 55101.

Received for publication May 9, 1968.

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