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Degradation by Ficin of Protein from Alfalfa Hay Conserved as Conventional and Laboratory-Scale Bales

Dep. of Agronomy, Kansas State Univ., Manhattan, KS 66506.

Keith K. Bolsen, Daniel Z. Skinner and Robert C. Cochran

Dep. of Animal Science and Industry, Kansas State Univ., Manhattan, KS 66506.
USDA-ARS, Kansas State Univ., Manhattan, KS 66506.
Dep. of Animal Science and Industry, Kansas State Univ., Manhattan, KS 66506.

^* Corresponding author.

Ficin was utilized in a 2-h in vitro incubation procedure to characterize the partitioning of N into fractions based on resistance of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) proteins to enzymatic degradation. Objectives included evaluation of the following treatment effects on N partitioning: (i) moisture content; (ii) laboratory bale density; (iii) laboratory baling without heating during storage; (iv) spontaneous heating in laboratory bales; and (v) conventional baling. Alfalfa at three moisture levels (268, 229, and 185 g kg^–1) was conserved in the following bale types: (i) conventional bales; (ii) laboratory bales made at 1.0, 1.3, 1.7, and 2.0 times the density of conventional bales and incubated in two environments (straw stacks or insulated boxes); or (iii) a prestorage control. Significant (P 0.05) moisture x bale type interactions were observed for most N fractions, indicating N partitioning among bale types was greatly changed in high-moisture hay, but remained relatively stable in dry hay. Except for the Pool-C N fraction, which includes Maillard reaction products, laboratory-bale density generally had little effect on N partitioning. At the medium and low moisture levels, prestorage controls had more Pool-A N (greater buffer solubility) than did nonheated laboratory bales. Heating in laboratory bales facilitated additional significant change in N fractions, relative to nonheated laboratory bales. While Maillard reaction products increased in response to laboratory bale density, large increases in the portion of potentially available N most resistant to enzymatic degradation (B₂ subfraction), appeared dependent on large heat increments incurred specifically in conventional bales.

Received for publication February 12, 1994.