The Mineral Composition of Wild Type and Cultivated Varieties of Pasture Species

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals

Darch, T., McGrath, S. P., Lee, M. R. F., Beaumont, D. A., Blackwell, M. S. A., Horrocks, C. A., Evans, J. and Storkey, J. 2020. The Mineral Composition of Wild Type and Cultivated Varieties of Pasture Species. Agronomy. 10 (10), p. 1463. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10101463

AuthorsDarch, T., McGrath, S. P., Lee, M. R. F., Beaumont, D. A., Blackwell, M. S. A., Horrocks, C. A., Evans, J. and Storkey, J.
Abstract

Mineral deficiencies in livestock are often prevented by using prophylactic supplementation, which is imprecise and inefficient. Instead, the trend for increased species diversity in swards is an opportunity to improve mineral concentrations in the basal diet. Currently there are limited data on the mineral concentrations of different species and botanical groups, particularly for I and Se, which are among the most deficient minerals in livestock diets. We grew 21 pasture species, including some cultivar/wild type comparisons, of grasses, legumes and forbs, as single species stands in a pot study in a standard growth medium. Herbage concentrations of Co, Cu, I, Mn, Se, Zn, S, Mo and Fe showed no consistent differences between the wild and cultivated types. There were significant differences between botanical groups for many minerals tested. Forbs were highest in I and Se, grasses in Mn, and legumes in Cu, Co, Zn and Fe. Comparing species concentrations to recommended livestock intakes, the forbs Achillea millefolium, Cichorium intybus and Plantago lanceolate, and the legumes Medicago lupulina, Trifolium hybridum, and Lotus corniculatus, appear good sources of Co, Cu, I, Se and Zn. Further work is required to ensure these results are consistent in multispecies mixtures, in different soil types, and in field trials.

KeywordsMicronutrients ; Trace elements; Antagonism; Livestock intake; Multispecies; Multifunctional; Sward; Forb; Legume; Grass
Year of Publication2020
JournalAgronomy
Journal citation10 (10), p. 1463
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10101463
Open accessPublished as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
FunderBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Funder project or codeS2N - Soil to Nutrition - Work package 1 (WP1) - Optimising nutrient flows and pools in the soil-plant-biota system
S2N - Soil to Nutrition - Work package 2 (WP2) - Adaptive management systems for improved efficiency and nutritional quality
Publisher's version
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online24 Sep 2020
Publication process dates
Accepted22 Sep 2020
PublisherMDPI
ISSN2073-4395

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