Effect of level of endophyte infection, nitrogen fertilization rate, grazing period, and paddock exchange on some chemical properties of four bovine tissues.

Three grazing experiments were conducted to determine the effect of level of endophyte infection, rate of N fertilization of tall fescue grass, grazing period, and paddock exchange on selected chemical properties of four bovine carcass tissues. Samples of semitendinosus and longissimus muscle and of subcutaneous and perinephric adipose tissue were excised from the left side of each carcass. In Exp. 1, percentage of stearic acid was higher (P less than .05) and percentages of palmitoleic and oleic acid were lower (P less than .05) in all tissues from steers grazed on LELN Au-Triumph fescue than in tissues from steers grazed on LELN KY-31 fescue. Grazing periods of 175 or 245 d or paddock exchange (Exp. 2) had no significant effect on proximate composition of semitendinosus and longissimus muscles; however, moisture content was higher (P less than .05) in the semitendinosus muscle from steers grazed on 100% (100E) endophyte-infected KY-31 fescue. Forage treatment, grazing period, and paddock exchange (Exp. 2 and 3) had no significant effect on percentage of saturated fatty acids in the subcutaneous, semitendinosus, and longissimus tissue samples. In Exp. 2 and 3, percentages of saturated fatty acids were higher (P less than .05) in subcutaneous and perinephric adipose tissue samples from steers grazed on 100E than in samples from steers grazed on zero endophyte (OE) fescue.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)