Forage biomass and nutrient quality in brown midrib (BMR) compared to conventional : A meta-analysis approach.

OBJECTIVES

The primary objective of this study is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the differences between conventional and brown midrib (BMR) in terms of biomass, nutrient quality, nutrient digestibility, and animal performance.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A comprehensive database was created by integrating 73 datasets from 29 articles. The different studies were denoted as random effects, while the BMR variety was described as a fixed component. Afterward, these two aspects were calculated utilizing a linear mixed model.

RESULTS

According to the findings of the present meta-analysis, conventional produces higher quantities of forage and grain biomass in comparison to BMR ( < 0.001). As expected, BMR has a lower content of neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber, and lignin compared to conventional ( < 0.001). The digestibility of BMR performed better than conventional ( < 0.001), especially for NDF digestibility (54.98% 47.37%). BMR shows suitability as a fodder option for dairy cows due to its superior milk yield compared to conventional (15.04 14.06 kg/day; < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, BMR produces higher biomass compared to conventional . Nevertheless, in terms of nutrient quality and digestibility, BMR is the most optimal choice. The results will significantly improve animal performance.