Table 2. Chemical composition of fresh winter forage rape and fresh perennial ryegrass.

Chemical constituent	Forage rape	Perennial ryegrass	P c
(g/kg DM a except as noted)	(n = 3) b	(n = 3)
Period 1
Dry matter (g/kg) d	131 ± 2.9	148 ± 4.8	0.005
Organic matter	852 ± 16.4	842 ± 38.4	0.834
Crude protein	215 ± 11.0	181 ± 6.3	0.058
Lipid	34 ± 0.9	41 ± 1.7	0.015
Hot water-soluble carbohydrates	142 ± 11.9	83 ± 11.3	0.023
Pectin	76 ± 2.8	9 ± 0.6	<0.001
Readily fermentable carbohydrates e	218 ± 13.9	92 ± 11.8	0.002
NDF f	209 ± 17.5	464 ± 23.7	<0.001
ADF g	161 ± 16.4	242 ± 26.1	0.059
Hemicellulose	48 ± 1.2	222 ± 5.0	<0.001
Cellulose	124 ± 14.6	215 ± 25.0	0.035
RFC:SC h	1.31 ± 0.214	0.21 ± 0.038	0.007
Lignin (sa) i	38 ± 9.1	27 ± 1.5	0.323
Period 2
Dry matter (g/kg)	142 ± 2.1	198 ± 4.6	<0.001
Organic matter	917 ± 1.9	901 ± 1.9	0.003
Crude protein	158 ± 2.1	160 ±5.5	0.742
Lipid	34 ± 0.9	35 ± 1.0	0.374
Hot water-soluble carbohydrates	240 ± 2.4	123 ± 8.4	<0.001
Pectin	75 ± 1.7	11 ± 0.3	<0.001
Readily fermentable carbohydrates	315 ± 2.6	134 ± 8.4	<0.001
NDF	170 ± 4.4	445 ± 6.0	<0.001
ADF	123 ± 3.5	231 ± 3.2	<0.001
Hemicellulose	47 ± 0.9	214 ± 2.8	<0.001
Cellulose	86 ± 5.4	214 ± 2.7	<0.001
RFC:SC	2.38 ± 0.120	0.31 ± 0.017	<0.001
Lignin (sa)	37 ± 2.6	17 ± 0.6	0.002

^a Dry matter.

^b The number of field replicates of forage samples; data are means ± SEM.

^c P value for the difference between forage rape and perennial ryegrass.

^d The number of field replicates of forage samples for the determination of dry matter contents was 18 per forage.

^e Hot water-soluble carbohydrates plus pectin.

^f Neutral detergent fibre assayed with a heat stable amylase and expressed inclusive of residual ash.

^g Acid detergent fibre expressed inclusive of residual ash.

^h Ratio of readily fermentable carbohydrates: structural carbohydrates (hemicellulose + cellulose).

ⁱ Lignin determined by solubilization of cellulose with sulfuric acid (sa).