The objective of this study was to evaluate the nutritional value of 23 experimental genotypes and two control cultivars (AG2501C and BRS800) obtained by crossing sorghum with sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor cv. Bicolor × Sorghum bicolor cv. Sudanense), managed in a cutting regime. The bromatological analysis was performed, and the kinetics parameters of dry matter fermentation was obtained by the semi-automated in vitro gas production technique. A completely randomized block design was used for total gas production in a split plot arrangement. For all other responses an entirely randomized design was applied. The mean values were compared by Scott-Knott test. The genotypes CMSXS212*CMSXS912 and ATF14*CMSXS912 showed the highest dry matter content and the genotypes (A3TX430*CMSXS225)*CMSXS912, (A3TX430*CMSXS227)*CMSXS912, (BR007*CMSXS217)*CMSXS912, CMSXS210*CMSXS912, CMSXS157*CMSXS912, CMSXS215*CMSXS912, ATF14*CMSXS912, CMSXS205*CMSXS912, CMSXS156*CMSXS912, CMSXS107*CMSXS912, CMSXS216*CMSXS912 showed the highest protein level. The cell wall contents, the kinetics parameters and the effective dry matter degradation for all the hybrids were not statistically different.
cultivated forage; cutting regime; dry period; nutritional value; ruminant
