The Neutralizing Power of Forage Crops for Organic and Mineral Acids

Plant materials differ widely in their chemical composition. I n most cases cereals and grasses contain a smaller percentage of basic materials such as calcium, potassium, magnesium and nitrogen and a larger percentage of readily fermentable carbohydrates than do the legumes. These differences in the ratio of the fermentable sugars to the basic constituents in the non-legumes and in the legumes m a y have a definite effect on the quality of the silage that can be made from these forage crops.