Glossary

Some terms with which the reader may not be familiar

Accession: A distinct, uniquely identifiable sample of germplasm representing a cultivar, breeding line or a population.

Dry matter: The total weight of plant material after removal of water by oven drying at 60 C, expressed as a percentage.

Clone/clonal: A genetically identical copy of living material.

Digestibility: A measure of the conversion of feed, in the rumen and intestines, into soluble and diffusible products, capable of being absorbed by the blood.

Degradability: The reduction of plant material to its component parts during digestion in the rumen.

Genotype: The genetic constitution of an individual plant or organism.

In vivo: Experimentation using the natural conditions in live animals.

In vitro: Experimentation in test tubes in artificial laboratory conditions outside the animal.

Organic matter: The carbon-based compounds that are non-mineral components of the plant.