Harvest Regimens and Locations Change Sericea Lespedeza Condensed Tannin Content.

Sericea lespedeza (SL; Lespedeza cuneata) is sold as hay or pellets specifically for its condensed tannin (CT) content to promote rumen bypass protein, depress methane emissions in livestock, and suppress gastro-intestinal parasites in small ruminants. Maximizing condensed tannin content in SL forage may depend on harvest regimen and environmental conditions driven by latitude and altitude. We collected SL AU Grazer herbage samples in five US states (Raleigh NC, Fort Valley GA, Tallassee AL, Baton Rouge LA, and Stephenville TX) during one growing season. We compared season-long protein-precipitating phenolics (PPP) averages from forage harvested at 35-d regrowth (35-d), 40-cm height regrowth (40-cm), and monthly accumulated (ACCUM). Harvest regimen and location interacted (P ≤ 0.05) to influence PPP content. Where there were differences (P≤0.05), ACCUM plants were inferior to the other harvest regimens while forage in TX and AL had among the greatest values (up to 100 g kg^-1 for 35-d in TX) compared to others (62.7 g kg^-1 in LA). We do not recommend harvesting accumulated SL forage for optimum CT content. We advise that individual SL hay or pellet batches be assayed prior to sale because of the wide variability among locations and harvest regimens, especially if it is sold specifically for its CT content.