Practical 6 - feed preference

Question 1

how do you calculate leaf:stem ratio

Answer 1

separate the plant samples into a pile of leaves and a pile of stems.
for stem diameter - measure 5 stems selected at random, then calculate an average

Question 2

how do you caculate the relative % eaten (% preference)

Answer 2

Example:
(Left bucket EATEN/ TOTAL EATEN) x100

Question 3

Based on the preference test we did, what are the rankings for preference %

Answer 3

1 - pittosporum
2 - coprosma
3 - griselina (broadleaf)
4 - mahoe
5 - ryegrass