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PLANT SPECIES MIXTURES FOR FORAGE PRODUCTION FOR RUMINANT FEEDING UNDER MEDITERRANEAN CONDITIONS

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 November 2013

E. TSIPLAKOU ,
G. ECONOMOU ,
I. HADJIGEORGIOU ,
A. KOMINAKIS  and
G. ZERVAS
E. TSIPLAKOU*
Affiliation:
Department of Nutritional Physiology and Feeding, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, GR-11855, Athens, Greece
G. ECONOMOU
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, GR-11855, Athens, Greece
I. HADJIGEORGIOU
Affiliation:
Department of Nutritional Physiology and Feeding, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, GR-11855, Athens, Greece
A. KOMINAKIS
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Breeding, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, GR-11855, Athens, Greece
G. ZERVAS
Affiliation:
Department of Nutritional Physiology and Feeding, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, GR-11855, Athens, Greece
*
‡Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]
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Summary

The establishment of leys for biomass production during the winter months could be an alternative feed resource of low cost for small ruminants in Mediterranean basin. For this purpose, an experiment was carried out with six plant species mixtures (PSM) that were cut up to seven times from seeding. The results showed that all the PSM had their highest growth at the 2nd cut with Festuca arundinacea, Lolium perenne, Dactylis glomerata, Trifolium repens (FLDT) being superior as the dry matter production concerns compared with the PSM that gave seven cuts. The crude protein and the ether extracts contents in all the PSM decreased from the 1st to the last cut, while that of NDF and ADF increased. The concentrations of myristic, palmitic, stearic, oleic and linoleic acid increased in all the PSMs from the 2nd to the 5th cut, while the opposite was observed for the α-linolenic acid content. The concentration of α-linolenic acid was higher in the FLDT PSM when compared to others during all cuts. Taking into account all the examined parameters together, the FLDT seems to be superior to the other PSMs as animal feed for small ruminants, particularly during the period where there is no available grass from natural grasslands.

Type
Research Article
Information
Experimental Agriculture , Volume 50 , Issue 3 , July 2014 , pp. 426 - 437
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

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