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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 November 2017
Increasing population and lack of water resources brings the attention of investigators to types of halophytes growing in salty soil and water areas in order to guarantee forage for animals. Kochia Scoparia is a potentially valuable forage plant on arid and semiarid lands, because it yields DE and protein comparable to alfalfa with about half the water requirement (Finley and Sherrod, 1971). However, its value is decreased by poor utilisation of nutrients (Cohen et al., 1989). It has been reported that adding kochia scoparia forage to sheep ration does not affect the nutrient digestibility, but increasing different levels of kochia in cattle and sheep rations cause decreased retention of nitrogen in the body of these animals (Sherrod, 1973). This study is focused on introducing Kochia scoparia as a native forage in Iran and investigates the characteristics of it when ensiled.